Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Athens, Texas
A $206,000 home here costs
$1,809per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,059. The real number is $750 higher every month — 71% 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.
Athens against Henderson County and Texas
| Measure | Athens | Henderson County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $205,700 | $189,600 |
| Median property tax | $2,716 | $1,859 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.320% | 0.980% |
| Median gross rent | $1,069 | $978 |
| Population | 13,013 | 83,658 |
The weather behind that power bill
Athens sits in Henderson County, which averages a high of 95.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 34.5°F in its coldest, with 44.75" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,529 cooling and 2,301 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Henderson County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Henderson County
Full Henderson County cost breakdown · Every county in Texas
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Athens?
A $206,000 home in Athens, Texas costs approximately $1,809 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,059 principal and interest, $227 property tax, $136 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $172 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Athens?
Athens has an effective property tax rate of 1.320%, based on a median home value of $205,700 and median real estate taxes of $2,716. That is higher than the Henderson County average of 0.980%.
What is the average home price in Athens?
The median owner-occupied home value in Athens, Texas is $205,700, against $189,600 across Henderson County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Athens?
Median gross rent in Athens is $1,069 a month, against $1,809 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 Athens — 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.