Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Forest Hill, Texas
A $171,000 home here costs
$1,571per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $879. The real number is $692 higher every month — 79% 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 Hill against Tarrant County and Texas
| Measure | Forest Hill | Tarrant County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $171,300 | $294,100 |
| Median property tax | $2,654 | $5,211 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.549% | 1.772% |
| Median gross rent | $1,506 | $1,447 |
| Population | 13,923 | 2,135,743 |
The weather behind that power bill
Forest Hill sits in Tarrant 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 Tarrant County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Tarrant County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Forest Hill?
A $171,000 home in Forest Hill, Texas costs approximately $1,571 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $879 principal and interest, $221 property tax, $113 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $143 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Forest Hill?
Forest Hill has an effective property tax rate of 1.549%, based on a median home value of $171,300 and median real estate taxes of $2,654. That is lower than the Tarrant County average of 1.772%.
What is the average home price in Forest Hill?
The median owner-occupied home value in Forest Hill, Texas is $171,300, against $294,100 across Tarrant County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Forest Hill?
Median gross rent in Forest Hill is $1,506 a month, against $1,571 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 Forest Hill — 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.