Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Wharton, Texas
A $149,000 home here costs
$1,406per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $766. The real number is $640 higher every month — 84% 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.
Wharton against Wharton County and Texas
| Measure | Wharton | Wharton County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $149,300 | $182,700 |
| Median property tax | $2,422 | $2,749 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.622% | 1.505% |
| Median gross rent | $993 | $986 |
| Population | 8,671 | 41,651 |
The weather behind that power bill
Wharton sits in Wharton County, which averages a high of 96.1°F in its hottest month and a low of 42.4°F in its coldest, with 49.6" of precipitation a year and 34% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 3,307 cooling and 1,214 heating degree days, which is what sets the $148 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Wharton County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Wharton County
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Wharton?
A $149,000 home in Wharton, Texas costs approximately $1,406 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $766 principal and interest, $201 property tax, $99 homeowners insurance, $216 utilities and $124 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Wharton?
Wharton has an effective property tax rate of 1.622%, based on a median home value of $149,300 and median real estate taxes of $2,422. That is higher than the Wharton County average of 1.505%.
What is the average home price in Wharton?
The median owner-occupied home value in Wharton, Texas is $149,300, against $182,700 across Wharton County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Wharton?
Median gross rent in Wharton is $993 a month, against $1,406 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 Wharton — 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.