Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Port Arthur, Texas
A $97,000 home here costs
$975per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $499. The real number is $476 higher every month — 95% 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.
Port Arthur against Jefferson County and Texas
| Measure | Port Arthur | Jefferson County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $96,900 | $159,600 |
| Median property tax | $1,381 | $2,513 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.425% | 1.575% |
| Median gross rent | $996 | $1,079 |
| Population | 55,779 | 253,939 |
Port Arthur extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Jefferson County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Port Arthur sits in Jefferson County, which averages a high of 93.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 43.8°F in its coldest, with 62.13" of precipitation a year and 33% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 3,075 cooling and 1,262 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Jefferson County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Jefferson County
Full Jefferson County cost breakdown · Every county in Texas
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Port Arthur?
A $97,000 home in Port Arthur, Texas costs approximately $975 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $499 principal and interest, $115 property tax, $64 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $81 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Port Arthur?
Port Arthur has an effective property tax rate of 1.425%, based on a median home value of $96,900 and median real estate taxes of $1,381. That is lower than the Jefferson County average of 1.575%.
What is the average home price in Port Arthur?
The median owner-occupied home value in Port Arthur, Texas is $96,900, against $159,600 across Jefferson County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Port Arthur?
Median gross rent in Port Arthur is $996 a month, against $975 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 Port Arthur — 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.