Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Ames, Texas
A $154,000 home here costs
$1,392per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $792. The real number is $600 higher every month — 76% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Ames against Liberty County and Texas
| Measure | Ames | Liberty County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $153,800 | $167,100 |
| Median property tax | $1,847 | $2,091 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.201% | 1.251% |
| Median gross rent | $1,008 | $1,038 |
| Population | 1,085 | 97,993 |
The weather behind that power bill
Ames sits in Liberty County, which averages a high of 94.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 41.2°F in its coldest, with 62.82" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,953 cooling and 1,434 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Liberty County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Liberty County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Ames?
A $154,000 home in Ames, Texas costs approximately $1,392 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $792 principal and interest, $154 property tax, $102 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $128 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Ames?
Ames has an effective property tax rate of 1.201%, based on a median home value of $153,800 and median real estate taxes of $1,847. That is lower than the Liberty County average of 1.251%.
What is the average home price in Ames?
The median owner-occupied home value in Ames, Texas is $153,800, against $167,100 across Liberty County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Ames?
Median gross rent in Ames is $1,008 a month, against $1,392 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Ames — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Texas.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.