Housing decision brief
Culberson County, TX Housing Market
Culberson County screens as a below-state purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
23rd lowest home value out of 250 Texas counties with data | 144th lowest rent out of 246
Median home value
$84,500
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$971/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$381/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.0x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
13.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$590/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$84,500 median home value is 47% below Texas county median
Rent burden below pressure line
13.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $590/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 88.4 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$42,672 median income is 33% below Texas county median
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Health context
Health score is 10.7 out of 100, so affordability should be weighed against local health indicators.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- Buyers comparing homes to local incomes
- Renters trying to keep rent below the burden threshold
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Culberson County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $84,500 | $158,050 | $281,900 | 47% favorable47% below Texas county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $971 | $928 | $1,163 | 5% pressure5% above Texas county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $381 | $753 | $1,672 | 49% favorable49% below Texas county median |
Median household income | $42,672 | $63,367 | $74,755 | 33% pressure33% below Texas county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.86% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 14% favorable14% below Texas county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 13.00% | 28.00% | N/A | 54% favorable13.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$3,832
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$26,343
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
For renters in Culberson County, the market is moderately affordable. Expect to pay around $971/month in gross rent, with 13.0% of renter households considered cost-burdened.
Rent vs own
Renters in Culberson County pay $971/month on average, compared to $381/month for homeowners. This market favors buyers by about 61%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $38,840/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $16,329/year. With a median household income of $42,672, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 13.0% of renter households in Culberson County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Culberson County sits 6% more expensive than Blanco County ($920/month) in terms of median gross rent.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newton County, TX | $83,100 | $877/mo | Same-state comparison near $83,100 home value and $877/mo rent. |
| San Augustine County, TX | $83,500 | $741/mo | Same-state comparison near $83,500 home value and $741/mo rent. |
| Briscoe County, TX | $82,900 | $692/mo | Same-state comparison near $82,900 home value and $692/mo rent. |
| Jim Wells County, TX | $104,800 | $885/mo | Same-state comparison near $104,800 home value and $885/mo rent. |
| Nolan County, TX | $98,300 | $866/mo | Same-state comparison near $98,300 home value and $866/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Culberson County
Is Culberson County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Culberson County?
How much income do you need for housing in Culberson County?
What should I double-check before moving to Culberson County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.