Home / Home Buying by state / Pennsylvania / Erie County / Elgin

Buying a home in Elgin, Pennsylvania

The typical owner-occupied home in Elgin is worth about $99,300, 61% below the Pennsylvania median of $254,500 and 70% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,618 a year in property taxes, about 1.63% of their home's value, higher than the Pennsylvania rate of 1.30%. The median household earns $61,518 a year, so the median home costs 1.6 times the median income (3.3 times for Pennsylvania). 92% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 27% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Elgin at a glance

Elgin Pennsylvania U.S.
Median home value $99,300 $254,500 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,618 $3,311 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.63% 1.30% 0.94%
Median household income $61,518 $77,971 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 92% 69% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 27% 58% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,292 $1,762 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 16.8% 19.4% 21.0%
Median rent $1,094 $1,209 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 13.8% 29.2% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1958 1965 1980
Vacant homes 7.6% 9.2% 10.1%
Population 181 13,018,639 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Elgin

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Elgin home of $99,300 with 20% down costs about $711 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $876, 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 $30,457 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 14% of the median Elgin household income of $61,518; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $201,000.

The median rent here is $1,094 a month, a little more than the monthly cost of owning the median home with 20% down.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$19,860
Loan amount$79,440
Principal and interest$534
Property taxes (1.63% a year)$135
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$41
PMI$0
Total per month$711

Change the numbers in the calculator

3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$3,476
Loan amount$97,501
Principal and interest$656
Property taxes (1.63% a year)$135
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$41
FHA mortgage insurance$44
Total per month$876

Change the numbers in the calculator

Questions about home buying in Elgin

What is the median home value in Elgin?

About $99,300 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Elgin?

Homeowners pay a median $1,618 a year, which is about 1.63% 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 Elgin?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $711 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $30,457 a year.

More about Elgin

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