Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Chico, Texas
A $160,000 home here costs
$1,430per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $823. The real number is $608 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.
Chico against Wise County and Texas
| Measure | Chico | Wise County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $160,300 | $277,200 |
| Median property tax | $1,834 | $3,293 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.144% | 1.188% |
| Median gross rent | $1,130 | $1,239 |
| Population | 1,174 | 72,359 |
The weather behind that power bill
Chico sits in Wise County, which averages a high of 95.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 33.2°F in its coldest, with 38.89" of precipitation a year and 32% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,551 cooling and 2,534 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Wise County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Wise County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Chico?
A $160,000 home in Chico, Texas costs approximately $1,430 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $823 principal and interest, $153 property tax, $106 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $133 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Chico?
Chico has an effective property tax rate of 1.144%, based on a median home value of $160,300 and median real estate taxes of $1,834. That is lower than the Wise County average of 1.188%.
What is the average home price in Chico?
The median owner-occupied home value in Chico, Texas is $160,300, against $277,200 across Wise County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Chico?
Median gross rent in Chico is $1,130 a month, against $1,430 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 Chico — 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.