Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Sour Lake, Texas
A $162,000 home here costs
$1,498per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $833. The real number is $665 higher every month — 80% 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.
Sour Lake against Hardin County and Texas
| Measure | Sour Lake | Hardin County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $161,800 | $188,200 |
| Median property tax | $2,483 | $2,174 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.535% | 1.155% |
| Median gross rent | $1,164 | $1,011 |
| Population | 2,162 | 57,126 |
The weather behind that power bill
Sour Lake sits in Hardin County, which averages a high of 93.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 39.4°F in its coldest, with 63.23" of precipitation a year and 29% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,722 cooling and 1,646 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Hardin County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Hardin County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Sour Lake?
A $162,000 home in Sour Lake, Texas costs approximately $1,498 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $833 principal and interest, $207 property tax, $107 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $135 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Sour Lake?
Sour Lake has an effective property tax rate of 1.535%, based on a median home value of $161,800 and median real estate taxes of $2,483. That is higher than the Hardin County average of 1.155%.
What is the average home price in Sour Lake?
The median owner-occupied home value in Sour Lake, Texas is $161,800, against $188,200 across Hardin County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Sour Lake?
Median gross rent in Sour Lake is $1,164 a month, against $1,498 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 Sour Lake — 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.