(MURFREESBORO, TENN.) - Doxo's recently released State by State Bill Pay Market report shows, among other things, that Tennessee is the #37th most expensive state for household bills. The report also found that on average, residents of Tennessee spend $1,734 per month on their 10 most common household bills, which is 13.4% lower than the national average of $2,003.
In Murfreesboro, household bills grew by 6.80% this year, likely due to inflation. As a result, Murfreesboro is the 18th most expensive city in Tennessee for household bills.
The average monthly mortgage payment in Murfreesboro comes in at $1,252. However, it is important to remember that a huge percentage of residents are making mortgage payments on a home that was purchased 4 to 5-years ago when prices were lower. In other words, that “average” mortgage payment will continue to grow with the recent influx of real estate transactions in the past 12-months.
As for auto loans, the average payment made on a vehicle in Murfreesboro is $368 per month. Again, that is taking every auto loan into account to find the resulting average. The average monthly auto insurance bill is $297 in Murfreesboro. The average cellphone bill is $143 monthly. The average cost of cable or satellite TV service in the ‘Boro is $135 monthly.
Breaking down the cost of rent is a little tougher, because some residents are in brand new apartment complexes while others are living in duplexes, mobile homes and houses. Doxo Incorporated found that the average cost of rent in Murfreesboro added up $1,057 per month.
WGNS, further examined the price of rent in the Murfreesboro area and found that apartment complexes that were 5-years-old or newer charge an average of $1,723 per month for a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom unit. See more on the cost of rent HERE.
The same report suggested that Murfreesboro residents pay $1,948 per month on the ten most common household bills. This is 12.3% higher than the state average of $1,734, and 2.7% lower than the national average of $2,003.
SMYRNA, TN. - Smyrna ranks as the 10th most expensive city for monthly household payments in Tennessee. There, the average cost of monthly bills adds up to $2,091. If we dissect that number to see the cost of housing, it appears the average home mortgage payment in Smyrna was $1,064 per month. But, it’s important to remember Doxo Incorporated, the company that released the report, looked at a huge number of home mortgages to obtain the average and a large percentage of the mortgages were from loans that originated 5 to 10-years ago.
The average car payment for Smyrna residents equaled $542 per month. The average monthly cost of auto insurance was $494. The average spent on cable or satellite TV services was $88 per month. The average cellphone bill for Smyrna residents was $75 monthly.
LaVERGNE, TN – LaVergne is the 20th most expensive place for monthly household bills in Tennessee. Residents in LaVergne spend an average of $1,914 per month on household bills. Of that amount, $830 is the average cost of a mortgage each month for LaVergne residents. The average car payment is $470 per month, with car insurance equaling $222 per month.
When it comes to television, the average cable or satellite bill in LaVergne is $115 per month. The average cost of a monthly cellphone bill in LaVergne is $64.
Average home prices in Rutherford County: The report released by Doxo shows the average monthly mortgage payment throughout Rutherford County is $1,048. That amount takes into consideration a multitude of home loans that were obtained 1-year-ago, 2-years-ago and even 15-years ago. If the same study is conducted 5 to 10-years from now, the monthly mortgage payments will be considerably higher.
To give WGNS listeners a better idea of how expensive mortgage payments are on a home purchased in the past 12-months, we examined the costs involved in a 2,500 square foot home and a 3,400 square foot home.
If you bought an all brick 3,400 square foot home in Murfreesboro for $700-thousand and put down 20% or $140,000, your mortgage payment with taxes and insurance included, would be about $3,700 per month. An all brick 2,500 square foot home with slightly less features, would cost around $559-thousand. If the purchase was made with a 20% down-payment equaling $111,800, your monthly payment with insurance and taxes would be about $2,987.
If you wanted your monthly payment to be closer to the $1,200 mark on a $559,000 home, you'd have to put a down-payment on the house that added up to 77% of the purchase price, or $430,000. Then – and only then, would your payment be in the ballpark of $1,200. Just 3-years ago in Murfreesboro, TN, homes that are selling for $559-thousand today (06/09/2022), were selling for $330-thousand in 2019. That means that a 20% down-payment made on a home 3-years-ago equaled $66-thousand, leaving the home buyer to finance $264,000. If the 2019 purchase was financed at 5.9%, your monthly mortgage payment with insurance and taxes would add up to about $1,800.
In case you're curious, Dayton, TN is the least expensive place to live when considering your monthly bills. Those bills would include everything from auto insurance to mortgage or rent prices.
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See More: The data, which doxo has for Murfreesboro as well as more than towns and cities in Tennessee, also breaks down bill payments into ten different categories, including utilities, auto loans, cable bills, and more.
