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Buying a home in South Houston, Texas

The typical owner-occupied home in South Houston is worth about $189,300, 33% below the Texas median of $283,800 and 43% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,479 a year in property taxes, about 1.31% of their home's value, lower than the Texas rate of 1.49%. The median household earns $53,497 a year, so the median home costs 3.5 times the median income (3.6 times for Texas). 55% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 38% of those owners still have a mortgage.

South Houston at a glance

South Houston Texas U.S.
Median home value $189,300 $283,800 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,479 $4,232 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.31% 1.49% 0.94%
Median household income $53,497 $78,476 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 55% 63% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 38% 56% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,686 $2,106 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 23.0% 21.7% 21.0%
Median rent $1,212 $1,403 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 35.6% 30.9% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1969 1992 1980
Vacant homes 8.9% 9.4% 10.1%
Population 16,033 30,188,424 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in South Houston

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median South Houston home of $189,300 with 20% down costs about $1,304 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,620, 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 $55,898 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 29% of the median South Houston household income of $53,497; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $181,000.

The median rent here is $1,212 a month, so owning the median home costs about $92 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$37,860
Loan amount$151,440
Principal and interest$1,019
Property taxes (1.31% a year)$207
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$79
PMI$0
Total per month$1,304

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$6,626
Loan amount$185,871
Principal and interest$1,250
Property taxes (1.31% a year)$207
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$79
FHA mortgage insurance$84
Total per month$1,620

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Questions about home buying in South Houston

What is the median home value in South Houston?

About $189,300 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in South Houston?

Homeowners pay a median $2,479 a year, which is about 1.31% 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 South Houston?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,304 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $55,898 a year.

More about South Houston

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