Cost to Own
United StatesTexasLubbock CountyIdalou Population 2,389 Data vintage ACS 2023 5-Year Rates updated 2026-07-30

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Idalou, Texas

A $176,000 home here costs

$1,621

per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $905. The real number is $716 higher every month — 79% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

Idalou median: $175,700
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
US average household

Where every dollar goes

Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.

Principal & interest30-year fixed, $140,800 borrowed $905
Property tax1.617% effective rate for Idalou itself $237
Homeowners insuranceTexas averages $2,124/yr (NAIC), or 0.794% of home value $116
Electricity16.44¢/kWh — Texas residential average, EIA $148
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year $147
Total monthly $1,621

Idalou against Lubbock County and Texas

MeasureIdalouLubbock County
Median home value$175,700$199,600
Median property tax$2,841$3,119
Effective tax rate1.617%1.563%
Median gross rent$672$1,134
Population2,389314,633

The weather behind that power bill

Idalou sits in Lubbock County, which averages a high of 93.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 27.2°F in its coldest, with 18.33" of precipitation a year and 39% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 1,950 cooling and 3,243 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.

See the full climate breakdown for Lubbock County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.

Other cities in Lubbock County

Full Lubbock County cost breakdown · Every county in Texas

Common questions

How much does it cost to own a home in Idalou?

A $176,000 home in Idalou, Texas costs approximately $1,621 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $905 principal and interest, $237 property tax, $116 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $147 set aside for maintenance.

What is the property tax rate in Idalou?

Idalou has an effective property tax rate of 1.617%, based on a median home value of $175,700 and median real estate taxes of $2,841. That is higher than the Lubbock County average of 1.563%.

What is the average home price in Idalou?

The median owner-occupied home value in Idalou, Texas is $175,700, against $199,600 across Lubbock County.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Idalou?

Median gross rent in Idalou is $672 a month, against $1,621 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 Idalou — 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.

Full methodology