Housing decision brief
Real County, TX Housing Market
Real 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.
94th lowest rent out of 246
Median home value
N/A
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$877/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$449/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
N/A
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
32.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$428/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 rent
$877/mo is 5% below Texas county median
Owning screens cheaper than renting
Median owner costs are $428/mo below median rent before individual mortgage terms.
What to Check
Lower income base
$45,417 median income is 28% 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 9.2 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
- 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 Real 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. | N/A | $158,050 | $281,900 | Needs dataNo Texas county median comparison available |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $877 | $928 | $1,163 | 5% favorable5% below Texas county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $449 | $753 | $1,672 | 40% favorable40% below Texas county median |
Median household income | $45,417 | $63,367 | $74,755 | 28% pressure28% below Texas county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | N/A | 1.00% | 1.02% | Needs dataNo Texas county median comparison available |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 32.00% | 28.00% | N/A | 14% pressure32.00% 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
+$10,337
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$26,174
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in Real County is affordable. The median rent is $877/month against a median household income of $45,417, putting rent at 23.2% of income.
Rent vs own
At $877/month rent versus $449/month in owner costs, owning is roughly $428/month cheaper , a 49% difference.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $35,080/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $19,243/year. With a median household income of $45,417, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 32.0% of renter households in Real County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Within Texas, Real County is more affordable than Clay County by roughly 6% ($877/mo vs $825/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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willacy County, TX | $60,800 | $868/mo | Same-state comparison near $60,800 home value and $868/mo rent. |
| Cochran County, TX | $57,700 | $738/mo | Same-state comparison near $57,700 home value and $738/mo rent. |
| Dickens County, TX | $65,000 | $753/mo | Same-state comparison near $65,000 home value and $753/mo rent. |
| Hudspeth County, TX | $57,400 | $664/mo | Same-state comparison near $57,400 home value and $664/mo rent. |
| Newton County, TX | $83,100 | $877/mo | Same-state comparison near $83,100 home value and $877/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 Real County
Is Real County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Real County?
How much income do you need for housing in Real County?
What should I double-check before moving to Real County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.