Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in South Padre Island, Texas
A $499,000 home here costs
$4,118per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $2,565. The real number is $1,553 higher every month — 61% 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.
South Padre Island against Cameron County and Texas
| Measure | South Padre Island | Cameron County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $498,800 | $120,000 |
| Median property tax | $7,089 | $1,946 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.421% | 1.622% |
| Median gross rent | $1,421 | $899 |
| Population | 2,852 | 423,192 |
The weather behind that power bill
South Padre Island sits in Cameron County, which averages a high of 93.4°F in its hottest month and a low of 51.9°F in its coldest, with 23.25" of precipitation a year and 43% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 4,140 cooling and 527 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Cameron County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Cameron County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in South Padre Island?
A $499,000 home in South Padre Island, Texas costs approximately $4,118 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $2,565 principal and interest, $591 property tax, $330 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $416 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in South Padre Island?
South Padre Island has an effective property tax rate of 1.421%, based on a median home value of $498,800 and median real estate taxes of $7,089. That is lower than the Cameron County average of 1.622%.
What is the average home price in South Padre Island?
The median owner-occupied home value in South Padre Island, Texas is $498,800, against $120,000 across Cameron County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in South Padre Island?
Median gross rent in South Padre Island is $1,421 a month, against $4,118 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 South Padre Island — 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.