Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Porter Heights, Texas
A $196,000 home here costs
$1,797per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,008. The real number is $790 higher every month — 78% 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.
Porter Heights against Montgomery County and Texas
| Measure | Porter Heights | Montgomery County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $195,600 | $317,500 |
| Median property tax | $3,364 | $5,237 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.720% | 1.649% |
| Median gross rent | $1,102 | $1,471 |
| Population | 1,063 | 654,722 |
The weather behind that power bill
Porter Heights sits in Montgomery County, which averages a high of 95.8°F in its hottest month and a low of 41.9°F in its coldest, with 51.02" of precipitation a year and 28% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 3,172 cooling and 1,440 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Montgomery County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Montgomery County
Full Montgomery County cost breakdown · Every county in Texas
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Porter Heights?
A $196,000 home in Porter Heights, Texas costs approximately $1,797 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,008 principal and interest, $281 property tax, $130 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $163 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Porter Heights?
Porter Heights has an effective property tax rate of 1.720%, based on a median home value of $195,600 and median real estate taxes of $3,364. That is higher than the Montgomery County average of 1.649%.
What is the average home price in Porter Heights?
The median owner-occupied home value in Porter Heights, Texas is $195,600, against $317,500 across Montgomery County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Porter Heights?
Median gross rent in Porter Heights is $1,102 a month, against $1,797 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 Porter Heights — 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.