Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Gainesville, Texas
A $163,000 home here costs
$1,483per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $838. The real number is $645 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.
Gainesville against Cooke County and Texas
| Measure | Gainesville | Cooke County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $162,900 | $224,600 |
| Median property tax | $2,225 | $2,794 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.366% | 1.244% |
| Median gross rent | $1,080 | $1,088 |
| Population | 17,688 | 42,473 |
The weather behind that power bill
Gainesville sits in Cooke County, which averages a high of 94.3°F in its hottest month and a low of 31.7°F in its coldest, with 42.75" of precipitation a year and 33% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,259 cooling and 2,886 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Cooke County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Cooke County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Gainesville?
A $163,000 home in Gainesville, Texas costs approximately $1,483 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $838 principal and interest, $186 property tax, $108 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $136 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Gainesville?
Gainesville has an effective property tax rate of 1.366%, based on a median home value of $162,900 and median real estate taxes of $2,225. That is higher than the Cooke County average of 1.244%.
What is the average home price in Gainesville?
The median owner-occupied home value in Gainesville, Texas is $162,900, against $224,600 across Cooke County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Gainesville?
Median gross rent in Gainesville is $1,080 a month, against $1,483 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 Gainesville — 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.