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Buying a home in Waite Park, Minnesota

The typical owner-occupied home in Waite Park is worth about $219,400, 33% below the Minnesota median of $329,300 and 34% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,757 a year in property taxes, about 1.26% of their home's value, higher than the Minnesota rate of 1.02%. The median household earns $59,285 a year, so the median home costs 3.7 times the median income (3.7 times for Minnesota). 51% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 52% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Waite Park at a glance

Waite Park Minnesota U.S.
Median home value $219,400 $329,300 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,757 $3,357 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.26% 1.02% 0.94%
Median household income $59,285 $89,062 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 51% 72% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 52% 64% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,623 $1,947 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 23.8% 19.7% 21.0%
Median rent $1,117 $1,280 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 40.3% 29.2% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1992 1979 1980
Vacant homes 3.5% 9.3% 10.1%
Population 8,399 5,739,445 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Waite Park

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Waite Park home of $219,400 with 20% down costs about $1,503 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,868, 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 $64,394 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 30% of the median Waite Park household income of $59,285; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $202,000.

The median rent here is $1,117 a month, so owning the median home costs about $386 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$43,880
Loan amount$175,520
Principal and interest$1,181
Property taxes (1.26% a year)$230
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$91
PMI$0
Total per month$1,503

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$7,679
Loan amount$215,426
Principal and interest$1,449
Property taxes (1.26% a year)$230
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$91
FHA mortgage insurance$97
Total per month$1,868

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Questions about home buying in Waite Park

What is the median home value in Waite Park?

About $219,400 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Waite Park?

Homeowners pay a median $2,757 a year, which is about 1.26% 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 Waite Park?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,503 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $64,394 a year.

More about Waite Park

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