Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Rockdale, Texas
A $164,000 home here costs
$1,489per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $843. The real number is $646 higher every month — 77% 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.
Rockdale against Milam County and Texas
| Measure | Rockdale | Milam County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $164,300 | $168,900 |
| Median property tax | $2,221 | $1,789 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.352% | 1.059% |
| Median gross rent | $1,013 | $948 |
| Population | 5,455 | 25,268 |
The weather behind that power bill
Rockdale sits in Milam County, which averages a high of 94.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 38.7°F in its coldest, with 38.6" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,820 cooling and 1,709 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Milam County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Milam County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Rockdale?
A $164,000 home in Rockdale, Texas costs approximately $1,489 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $843 principal and interest, $185 property tax, $109 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $137 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Rockdale?
Rockdale has an effective property tax rate of 1.352%, based on a median home value of $164,300 and median real estate taxes of $2,221. That is higher than the Milam County average of 1.059%.
What is the average home price in Rockdale?
The median owner-occupied home value in Rockdale, Texas is $164,300, against $168,900 across Milam County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Rockdale?
Median gross rent in Rockdale is $1,013 a month, against $1,489 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 Rockdale — 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.