Housing decision brief
Oldham County, TX Housing Market
Oldham County screens as a below-state 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.
115th lowest home value out of 250 Texas counties with data | 191st lowest rent out of 249
Median home value
$162,800
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,111/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$912/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
2.0x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
27.5%
Below 30% usually screens as less pressured.
Rent vs own
$199/mo
Median owner cost screens below median rent.
Data confidence
2 notes
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower purchase price
$162,800 median home value is 4% below Texas county median
Rent burden below pressure line
27.50% of renter income goes to rent, below the 30% burden threshold.
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $199/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
Low disaster-risk signal
Risk score is 90.3 out of 100, a stronger cross-check for long-term ownership costs.
What to Check
Tax rate needs attention
1.09% effective property-tax rate is 9% 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 39.1 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
- Households weighing ownership against renting
- Long-term owners who care about disaster-risk exposure
- Remote earners or cash buyers looking below the state price line
Poor Fit For
- 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 Oldham 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. | $162,800 | $169,250 | $281,900 | Near state median4% below Texas county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,111 | $957 | $1,163 | 16% pressure16% above Texas county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $912 | $786 | $1,672 | 16% pressure16% above Texas county median |
Median household income | $79,900 | $65,035 | $74,755 | 23% favorable23% above Texas county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.09% | 1.00% | 1.02% | 9% pressure9% above Texas county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 27.50% | 27.70% | N/A | Near state median27.50% 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
+$35,460
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$40,814
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Oldham County is affordable for renters, with a median gross rent of $1,125/month representing approximately 17.7% of median household income. The rent burden (GRAPI) stands at 36.0%.
Rent vs own
The median rent in Oldham County is $1,125/month, while owner costs run $944/month. Owning saves approximately $181/month.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $45,000/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $40,457/year. With a median household income of $76,402, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 36.0% of renter households in Oldham County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Oldham County sits 5% more expensive than Dallam County ($1,074/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County, TX | $173,400 | $1,100/mo | Same-state comparison near $173,400 home value and $1,100/mo rent. |
| Dallam County, TX | $151,400 | $1,081/mo | Same-state comparison near $151,400 home value and $1,081/mo rent. |
| Armstrong County, TX | $171,500 | $1,021/mo | Same-state comparison near $171,500 home value and $1,021/mo rent. |
| Atascosa County, TX | $174,800 | $1,061/mo | Same-state comparison near $174,800 home value and $1,061/mo rent. |
| Winkler County, TX | $148,200 | $1,037/mo | Same-state comparison near $148,200 home value and $1,037/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- 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 Oldham County
Is Oldham County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Oldham County?
How much income do you need for housing in Oldham County?
What should I double-check before moving to Oldham County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.