Housing decision brief
Mason County, TX Housing Market
Mason 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.
220th lowest home value out of 250 Texas counties with data | 39th lowest rent out of 246
Median home value
$274,600
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$751/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$748/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
4.0x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
28.0%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$3/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
$751/mo is 19% below Texas county median
Rent burden below pressure line
28.00% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $3/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 89.1 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
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 32.7 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
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
Poor Fit For
- 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 Mason 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. | $274,600 | $158,050 | $281,900 | 74% pressure74% above Texas county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $751 | $928 | $1,163 | 19% favorable19% below Texas county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $748 | $753 | $1,672 | Near state median1% below Texas county median |
Median household income | $68,750 | $63,367 | $74,755 | 8% favorable8% above Texas county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 0.82% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 18% favorable18% below Texas county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 28.00% | 28.00% | N/A | Near state median28.00% 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
+$38,710
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$36,693
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Mason County offers affordable rental housing at a median of $751/month , about 13.1% of the typical household income here.
Rent vs own
At $751/month rent versus $748/month in owner costs, owning is roughly $3/month cheaper , a 0% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $30,040/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $32,057/year. With a median household income of $68,750, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 28.0% of renter households in Mason County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Texas, Mason County is less affordable than Stephens County by roughly 6% ($751/mo vs $802/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fayette County, TX | $271,100 | $909/mo | Same-state comparison near $271,100 home value and $909/mo rent. |
| Bandera County, TX | $249,800 | $998/mo | Same-state comparison near $249,800 home value and $998/mo rent. |
| Kerr County, TX | $285,100 | $1,079/mo | Same-state comparison near $285,100 home value and $1,079/mo rent. |
| Mills County, TX | $200,200 | $713/mo | Same-state comparison near $200,200 home value and $713/mo rent. |
| Moore County, TN | $259,300 | $746/mo | Out-of-state peer near $259,300 home value and $746/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Mason County
Is Mason County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Mason County?
How much income do you need for housing in Mason County?
What should I double-check before moving to Mason County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.