Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Livingston, Texas
A $158,000 home here costs
$1,428per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $812. The real number is $616 higher every month — 76% 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.
Livingston against Polk County and Texas
| Measure | Livingston | Polk County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $158,100 | $154,000 |
| Median property tax | $1,969 | $1,597 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.245% | 1.037% |
| Median gross rent | $1,098 | $1,009 |
| Population | 5,728 | 51,780 |
The weather behind that power bill
Livingston sits in Polk County, which averages a high of 95.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 40.1°F in its coldest, with 50.98" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,996 cooling and 1,647 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Polk County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Polk County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Livingston?
A $158,000 home in Livingston, Texas costs approximately $1,428 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $812 principal and interest, $164 property tax, $105 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $132 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Livingston?
Livingston has an effective property tax rate of 1.245%, based on a median home value of $158,100 and median real estate taxes of $1,969. That is higher than the Polk County average of 1.037%.
What is the average home price in Livingston?
The median owner-occupied home value in Livingston, Texas is $158,100, against $154,000 across Polk County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Livingston?
Median gross rent in Livingston is $1,098 a month, against $1,428 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 Livingston — 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.