Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Rusk, Texas
A $154,000 home here costs
$1,418per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $792. The real number is $626 higher every month — 79% 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.
Rusk against Cherokee County and Texas
| Measure | Rusk | Cherokee County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $153,500 | $160,300 |
| Median property tax | $2,158 | $1,941 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.406% | 1.211% |
| Median gross rent | $876 | $880 |
| Population | 5,332 | 51,143 |
The weather behind that power bill
Rusk sits in Cherokee County, which averages a high of 91.7°F in its hottest month and a low of 37.3°F in its coldest, with 50.12" of precipitation a year and 27% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,269 cooling and 2,269 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Cherokee County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Cherokee County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Rusk?
A $154,000 home in Rusk, Texas costs approximately $1,418 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $792 principal and interest, $180 property tax, $102 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $128 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Rusk?
Rusk has an effective property tax rate of 1.406%, based on a median home value of $153,500 and median real estate taxes of $2,158. That is higher than the Cherokee County average of 1.211%.
What is the average home price in Rusk?
The median owner-occupied home value in Rusk, Texas is $153,500, against $160,300 across Cherokee County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Rusk?
Median gross rent in Rusk is $876 a month, against $1,418 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 Rusk — 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.