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Buying a home in Athens, Texas

The typical owner-occupied home in Athens is worth about $210,800, 26% below the Texas median of $283,800 and 37% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,690 a year in property taxes, about 1.28% of their home's value, lower than the Texas rate of 1.49%. The median household earns $67,984 a year, so the median home costs 3.1 times the median income (3.6 times for Texas). 58% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 47% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Athens at a glance

Athens Texas U.S.
Median home value $210,800 $283,800 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,690 $4,232 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.28% 1.49% 0.94%
Median household income $67,984 $78,476 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 58% 63% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 47% 56% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,551 $2,106 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 18.2% 21.7% 21.0%
Median rent $1,112 $1,403 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 31.9% 30.9% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1978 1992 1980
Vacant homes 13.1% 9.4% 10.1%
Population 13,200 30,188,424 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Athens

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Athens home of $210,800 with 20% down costs about $1,447 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,798, 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 $62,020 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 26% of the median Athens household income of $67,984; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $231,000.

The median rent here is $1,112 a month, so owning the median home costs about $335 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$42,160
Loan amount$168,640
Principal and interest$1,134
Property taxes (1.28% a year)$225
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$88
PMI$0
Total per month$1,447

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$7,378
Loan amount$206,982
Principal and interest$1,392
Property taxes (1.28% a year)$225
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$88
FHA mortgage insurance$93
Total per month$1,798

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Questions about home buying in Athens

What is the median home value in Athens?

About $210,800 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Athens?

Homeowners pay a median $2,690 a year, which is about 1.28% 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 Athens?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,447 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $62,020 a year.

More about Athens

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