Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Elsa, Texas
A $91,000 home here costs
$953per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $468. The real number is $485 higher every month — 104% 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.
Elsa against Hidalgo County and Texas
| Measure | Elsa | Hidalgo County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $90,600 | $124,000 |
| Median property tax | $1,595 | $2,187 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.760% | 1.764% |
| Median gross rent | $676 | $925 |
| Population | 5,688 | 880,921 |
The weather behind that power bill
Elsa sits in Hidalgo County, which averages a high of 98.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 48.7°F in its coldest, with 23.63" of precipitation a year and 38% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 4,269 cooling and 644 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Hidalgo County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Hidalgo County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Elsa?
A $91,000 home in Elsa, Texas costs approximately $953 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $468 principal and interest, $133 property tax, $60 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $76 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Elsa?
Elsa has an effective property tax rate of 1.760%, based on a median home value of $90,600 and median real estate taxes of $1,595. That is in line with the Hidalgo County average of 1.764%.
What is the average home price in Elsa?
The median owner-occupied home value in Elsa, Texas is $90,600, against $124,000 across Hidalgo County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Elsa?
Median gross rent in Elsa is $676 a month, against $953 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 Elsa — 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.