Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Carter, Texas
A $237,000 home here costs
$1,966per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,218. The real number is $748 higher every month — 61% 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.
Carter against Parker County and Texas
| Measure | Carter | Parker County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $237,300 | $343,600 |
| Median property tax | $2,138 | $4,978 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.901% | 1.449% |
| Median gross rent | $863 | $1,440 |
| Population | 1,642 | 158,079 |
The weather behind that power bill
Carter sits in Parker County, which averages a high of 94.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 31.8°F in its coldest, with 35.18" of precipitation a year and 31% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,388 cooling and 2,637 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Parker County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Parker County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Carter?
A $237,000 home in Carter, Texas costs approximately $1,966 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,218 principal and interest, $178 property tax, $157 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $198 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Carter?
Carter has an effective property tax rate of 0.901%, based on a median home value of $237,300 and median real estate taxes of $2,138. That is lower than the Parker County average of 1.449%.
What is the average home price in Carter?
The median owner-occupied home value in Carter, Texas is $237,300, against $343,600 across Parker County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Carter?
Median gross rent in Carter is $863 a month, against $1,966 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 Carter — 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.