Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Onalaska, Texas
A $122,000 home here costs
$1,128per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $627. The real number is $501 higher every month — 80% 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.
Onalaska against Polk County and Texas
| Measure | Onalaska | Polk County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $121,900 | $154,000 |
| Median property tax | $1,235 | $1,597 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.013% | 1.037% |
| Median gross rent | $1,021 | $1,009 |
| Population | 3,133 | 51,780 |
The weather behind that power bill
Onalaska 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 Onalaska?
A $122,000 home in Onalaska, Texas costs approximately $1,128 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $627 principal and interest, $103 property tax, $81 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $102 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Onalaska?
Onalaska has an effective property tax rate of 1.013%, based on a median home value of $121,900 and median real estate taxes of $1,235. That is lower than the Polk County average of 1.037%.
What is the average home price in Onalaska?
The median owner-occupied home value in Onalaska, Texas is $121,900, against $154,000 across Polk County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Onalaska?
Median gross rent in Onalaska is $1,021 a month, against $1,128 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 Onalaska — 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.