Cost to Own
United StatesAlaskaNome Census Area FIPS 02180 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 Nome Census Area still costs $711 a month in taxes, insurance, utilities and upkeep. See how that compares nationwide

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Nome Census Area, Alaska

A $201,000 home here costs

$1,755

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 $75,000 a year.

P&I 59%Tax 15%Insurance 3%Utilities 13%Upkeep 10%

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,044. The real number is $711 higher every month, 68% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

County median: $201,000
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
AK average household

Compare with Kusilvak Census Area · Northwest Arctic Borough · Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area · 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, $160,800 borrowed $1,044
Property tax1.547% effective rate, Nome Census Area assessor via Census ACS $259
Homeowners insuranceAlaska averages $1,067/yr (NAIC), or 0.321% of home value $54
Electricity28.21¢/kWh, Alaska residential average, EIA $163
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year, the cost nobody budgets $168
Total monthly $1,755

How Nome Census Area compares

Nome Census Area ranks 341st of 3,133 US counties by effective property tax rate, meaning property taxes here are lower than in 2,792 counties and higher than in 340. Within Alaska it ranks 2nd of 26.

Nome Census Area 1.547% 85% higher than national
Alaska average 0.772%
National median0.837%
Highest in America, Menominee County, WI3.636%

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

Alaska 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 Alaska. Buying instead? The state's down payment help is the program lenders forget to mention.

The numbers behind this page

MeasureNome Census AreaSource
Median home value$201,000ACS B25077
Median real estate taxes paid$3,110ACS B25103
Effective property tax rate1.547%Derived
Median gross rent$1,328ACS B25064
Occupied housing units2,786ACS B25003
Population9,925ACS B01003
Residential electricity price28.21¢/kWhEIA 5.6.A, June 2026
30-year fixed mortgage rate6.76%Freddie Mac PMMS

The risk behind the insurance bill

FEMA rates Nome Census Area's overall natural hazard risk Very Low among US counties. Expected annual losses to buildings, people and agriculture here run about $6.2 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.

Cold wave FEMA National Risk Index percentile 92.4 Relatively High
Volcanic activity FEMA National Risk Index percentile 89.6 Relatively Low
Winter weather FEMA National Risk Index percentile 88.2 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 Nome Census Area.

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 Nome Census Area every week. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details to a list.

I'm looking to buy in Nome Census Area I already own here and may sell

The weather behind that power bill

Nome Census Area runs an average high of 57.7°F in its hottest month and a low of -2.0°F in its coldest, with 17.22" of precipitation a year and 45% of it falling in a single three-month stretch. That climate is what sets the $163 electricity line above: 3 cooling degree days and 13,485 heating degree days a year.

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

Cities and towns in Nome Census Area

Each has its own median home value and its own effective tax rate, which can differ noticeably from the county average of 1.547%.

Neighbouring counties

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

All 26 counties in Alaska

Questions about owning here

What is the property tax rate in Nome Census Area?

The effective property tax rate in Nome Census Area, Alaska is 1.547% of home value per year. On the county's median home value of $201,000, that works out to about $3,110 annually, or $259 per month.

How much does it cost to own a home in Nome Census Area?

A $201,000 home in Nome Census Area, Alaska costs approximately $1,755 per month with 20% down at 6.76%. That breaks down as $1,044 principal and interest, $259 property tax, $54 insurance, $231 utilities and $168 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 $399 a month, which is why the real cost is 68% above the mortgage payment alone.

Is it cheaper to rent in Nome Census Area?

Median gross rent in Nome Census Area, Alaska is $1,328 per month, compared with $1,755 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 Nome Census Area?

Alaska residential electricity averages 28.21¢ per kWh. At the AK average household usage of 578 kWh per month, that is about $163. Actual bills vary considerably with house size, insulation and climate.

What salary do you need to buy a home in Nome Census Area?

Using the standard 28% rule, housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, buying the median home in Nome Census Area, Alaska at today's rate takes a household income of roughly $75,000 a year. That covers the full $1,755 monthly cost, not just the mortgage payment.

One county over In Northwest Arctic Borough, the same $201,000 home pays about $2,864 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 Alaska ($1,067/yr), expressed as 0.321% 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