Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Sterling City, Texas
A $128,000 home here costs
$1,189per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $658. The real number is $531 higher every month — 81% 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.
Sterling City against Sterling County and Texas
| Measure | Sterling City | Sterling County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $127,600 | $143,200 |
| Median property tax | $1,477 | $1,535 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.158% | 1.072% |
| Median gross rent | $968 | $968 |
| Population | 1,173 | 1,389 |
The weather behind that power bill
Sterling City sits in Sterling County, which averages a high of 93.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 29.9°F in its coldest, with 20.4" of precipitation a year and 36% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,237 cooling and 2,733 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Sterling County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Sterling County
No other places of this size are published in Sterling County.
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Sterling City?
A $128,000 home in Sterling City, Texas costs approximately $1,189 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $658 principal and interest, $124 property tax, $85 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $107 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Sterling City?
Sterling City has an effective property tax rate of 1.158%, based on a median home value of $127,600 and median real estate taxes of $1,477. That is higher than the Sterling County average of 1.072%.
What is the average home price in Sterling City?
The median owner-occupied home value in Sterling City, Texas is $127,600, against $143,200 across Sterling County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Sterling City?
Median gross rent in Sterling City is $968 a month, against $1,189 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 Sterling City — 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.