Home / Home Buying by state / Texas / Houston County

Buying a home in Houston County, Texas

The typical owner-occupied home in Houston County is worth about $164,900, 42% below the Texas median of $283,800 and 50% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $1,387 a year in property taxes, about 0.84% of their home's value, lower than the Texas rate of 1.49%. The median household earns $56,531 a year, so the median home costs 2.9 times the median income (3.6 times for Texas). 71% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 34% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Houston County at a glance

Houston County Texas U.S.
Median home value $164,900 $283,800 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $1,387 $4,232 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 0.84% 1.49% 0.94%
Median household income $56,531 $78,476 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 71% 63% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 34% 56% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,448 $2,106 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 17.8% 21.7% 21.0%
Median rent $887 $1,403 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 30.0% 30.9% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1981 1992 1980
Vacant homes 26.3% 9.4% 10.1%
Population 22,051 30,188,424 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Houston County

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Houston County home of $164,900 with 20% down costs about $1,072 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,346, 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 $45,924 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 23% of the median Houston County household income of $56,531; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $203,000.

The median rent here is $887 a month, so owning the median home costs about $185 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$32,980
Loan amount$131,920
Principal and interest$887
Property taxes (0.84% a year)$115
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$69
PMI$0
Total per month$1,072

Change the numbers in the calculator

3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$5,772
Loan amount$161,913
Principal and interest$1,089
Property taxes (0.84% a year)$115
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$69
FHA mortgage insurance$73
Total per month$1,346

Change the numbers in the calculator

Questions about home buying in Houston County

What is the median home value in Houston County?

About $164,900 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Houston County?

Homeowners pay a median $1,387 a year, which is about 0.84% 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 Houston County?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,072 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $45,924 a year.

More about Houston County

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