Cost to Own
United StatesTexasGrimes County FIPS 48185 Data vintage ACS 2023 5-Year Rates updated 2026-07-30

Total monthly cost of ownership

Cost to Own a Home in Grimes County, Texas

A $227,000 home here costs

$1,892

per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.

A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $1,167. The real number is $725 higher every month — 62% more than the payment most buyers budget for.

County median: $226,600
Under 20% adds PMI
Freddie Mac PMMS
US average household

Where every dollar goes

Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.

Principal & interest30-year fixed, $181,600 borrowed $1,167
Property tax1.094% effective rate — Grimes County assessor via Census ACS $207
Homeowners insuranceEstimated at 0.60% of home value per year $114
Electricity16.44¢/kWh — Texas residential average, EIA $148
Water, sewer & trashUS household average $68
Maintenance reserve1% of home value per year — the cost nobody budgets $189
Total monthly $1,892

How Grimes County compares

Grimes County ranks 988th of 3,133 US counties by effective property tax rate, meaning property taxes here are lower than in 2,145 counties and higher than in 987. Within Texas it ranks 179th of 250.

Grimes County 1.094% 31% higher than national
Texas average 1.276%
National median0.837%
Highest in America — Menominee County, WI3.636%

The numbers behind this page

MeasureGrimes CountySource
Median home value$226,600ACS B25077
Median real estate taxes paid$2,480ACS B25103
Effective property tax rate1.094%Derived
Median gross rent$985ACS B25064
Occupied housing units10,289ACS B25003
Population30,385ACS B01003
Residential electricity price16.44¢/kWhEIA 5.6.A
30-year fixed mortgage rate6.66%Freddie Mac PMMS

Other counties in Texas

Compare the cost of the same home elsewhere in the state.

All 250 counties in Texas

Questions about owning here

What is the property tax rate in Grimes County?

The effective property tax rate in Grimes County, Texas is 1.094% of home value per year. On the county's median home value of $226,600, that works out to about $2,480 annually, or $207 per month.

How much does it cost to own a home in Grimes County?

A $227,000 home in Grimes County, Texas costs approximately $1,892 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That breaks down as $1,167 principal and interest, $207 property tax, $114 insurance, $216 utilities and $189 set aside for maintenance.

Why is this higher than the payment my lender quoted?

Lender quotes usually show principal and interest only, and sometimes property tax and insurance. They almost never include electricity, water or a maintenance reserve. Here those add about $405 a month, which is why the real cost is 62% above the mortgage payment alone.

Is it cheaper to rent in Grimes County?

Median gross rent in Grimes County, Texas is $985 per month, compared with $1,892 to own the median home outright. Renting is cheaper month to month, though rent does not build equity and is not fixed for 30 years.

How much is the electric bill in Grimes County?

Texas residential electricity averages 16.44¢ per kWh. At the US average household usage of 899 kWh per month, that is about $148. Actual bills vary considerably with house size, insulation and climate.

Sources & methodology

  • Median home value, real estate taxes paid, gross rent, occupied units and population — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, tables B25077, B25103, B25064, B25003, B01003.
  • Effective property tax rate — median real estate taxes paid divided by median home value.
  • Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, updated weekly.
  • Residential electricity price — US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A.
  • Homeowners insurance (0.60%/yr), maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are modelled national estimates, not quoted figures. Every one is editable above.

Full methodology