Cost to Own
United StatesIndianaJohnson County FIPS 18081 Data vintage ACS 2023 5-Year Rates updated 2026-09-10
The part nobody budgets Even with the mortgage fully paid off, the median home in Johnson County still costs $709 a month in taxes, insurance, utilities and upkeep. See how that compares nationwide

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Johnson County, Indiana

A $260,000 home here costs

$2,060

per month, all in, with 20% down at today's 6.76% 30-year fixed rate. By the 28% rule that takes a household income of about $88,500 a year.

P&I 66%Tax 8%Insurance 5%Utilities 11%Upkeep 11%

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,350. The real number is $709 higher every month, 53% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

County median: $260,400
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
IN average household

Compare with Marion County · Bartholomew County · Morgan County · any county

Where every dollar goes

Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.

Principal & interest30-year fixed, $208,000 borrowed $1,350
Property tax0.720% effective rate, Johnson County assessor via Census ACS $156
Homeowners insuranceIndiana averages $1,058/yr (NAIC), or 0.512% of home value $111
Electricity17.51¢/kWh, Indiana residential average, EIA $158
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year, the cost nobody budgets $217
Total monthly $2,060

How Johnson County compares

Johnson County ranks 1,904th of 3,133 US counties by effective property tax rate, meaning property taxes here are lower than in 1,229 counties and higher than in 1,903. Within Indiana it ranks 33rd of 92.

Johnson County 0.720% 14% lower than national
Indiana average 0.671%
National median0.837%
Highest in America, Menominee County, WI3.636%

Paying the full bill when you don't have to?

Indiana runs property tax relief: homestead, senior, veteran and disability programs, and nearly all of it requires a filing homeowners never make. See what you can claim in Indiana. Buying instead? The state's down payment help is the program lenders forget to mention.

The numbers behind this page

MeasureJohnson CountySource
Median home value$260,400ACS B25077
Median real estate taxes paid$1,875ACS B25103
Effective property tax rate0.720%Derived
Median gross rent$1,208ACS B25064
Occupied housing units61,513ACS B25003
Population163,983ACS B01003
Residential electricity price17.51¢/kWhEIA 5.6.A, June 2026
30-year fixed mortgage rate6.76%Freddie Mac PMMS

The risk behind the insurance bill

FEMA rates Johnson County's overall natural hazard risk Relatively Low among US counties. Expected annual losses to buildings, people and agriculture here run about $53.5 million a year, county-wide, across every building in it, not per household.

One thing to be clear about: the insurance figure above does not know about any of this. It applies your state's average premium rate to the county's median home value, because published premium data does not exist at county level. Two counties in the same state get the same rate here even when FEMA rates one of them Very High and the other Very Low. So in a high-risk county treat the insurance line as a floor, not an estimate, and get a real quote before you budget.

Strong wind FEMA National Risk Index percentile 91.5 Relatively High
Tornado FEMA National Risk Index percentile 89.3 Relatively Moderate
Winter weather FEMA National Risk Index percentile 85.5 Relatively High

Ratings are FEMA's own, relative to all US counties. A high drought or heat rating also shows up in the climate figures for Johnson County.

Talk to someone who works this market

Every figure on this page is a county average. What your specific house costs, or what it would sell for, comes down to the street, the age of the roof and the condition of the systems. We will connect you with one licensed local agent who works Johnson County every week. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details to a list.

I'm looking to buy in Johnson County I already own here and may sell

The weather behind that power bill

Johnson County runs an average high of 84.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 17.9°F in its coldest, with 45.36" of precipitation a year and 34% of it falling in a single three-month stretch. That climate is what sets the $158 electricity line above: 897 cooling degree days and 5,752 heating degree days a year.

See the full Johnson County climate breakdown , month by month temperatures, when the rainy season lands, snowfall, and what the heating and cooling actually cost.

Cities and towns in Johnson County

Each has its own median home value and its own effective tax rate, which can differ noticeably from the county average of 0.720%.

Neighbouring counties

Counties sharing a border with Johnson County. Crossing a state line can change the tax rate dramatically for an otherwise identical house.

All 92 counties in Indiana

Questions about owning here

What is the property tax rate in Johnson County?

The effective property tax rate in Johnson County, Indiana is 0.720% of home value per year. On the county's median home value of $260,400, that works out to about $1,875 annually, or $156 per month.

How much does it cost to own a home in Johnson County?

A $260,000 home in Johnson County, Indiana costs approximately $2,060 per month with 20% down at 6.76%. That breaks down as $1,350 principal and interest, $156 property tax, $111 insurance, $226 utilities and $217 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 $442 a month, which is why the real cost is 53% above the mortgage payment alone.

Is it cheaper to rent in Johnson County?

Median gross rent in Johnson County, Indiana is $1,208 per month, compared with $2,060 a month to own the median home all in. 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 Johnson County?

Indiana residential electricity averages 17.51¢ per kWh. At the IN average household usage of 901 kWh per month, that is about $158. Actual bills vary considerably with house size, insulation and climate.

What salary do you need to buy a home in Johnson County?

Using the standard 28% rule, housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, buying the median home in Johnson County, Indiana at today's rate takes a household income of roughly $88,500 a year. That covers the full $2,060 monthly cost, not just the mortgage payment.

One county over In Brown County, the same $260,000 home pays about $647 a year less in property tax than it does here. See what else changes across the line

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, NAIC average premium for Indiana ($1,058/yr), expressed as 0.512% of median home value and applied to the price above. A quote for your specific house will differ with roof age, claims history and coverage.
  • Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are modelled national estimates, not quoted figures. Every assumption is editable above.

Full methodology