Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Valley Mills, Texas
A $130,000 home here costs
$1,209per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $668. The real number is $541 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.
Valley Mills against McLennan County and Texas
| Measure | Valley Mills | McLennan County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $129,700 | $219,200 |
| Median property tax | $1,563 | $3,347 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.205% | 1.527% |
| Median gross rent | $1,150 | $1,106 |
| Population | 1,183 | 263,608 |
Valley Mills extends across 2 counties. Figures here use McLennan County, where most of its housing sits.
The weather behind that power bill
Valley Mills sits in McLennan County, which averages a high of 97.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 35.8°F in its coldest, with 36.4" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 2,868 cooling and 2,080 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for McLennan County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in McLennan County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Valley Mills?
A $130,000 home in Valley Mills, Texas costs approximately $1,209 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $668 principal and interest, $131 property tax, $86 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $108 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Valley Mills?
Valley Mills has an effective property tax rate of 1.205%, based on a median home value of $129,700 and median real estate taxes of $1,563. That is lower than the McLennan County average of 1.527%.
What is the average home price in Valley Mills?
The median owner-occupied home value in Valley Mills, Texas is $129,700, against $219,200 across McLennan County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Valley Mills?
Median gross rent in Valley Mills is $1,150 a month, against $1,209 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 Valley Mills — 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.