Housing decision brief
Jeff Davis County, TX Housing Market
Jeff Davis County screens as a higher 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.
205th lowest home value out of 250 Texas counties with data | 219th lowest rent out of 246
Median home value
$234,400
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,314/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$459/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
7.2x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
51.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$855/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
3 notes
Home-value estimate has a $79,123 ACS margin of error.
What Works
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $855/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 97.1 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Lower income base
$32,625 median income is 49% 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 37.4 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.
Wide home-value margin
The ACS margin of error on home value is $79,123, so exact rankings should be read as directional.
Best Fit For
- 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 Jeff Davis 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. | $234,400 | $158,050 | $281,900 | 48% pressure48% above Texas county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,314 | $928 | $1,163 | 42% pressure42% above Texas county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $459 | $753 | $1,672 | 39% favorable39% below Texas county median |
Median household income | $32,625 | $63,367 | $74,755 | 49% pressure49% below Texas county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.55% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 45% favorable45% below Texas county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 51.00% | 28.00% | N/A | 82% pressure51.00% 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
-$19,935
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$12,954
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Jeff Davis County is cost-burdened for renters, with a median gross rent of $1,314/month representing approximately 48.3% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 51.0%.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Jeff Davis County is $1,314/month, while owner costs run $459/month. Owning saves approximately $855/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $52,560/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $19,671/year. With a median household income of $32,625, the median income falls short of the rent-affordability threshold. Notably, 51.0% of renter households in Jeff Davis County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Jeff Davis County sits 5% less expensive than Midland County ($1,383/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson County, CO | $250,000 | $1,484/mo | Out-of-state peer near $250,000 home value and $1,484/mo rent. |
| Bexar County, TX | $244,100 | $1,290/mo | Same-state comparison near $244,100 home value and $1,290/mo rent. |
| Walker County, TX | $207,900 | $986/mo | Same-state comparison near $207,900 home value and $986/mo rent. |
| Aransas County, TX | $236,800 | $1,052/mo | Same-state comparison near $236,800 home value and $1,052/mo rent. |
| Bell County, TX | $221,100 | $1,168/mo | Same-state comparison near $221,100 home value and $1,168/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Home-value estimate has a $79,123 ACS margin of error.
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
- Water-quality monitoring is based on 1 active site in recent WQP data.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Jeff Davis County
Is Jeff Davis County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Jeff Davis County?
How much income do you need for housing in Jeff Davis County?
What should I double-check before moving to Jeff Davis County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.