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Buying a home in Shafer, Minnesota

The typical owner-occupied home in Shafer is worth about $242,800, 26% below the Minnesota median of $329,300 and 27% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,966 a year in property taxes, about 1.22% of their home's value, higher than the Minnesota rate of 1.02%. The median household earns $99,489 a year, so the median home costs 2.4 times the median income (3.7 times for Minnesota). 84% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 74% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Shafer at a glance

Shafer Minnesota U.S.
Median home value $242,800 $329,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,966 $3,357 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.22% 1.02% 0.94%
Median household income $99,489 $89,062 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 84% 72% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 74% 64% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,742 $1,947 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 19.9% 19.7% 21.0%
Median rent $966 $1,280 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 31.0% 29.2% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 2002 1979 1980
Vacant homes 3.8% 9.3% 10.1%
Population 1,186 5,739,445 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Shafer

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Shafer home of $242,800 with 20% down costs about $1,655 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $2,059, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $70,914 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 20% of the median Shafer household income of $99,489; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $341,000.

The median rent here is $966 a month, so owning the median home costs about $689 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$48,560
Loan amount$194,240
Principal and interest$1,307
Property taxes (1.22% a year)$247
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$101
PMI$0
Total per month$1,655

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$8,498
Loan amount$238,402
Principal and interest$1,604
Property taxes (1.22% a year)$247
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$101
FHA mortgage insurance$107
Total per month$2,059

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Questions about home buying in Shafer

What is the median home value in Shafer?

About $242,800 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Shafer?

Homeowners pay a median $2,966 a year, which is about 1.22% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Shafer?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,655 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $70,914 a year.

More about Shafer

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data