Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Dallas, Texas
A $295,000 home here costs
$2,582per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,517. The real number is $1,065 higher every month — 70% 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.
Dallas against Dallas County and Texas
| Measure | Dallas | Dallas County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $295,300 | $277,900 |
| Median property tax | $4,908 | $4,668 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.662% | 1.680% |
| Median gross rent | $1,403 | $1,469 |
| Population | 1,299,553 | 2,603,816 |
Dallas extends across 5 counties. Figures here use Dallas County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Dallas sits in Dallas County, which averages a high of 97.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 37.9°F in its coldest, with 38.32" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 3,125 cooling and 1,992 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Dallas County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Dallas County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Dallas?
A $295,000 home in Dallas, Texas costs approximately $2,582 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,517 principal and interest, $409 property tax, $195 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $246 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Dallas?
Dallas has an effective property tax rate of 1.662%, based on a median home value of $295,300 and median real estate taxes of $4,908. That is lower than the Dallas County average of 1.680%.
What is the average home price in Dallas?
The median owner-occupied home value in Dallas, Texas is $295,300, against $277,900 across Dallas County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Dallas?
Median gross rent in Dallas is $1,403 a month, against $2,582 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 Dallas — 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.