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Buying a home in Elsa, Texas

The typical owner-occupied home in Elsa is worth about $81,600, 71% below the Texas median of $283,800 and 75% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,582 a year in property taxes, about 1.94% of their home's value, higher than the Texas rate of 1.49%. The median household earns $42,439 a year, so the median home costs 1.9 times the median income (3.6 times for Texas). 71% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 18% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Elsa at a glance

Elsa Texas U.S.
Median home value $81,600 $283,800 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,582 $4,232 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.94% 1.49% 0.94%
Median household income $42,439 $78,476 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 71% 63% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 18% 56% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,327 $2,106 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 15.4% 21.7% 21.0%
Median rent $767 $1,403 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 39.2% 30.9% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1991 1992 1980
Vacant homes 9.3% 9.4% 10.1%
Population 5,697 30,188,424 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Elsa

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Elsa home of $81,600 with 20% down costs about $605 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $741, 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 $25,931 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 17% of the median Elsa household income of $42,439; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $134,000.

The median rent here is $767 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$16,320
Loan amount$65,280
Principal and interest$439
Property taxes (1.94% a year)$132
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$34
PMI$0
Total per month$605

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$2,856
Loan amount$80,122
Principal and interest$539
Property taxes (1.94% a year)$132
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$34
FHA mortgage insurance$36
Total per month$741

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Questions about home buying in Elsa

What is the median home value in Elsa?

About $81,600 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Elsa?

Homeowners pay a median $1,582 a year, which is about 1.94% 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 Elsa?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $605 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $25,931 a year.

More about Elsa

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