Housing decision brief
Garza County, TX Housing Market
Garza County screens as a below-state purchase price, below-state rent, 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.
14th lowest home value out of 250 Texas counties with data | 54th lowest rent out of 246
Median home value
$79,300
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$797/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$488/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
1.6x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
19.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$309/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
2 notes
Home-value estimate has a $21,321 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$79,300 median home value is 50% below Texas county median
Lower rent
$797/mo is 14% below Texas county median
Rent burden below pressure line
19.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $309/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 80.0 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$50,545 median income is 20% below Texas county median
Tax rate needs attention
1.66% effective property-tax rate is 66% above 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 12.8 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 focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- 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 Garza 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. | $79,300 | $158,050 | $281,900 | 50% favorable50% below Texas county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $797 | $928 | $1,163 | 14% favorable14% below Texas county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $488 | $753 | $1,672 | 35% favorable35% below Texas county median |
Median household income | $50,545 | $63,367 | $74,755 | 20% pressure20% below Texas county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.66% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 66% pressure66% above Texas county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 19.00% | 28.00% | N/A | 32% favorable19.00% 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
+$18,665
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$29,631
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Garza County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $797/month representing approximately 18.9% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 19.0%.
Rent vs own
At $797/month rent versus $488/month in owner costs, owning is roughly $309/month cheaper , a 39% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $31,880/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $20,914/year. With a median household income of $50,545, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 19.0% of renter households in Garza County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Texas, Garza County is less affordable than Young County by roughly 6% ($797/mo vs $849/mo).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duval County, TX | $86,400 | $737/mo | Same-state comparison near $86,400 home value and $737/mo rent. |
| San Augustine County, TX | $83,500 | $741/mo | Same-state comparison near $83,500 home value and $741/mo rent. |
| Haskell County, TX | $92,000 | $824/mo | Same-state comparison near $92,000 home value and $824/mo rent. |
| Dickens County, TX | $65,000 | $753/mo | Same-state comparison near $65,000 home value and $753/mo rent. |
| Lamb County, TX | $76,600 | $900/mo | Same-state comparison near $76,600 home value and $900/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $21,321 ACS margin of error.
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Garza County
Is Garza County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Garza County?
How much income do you need for housing in Garza County?
What should I double-check before moving to Garza County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.