Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Forest Heights, Texas
A $112,000 home here costs
$1,018per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $576. The real number is $443 higher every month — 77% 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.
Forest Heights against Orange County and Texas
| Measure | Forest Heights | Orange County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $112,400 | $163,400 |
| Median property tax | $715 | $2,036 |
| Effective tax rate | 0.636% | 1.246% |
| Median gross rent | — | $1,018 |
| Population | 1,644 | 84,993 |
The weather behind that power bill
Forest Heights sits in Orange County, which averages a high of 93.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 43.8°F in its coldest, with 62.13" of precipitation a year and 33% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 3,075 cooling and 1,262 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Orange County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Orange County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Forest Heights?
A $112,000 home in Forest Heights, Texas costs approximately $1,018 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $576 principal and interest, $59 property tax, $74 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $93 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Forest Heights?
Forest Heights has an effective property tax rate of 0.636%, based on a median home value of $112,400 and median real estate taxes of $715. That is lower than the Orange County average of 1.246%.
What is the average home price in Forest Heights?
The median owner-occupied home value in Forest Heights, Texas is $112,400, against $163,400 across Orange County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Forest Heights?
Rent data is not published for Forest Heights at this level of detail.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Forest Heights — 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.