Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Center, Texas
A $152,000 home here costs
$1,368per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $781. The real number is $587 higher every month — 75% 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.
Center against Shelby County and Texas
| Measure | Center | Shelby County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $152,000 | $111,700 |
| Median property tax | $1,725 | $1,143 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.135% | 1.023% |
| Median gross rent | $958 | $832 |
| Population | 5,198 | 24,108 |
The weather behind that power bill
Center sits in Shelby County, which averages a high of 94.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 35.7°F in its coldest, with 56.49" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,485 cooling and 2,241 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Shelby County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Shelby County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Center?
A $152,000 home in Center, Texas costs approximately $1,368 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $781 principal and interest, $144 property tax, $101 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $127 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Center?
Center has an effective property tax rate of 1.135%, based on a median home value of $152,000 and median real estate taxes of $1,725. That is higher than the Shelby County average of 1.023%.
What is the average home price in Center?
The median owner-occupied home value in Center, Texas is $152,000, against $111,700 across Shelby County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Center?
Median gross rent in Center is $958 a month, against $1,368 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 Center — 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.