Housing decision brief
Lavaca County, TX Housing Market
Lavaca County screens as a higher purchase price, below-state rent, 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.
199th lowest home value out of 250 Texas counties with data | 95th lowest rent out of 246
Median home value
$220,900
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$879/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$691/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.6x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
25.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$188/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 rent
$879/mo is 5% below Texas county median
Rent burden below pressure line
25.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $188/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
What to Check
Lower income base
$61,768 median income is 3% below Texas county median
Health context
Health score is 41.8 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
- Households weighing ownership against renting
Poor Fit For
- Households dependent on a deep local wage market
- 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 Lavaca 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. | $220,900 | $158,050 | $281,900 | 40% pressure40% above Texas county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $879 | $928 | $1,163 | 5% favorable5% below Texas county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $691 | $753 | $1,672 | 8% favorable8% below Texas county median |
Median household income | $61,768 | $63,367 | $74,755 | Near state median3% below Texas county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.96% | 1.00% | 1.02% | Near state median4% below Texas county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 25.00% | 28.00% | N/A | 11% favorable25.00% 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
+$26,608
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$32,154
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Lavaca County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $879/month , about 17.1% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Lavaca County is $879/month, while owner costs run $691/month. Owning saves approximately $188/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $35,160/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $29,614/year. With a median household income of $61,768, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 25.0% of renter households in Lavaca County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Lavaca County sits 6% less expensive than Yoakum County ($931/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rains County, TX | $214,900 | $895/mo | Same-state comparison near $214,900 home value and $895/mo rent. |
| Wood County, TX | $195,100 | $851/mo | Same-state comparison near $195,100 home value and $851/mo rent. |
| Franklin County, TX | $213,200 | $948/mo | Same-state comparison near $213,200 home value and $948/mo rent. |
| Grimes County, TX | $226,600 | $985/mo | Same-state comparison near $226,600 home value and $985/mo rent. |
| Aransas County, TX | $236,800 | $1,052/mo | Same-state comparison near $236,800 home value and $1,052/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Lavaca County
Is Lavaca County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Lavaca County?
How much income do you need for housing in Lavaca County?
What should I double-check before moving to Lavaca County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.