Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in West Fargo, North Dakota
A $302,000 home here costs
$2,453per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,553. The real number is $900 higher every month — 58% 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.
West Fargo against Cass County and North Dakota
| Measure | West Fargo | Cass County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $302,200 | $284,700 |
| Median property tax | $3,944 | $3,449 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.305% | 1.211% |
| Median gross rent | $1,075 | $930 |
| Population | 39,325 | 189,286 |
The weather behind that power bill
West Fargo sits in Cass County, which averages a high of 80.8°F in its hottest month and a low of -1.4°F in its coldest, with 24.2" of precipitation a year and 47% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 449 cooling and 9,115 heating degree days, which is what sets the $122 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Cass County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Cass County
Full Cass County cost breakdown · Every county in North Dakota
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in West Fargo?
A $302,000 home in West Fargo, North Dakota costs approximately $2,453 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,553 principal and interest, $328 property tax, $130 homeowners insurance, $190 utilities and $252 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in West Fargo?
West Fargo has an effective property tax rate of 1.305%, based on a median home value of $302,200 and median real estate taxes of $3,944. That is higher than the Cass County average of 1.211%.
What is the average home price in West Fargo?
The median owner-occupied home value in West Fargo, North Dakota is $302,200, against $284,700 across Cass County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in West Fargo?
Median gross rent in West Fargo is $1,075 a month, against $2,453 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 West Fargo — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for North Dakota.
- 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.