Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bay City, Texas
A $150,000 home here costs
$1,409per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $771. The real number is $637 higher every month — 83% 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.
Bay City against Matagorda County and Texas
| Measure | Bay City | Matagorda County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $149,800 | $162,200 |
| Median property tax | $2,366 | $2,035 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.579% | 1.255% |
| Median gross rent | $997 | $998 |
| Population | 17,816 | 36,274 |
The weather behind that power bill
Bay City sits in Matagorda County, which averages a high of 88.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 44.2°F in its coldest, with 44.46" of precipitation a year and 34% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,820 cooling and 1,319 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Matagorda County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Matagorda County
Full Matagorda County cost breakdown · Every county in Texas
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bay City?
A $150,000 home in Bay City, Texas costs approximately $1,409 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $771 principal and interest, $197 property tax, $99 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $125 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Bay City?
Bay City has an effective property tax rate of 1.579%, based on a median home value of $149,800 and median real estate taxes of $2,366. That is higher than the Matagorda County average of 1.255%.
What is the average home price in Bay City?
The median owner-occupied home value in Bay City, Texas is $149,800, against $162,200 across Matagorda County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bay City?
Median gross rent in Bay City is $997 a month, against $1,409 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 Bay City — 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.