Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Clear Lake Shores, Texas
A $449,000 home here costs
$3,673per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,308. The real number is $1,364 higher every month — 59% 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.
Clear Lake Shores against Galveston County and Texas
| Measure | Clear Lake Shores | Galveston County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $448,500 | $284,900 |
| Median property tax | $5,724 | $4,238 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.276% | 1.488% |
| Median gross rent | $1,896 | $1,360 |
| Population | 1,182 | 354,721 |
The weather behind that power bill
Clear Lake Shores sits in Galveston County, which averages a high of 92.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 48.9°F in its coldest, with 47.22" of precipitation a year and 35% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 3,571 cooling and 889 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Galveston County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Galveston County
Full Galveston County cost breakdown · Every county in Texas
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Clear Lake Shores?
A $449,000 home in Clear Lake Shores, Texas costs approximately $3,673 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,308 principal and interest, $477 property tax, $297 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $374 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Clear Lake Shores?
Clear Lake Shores has an effective property tax rate of 1.276%, based on a median home value of $448,500 and median real estate taxes of $5,724. That is lower than the Galveston County average of 1.488%.
What is the average home price in Clear Lake Shores?
The median owner-occupied home value in Clear Lake Shores, Texas is $448,500, against $284,900 across Galveston County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Clear Lake Shores?
Median gross rent in Clear Lake Shores is $1,896 a month, against $3,673 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 Clear Lake Shores — 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.