Cost to Own
United StatesVermontWindsor County FIPS 50027 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 Windsor County still costs $946 a month in taxes, insurance, utilities and upkeep. See how that compares nationwide

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Windsor County, Vermont

A $267,000 home here costs

$2,333

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 $100,000 a year.

P&I 59%Tax 19%Insurance 3%Utilities 9%Upkeep 10%

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,387. The real number is $946 higher every month, 68% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

County median: $267,400
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
VT average household

Compare with Grafton County, NH · Rutland County · Windham 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, $213,600 borrowed $1,387
Property tax1.975% effective rate, Windsor County assessor via Census ACS $439
Homeowners insuranceVermont averages $1,025/yr (NAIC), or 0.34% of home value $76
Electricity24.44¢/kWh, Vermont residential average, EIA $140
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year, the cost nobody budgets $223
Total monthly $2,333

How Windsor County compares

Windsor County ranks 110th of 3,133 US counties by effective property tax rate, meaning property taxes here are lower than in 3,023 counties and higher than in 109. Within Vermont it ranks 1st of 14.

Windsor County 1.975% 136% higher than national
Vermont average 1.718%
National median0.837%
Highest in America, Menominee County, WI3.636%

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

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

The numbers behind this page

MeasureWindsor CountySource
Median home value$267,400ACS B25077
Median real estate taxes paid$5,282ACS B25103
Effective property tax rate1.975%Derived
Median gross rent$1,089ACS B25064
Occupied housing units24,873ACS B25003
Population57,968ACS B01003
Residential electricity price24.44¢/kWhEIA 5.6.A, June 2026
30-year fixed mortgage rate6.76%Freddie Mac PMMS

The risk behind the insurance bill

FEMA rates Windsor County's overall natural hazard risk Relatively Low among US counties. Expected annual losses to buildings, people and agriculture here run about $25.1 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.

Landslide FEMA National Risk Index percentile 90.6 Relatively Moderate
River flooding FEMA National Risk Index percentile 76.7 Relatively Moderate
Winter weather FEMA National Risk Index percentile 75.1 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 Windsor 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 Windsor County every week. Free, no obligation, and we never sell your details to a list.

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

The weather behind that power bill

Windsor County runs an average high of 81.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 7.3°F in its coldest, with 42.45" of precipitation a year and 28% of it falling in a single three-month stretch. That climate is what sets the $140 electricity line above: 410 cooling degree days and 7,703 heating degree days a year.

See the full Windsor 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 Windsor County

Each has its own median home value and its own effective tax rate, which can differ noticeably from the county average of 1.975%.

Neighbouring counties

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

All 14 counties in Vermont

Questions about owning here

What is the property tax rate in Windsor County?

The effective property tax rate in Windsor County, Vermont is 1.975% of home value per year. On the county's median home value of $267,400, that works out to about $5,282 annually, or $440 per month.

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

A $267,000 home in Windsor County, Vermont costs approximately $2,333 per month with 20% down at 6.76%. That breaks down as $1,387 principal and interest, $439 property tax, $76 insurance, $208 utilities and $223 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 $431 a month, which is why the real cost is 68% above the mortgage payment alone.

Is it cheaper to rent in Windsor County?

Median gross rent in Windsor County, Vermont is $1,089 per month, compared with $2,333 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 Windsor County?

Vermont residential electricity averages 24.44¢ per kWh. At the VT average household usage of 574 kWh per month, that is about $140. Actual bills vary considerably with house size, insulation and climate.

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

Using the standard 28% rule, housing costs at no more than 28% of gross income, buying the median home in Windsor County, Vermont at today's rate takes a household income of roughly $100,000 a year. That covers the full $2,333 monthly cost, not just the mortgage payment.

One county over In Sullivan County, NH, the same $267,000 home pays about $1,073 a year more 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 Vermont ($1,025/yr), expressed as 0.34% 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