Housing decision brief
Ellis County, TX Housing Market
Ellis County screens as a higher purchase price, rent that needs comparison, a higher 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.
235th lowest home value out of 250 Texas counties with data | 235th lowest rent out of 246
Median home value
$306,400
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,449/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$1,608/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.2x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
31.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$159/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
No signal
No strong positive housing signal was available in the current dataset.
What to Check
Tax rate needs attention
1.46% effective property-tax rate is 46% above Texas county median
Health context
Health score is 43.0 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
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
Poor Fit For
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- 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 Ellis 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. | $306,400 | $158,050 | $281,900 | 94% pressure94% above Texas county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,449 | $928 | $1,163 | 56% pressure56% above Texas county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,608 | $753 | $1,672 | 114% pressure114% above Texas county median |
Median household income | $95,898 | $63,367 | $74,755 | 51% favorable51% above Texas county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.46% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 46% pressure46% above Texas county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 31.00% | 28.00% | N/A | 11% pressure31.00% 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
+$37,938
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$26,984
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in Ellis County is affordable. The median rent is $1,449/month against a median household income of $95,898, putting rent at 18.1% of income.
Rent vs own
Renters in Ellis County pay $1,449/month on average, compared to $1,608/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 10%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $57,960/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $68,914/year. With a median household income of $95,898, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 31.0% of renter households in Ellis County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Midland County where rent averages $1,383/month, Ellis County is approximately 5% more expensive.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County, TX | $317,500 | $1,471/mo | Same-state comparison near $317,500 home value and $1,471/mo rent. |
| Guadalupe County, TX | $285,900 | $1,439/mo | Same-state comparison near $285,900 home value and $1,439/mo rent. |
| Midland County, TX | $293,000 | $1,383/mo | Same-state comparison near $293,000 home value and $1,383/mo rent. |
| Brazoria County, TX | $276,800 | $1,410/mo | Same-state comparison near $276,800 home value and $1,410/mo rent. |
| Kaufman County, TX | $290,800 | $1,408/mo | Same-state comparison near $290,800 home value and $1,408/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Ellis County
Is Ellis County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Ellis County?
How much income do you need for housing in Ellis County?
What should I double-check before moving to Ellis County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.