Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Universal City, Texas
A $249,000 home here costs
$2,294per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,280. The real number is $1,014 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.
Universal City against Bexar County and Texas
| Measure | Universal City | Bexar County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $249,400 | $244,100 |
| Median property tax | $5,117 | $4,429 |
| Effective tax rate | 2.052% | 1.814% |
| Median gross rent | $1,213 | $1,290 |
| Population | 19,853 | 2,037,344 |
Universal City extends across 2 counties. Figures here use Bexar County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Universal City sits in Bexar County, which averages a high of 97.5°F in its hottest month and a low of 40.3°F in its coldest, with 31.27" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 3,144 cooling and 1,446 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Bexar County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Bexar County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Universal City?
A $249,000 home in Universal City, Texas costs approximately $2,294 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $1,280 principal and interest, $426 property tax, $165 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $208 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Universal City?
Universal City has an effective property tax rate of 2.052%, based on a median home value of $249,400 and median real estate taxes of $5,117. That is higher than the Bexar County average of 1.814%.
What is the average home price in Universal City?
The median owner-occupied home value in Universal City, Texas is $249,400, against $244,100 across Bexar County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Universal City?
Median gross rent in Universal City is $1,213 a month, against $2,294 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 Universal 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.