Cost to Own
United StatesWyomingPlatte County FIPS 56031 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 Platte County still costs $619 a month in taxes, insurance, utilities and upkeep. See how that compares nationwide

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Platte County, Wyoming

A $249,000 home here costs

$1,913

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 $82,000 a year.

P&I 68%Tax 6%Insurance 5%Utilities 10%Upkeep 11%

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,293. The real number is $619 higher every month, 48% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

County median: $248,900
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
WY average household

Compare with Laramie County · Albany County · Converse 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, $199,200 borrowed $1,293
Property tax0.588% effective rate, Platte County assessor via Census ACS $122
Homeowners insuranceWyoming averages $1,432/yr (NAIC), or 0.435% of home value $90
Electricity15.24¢/kWh, Wyoming residential average, EIA $132
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year, the cost nobody budgets $208
Total monthly $1,913

How Platte County compares

Platte County ranks 2,371st of 3,133 US counties by effective property tax rate, meaning property taxes here are lower than in 762 counties and higher than in 2,370. Within Wyoming it ranks 7th of 23.

Platte County 0.588% 30% lower than national
Wyoming average 0.556%
National median0.837%
Highest in America, Menominee County, WI3.636%

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

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

The numbers behind this page

MeasurePlatte CountySource
Median home value$248,900ACS B25077
Median real estate taxes paid$1,464ACS B25103
Effective property tax rate0.588%Derived
Median gross rent$745ACS B25064
Occupied housing units3,877ACS B25003
Population8,606ACS B01003
Residential electricity price15.24¢/kWhEIA 5.6.A, June 2026
30-year fixed mortgage rate6.76%Freddie Mac PMMS

The risk behind the insurance bill

FEMA rates Platte County's overall natural hazard risk Very Low among US counties. Expected annual losses to buildings, people and agriculture here run about $5.9 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.

Wildfire FEMA National Risk Index percentile 87.6 Relatively Low
Winter weather FEMA National Risk Index percentile 80.9 Relatively Moderate
Cold wave FEMA National Risk Index percentile 66.4 Relatively Moderate

Ratings are FEMA's own, relative to all US counties. A high drought or heat rating also shows up in the climate figures for Platte 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 Platte County every week. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details to a list.

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

The weather behind that power bill

Platte County runs an average high of 90.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 16.2°F in its coldest, with 14.13" of precipitation a year and 46% of it falling in a single three-month stretch. That climate is what sets the $132 electricity line above: 565 cooling degree days and 6,373 heating degree days a year.

See the full Platte 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 Platte County

Each has its own median home value and its own effective tax rate, which can differ noticeably from the county average of 0.588%.

Neighbouring counties

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

All 23 counties in Wyoming

Questions about owning here

What is the property tax rate in Platte County?

The effective property tax rate in Platte County, Wyoming is 0.588% of home value per year. On the county's median home value of $248,900, that works out to about $1,464 annually, or $122 per month.

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

A $249,000 home in Platte County, Wyoming costs approximately $1,913 per month with 20% down at 6.76%. That breaks down as $1,293 principal and interest, $122 property tax, $90 insurance, $200 utilities and $208 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 $407 a month, which is why the real cost is 48% above the mortgage payment alone.

Is it cheaper to rent in Platte County?

Median gross rent in Platte County, Wyoming is $745 per month, compared with $1,913 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 Platte County?

Wyoming residential electricity averages 15.24¢ per kWh. At the WY average household usage of 863 kWh per month, that is about $132. Actual bills vary considerably with house size, insulation and climate.

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

Using the standard 28% rule, housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, buying the median home in Platte County, Wyoming at today's rate takes a household income of roughly $82,000 a year. That covers the full $1,913 monthly cost, not just the mortgage payment.

One county over In Niobrara County, the same $249,000 home pays about $528 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 Wyoming ($1,432/yr), expressed as 0.435% 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