Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Monte Alto, Texas
A $96,000 home here costs
$957per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $494. The real number is $464 higher every month — 94% 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.
Monte Alto against Hidalgo County and Texas
| Measure | Monte Alto | Hidalgo County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $96,400 | $124,000 |
| Median property tax | $1,260 | $2,187 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.307% | 1.764% |
| Median gross rent | $1,013 | $925 |
| Population | 2,260 | 880,921 |
The weather behind that power bill
Monte Alto sits in Hidalgo County, which averages a high of 98.2°F in its hottest month and a low of 48.7°F in its coldest, with 23.63" of precipitation a year and 38% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 4,269 cooling and 644 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Hidalgo County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Hidalgo County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Monte Alto?
A $96,000 home in Monte Alto, Texas costs approximately $957 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $494 principal and interest, $105 property tax, $64 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $80 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Monte Alto?
Monte Alto has an effective property tax rate of 1.307%, based on a median home value of $96,400 and median real estate taxes of $1,260. That is lower than the Hidalgo County average of 1.764%.
What is the average home price in Monte Alto?
The median owner-occupied home value in Monte Alto, Texas is $96,400, against $124,000 across Hidalgo County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Monte Alto?
Median gross rent in Monte Alto is $1,013 a month, against $957 to own the median home all in. Owning costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Monte Alto — 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.