Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Waycross, Georgia
A $89,000 home here costs
$852per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $458. The real number is $395 higher every month — 86% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Waycross against Ware County and Georgia
| Measure | Waycross | Ware County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $88,600 | $106,500 |
| Median property tax | $854 | $1,077 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.964% | 1.011% |
| Median gross rent | $810 | $786 |
| Population | 13,813 | 35,958 |
Waycross extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Ware County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Waycross sits in Ware County, which averages a high of 94.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 36.7°F in its coldest, with 50.42" of precipitation a year and 39% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,568 cooling and 1,712 heating degree days, which is what sets the $142 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Ware County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Ware County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Waycross?
A $89,000 home in Waycross, Georgia costs approximately $852 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $458 principal and interest, $71 property tax, $39 homeowners insurance, $210 utilities and $74 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Waycross?
Waycross has an effective property tax rate of 0.964%, based on a median home value of $88,600 and median real estate taxes of $854. That is lower than the Ware County average of 1.011%.
What is the average home price in Waycross?
The median owner-occupied home value in Waycross, Georgia is $88,600, against $106,500 across Ware County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Waycross?
Median gross rent in Waycross is $810 a month, against $852 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Waycross — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Georgia.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.