Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Santa Fe, Texas
A $290,000 home here costs
$2,493per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,491. The real number is $1,002 higher every month — 67% 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.
Santa Fe against Galveston County and Texas
| Measure | Santa Fe | Galveston County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $290,200 | $284,900 |
| Median property tax | $4,232 | $4,238 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.458% | 1.488% |
| Median gross rent | $974 | $1,360 |
| Population | 12,828 | 354,721 |
The weather behind that power bill
Santa Fe sits in Galveston County, which averages a high of 92.0°F in its hottest month and a low of 48.9°F in its coldest, with 47.22" of precipitation a year and 35% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 3,571 cooling and 889 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Galveston County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Galveston County
Full Galveston County cost breakdown · Every county in Texas
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Santa Fe?
A $290,000 home in Santa Fe, Texas costs approximately $2,493 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,491 principal and interest, $352 property tax, $192 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $242 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Santa Fe?
Santa Fe has an effective property tax rate of 1.458%, based on a median home value of $290,200 and median real estate taxes of $4,232. That is lower than the Galveston County average of 1.488%.
What is the average home price in Santa Fe?
The median owner-occupied home value in Santa Fe, Texas is $290,200, against $284,900 across Galveston County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Santa Fe?
Median gross rent in Santa Fe is $974 a month, against $2,493 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 Santa Fe — 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.