Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Bells, Texas
A $208,000 home here costs
$1,860per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,069. The real number is $791 higher every month — 74% 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.
Bells against Grayson County and Texas
| Measure | Bells | Grayson County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $208,000 | $228,300 |
| Median property tax | $3,167 | $2,953 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.523% | 1.293% |
| Median gross rent | $877 | $1,178 |
| Population | 2,101 | 139,988 |
The weather behind that power bill
Bells sits in Grayson County, which averages a high of 92.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 33.9°F in its coldest, with 44.29" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,261 cooling and 2,727 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Grayson County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Grayson County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Bells?
A $208,000 home in Bells, Texas costs approximately $1,860 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,069 principal and interest, $264 property tax, $138 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $173 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Bells?
Bells has an effective property tax rate of 1.523%, based on a median home value of $208,000 and median real estate taxes of $3,167. That is higher than the Grayson County average of 1.293%.
What is the average home price in Bells?
The median owner-occupied home value in Bells, Texas is $208,000, against $228,300 across Grayson County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Bells?
Median gross rent in Bells is $877 a month, against $1,860 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 Bells — 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.