Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Berks County, Pennsylvania
A $240,000 home here costs
$2,169per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,234. The real number is $935 higher every month — 76% 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.
How Berks County compares
Berks County ranks 177th of 3,133 US counties by effective property tax rate, meaning property taxes here are lower than in 2,956 counties and higher than in 176. Within Pennsylvania it ranks 3rd of 67.
The numbers behind this page
| Measure | Berks County | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $239,700 | ACS B25077 |
| Median real estate taxes paid | $4,238 | ACS B25103 |
| Effective property tax rate | 1.768% | Derived |
| Median gross rent | $1,143 | ACS B25064 |
| Occupied housing units | 161,701 | ACS B25003 |
| Population | 429,989 | ACS B01003 |
| Residential electricity price | 21.55¢/kWh | EIA 5.6.A |
| 30-year fixed mortgage rate | 6.66% | Freddie Mac PMMS |
Other counties in Pennsylvania
Compare the cost of the same home elsewhere in the state.
Questions about owning here
What is the property tax rate in Berks County?
The effective property tax rate in Berks County, Pennsylvania is 1.768% of home value per year. On the county's median home value of $239,700, that works out to about $4,238 annually, or $353 per month.
How much does it cost to own a home in Berks County?
A $240,000 home in Berks County, Pennsylvania costs approximately $2,169 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That breaks down as $1,234 principal and interest, $354 property tax, $120 insurance, $262 utilities and $200 set aside for maintenance.
Why is this higher than the payment my lender quoted?
Lender quotes usually show principal and interest only, and sometimes property tax and insurance. They almost never include electricity, water or a maintenance reserve. Here those add about $462 a month, which is why the real cost is 76% above the mortgage payment alone.
Is it cheaper to rent in Berks County?
Median gross rent in Berks County, Pennsylvania is $1,143 per month, compared with $2,169 to own the median home outright. Renting is cheaper month to month, though rent does not build equity and is not fixed for 30 years.
How much is the electric bill in Berks County?
Pennsylvania residential electricity averages 21.55¢ per kWh. At the US average household usage of 899 kWh per month, that is about $194. Actual bills vary considerably with house size, insulation and climate.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes paid, gross rent, occupied units and population — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, tables B25077, B25103, B25064, B25003, B01003.
- Effective property tax rate — median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, updated weekly.
- Residential electricity price — US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A.
- Homeowners insurance (0.60%/yr), maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are modelled national estimates, not quoted figures. Every one is editable above.