Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Willow, Alaska
A $285,000 home here costs
$2,323per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,465. The real number is $858 higher every month — 59% 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.
Willow against Matanuska-Susitna Borough and Alaska
| Measure | Willow | Matanuska-Susitna Borough |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $285,100 | $319,200 |
| Median property tax | $2,670 | $3,512 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.937% | 1.100% |
| Median gross rent | $1,282 | $1,258 |
| Population | 1,769 | 110,677 |
The weather behind that power bill
Willow sits in Matanuska-Susitna Borough, which averages a high of 68.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 5.4°F in its coldest, with 26.51" of precipitation a year and 45% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 17 cooling and 10,592 heating degree days, which is what sets the $254 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Matanuska-Susitna Borough — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Matanuska-Susitna Borough
Full Matanuska-Susitna Borough cost breakdown · Every county in Alaska
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Willow?
A $285,000 home in Willow, Alaska costs approximately $2,323 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,465 principal and interest, $223 property tax, $76 homeowners insurance, $322 utilities and $238 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Willow?
Willow has an effective property tax rate of 0.937%, based on a median home value of $285,100 and median real estate taxes of $2,670. That is lower than the Matanuska-Susitna Borough average of 1.100%.
What is the average home price in Willow?
The median owner-occupied home value in Willow, Alaska is $285,100, against $319,200 across Matanuska-Susitna Borough.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Willow?
Median gross rent in Willow is $1,282 a month, against $2,323 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 Willow — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Alaska.
- 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.