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Hardeman County, TX

Rent vs Own in Hardeman County, Texas

Owning the median home in Hardeman County works out cheaper than renting: about $509/mo against HUD's $973/mo for a 2-bedroom. Here is the arithmetic behind that. Owner-occupied homes: 909.

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Buying is cheaper in Hardeman County

Owning runs about $509/mo here, under $973/mo to rent a comparable 2-bedroom. That is a $464/mo difference.

Based on 20% down, 6.5% rate, 30-year mortgage. Adjust below.

What This Data Tells Us About Renting vs Owning in Hardeman County

Primary driver

Income supports the median purchase price

Median household income is $63,333, putting the home-price-to-income ratio at 1.3x. Property taxes consume 1.3% of median income; use those two burdens separately rather than treating the mortgage payment as the whole ownership cost.

Decision signal 2

The monthly comparison favours owning

The median home value in Hardeman County, Texas is $81,900 with a median annual property tax of $848, an effective rate of 1.04%. At 20% down on a 6.5% 30-year mortgage, the all-in monthly ownership cost comes to $509, under the $973/mo HUD prices a 2-bedroom rental at. Owning is about $464/mo cheaper before maintenance, HOA fees, or closing costs.

Decision signal 3

Buying compares well inside the state

Using the assumptions above, Hardeman County ranks 12 of 250 Texas counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 238 other Texas counties on this measure.

Decision signal 4

HUD moved the rent benchmark up

HUD raised its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Hardeman County from $933/mo in FY2025 to $973/mo in FY2026: it increased by $40/mo (+4.3%). A rising rent benchmark widens the gap in favour of owning over time, because the mortgage share of the ownership cost below is fixed at origination while the rent it is compared against reprices every year.

Methodology & disclaimer

This calculator is for informational purposes only and is not tax, legal, or financial advice. Property tax figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates and rent figures come from HUD Fair Market Rents; both describe area medians, not individual transactions. Insurance is estimated at 0.35% of home value annually and closing costs, maintenance, HOA, and PMI are not included. Consult a licensed mortgage, tax, or real-estate professional before making a buy-or-rent decision based on these numbers.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

Estimated Monthly Ownership
$509
Mortgage (P&I) $414
Property Tax $71
Insurance (est.) $24
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$973
Studio$737
1-Bedroom$742
2-Bedroom$973
3-Bedroom$1,220
4-Bedroom$1,432

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$63,333
$5,278/mo
Home Price / Income
1.3x
Affordable (≤3x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
1.3%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

Once the mortgage ends, staying put is close to free here: the largest cluster of debt-free households faces a yearly charge under $800, small enough that insurance and upkeep, not the tax office, decide what the home costs to keep.

Bill bands are Census ACS counts of owner-occupied homes without a mortgage. Income brackets are IRS Statistics of Income county data for tax year 2022, counted over FILERS reporting real-estate taxes on Schedule A, which is a smaller group than homeowners: most filers take the standard deduction.

Nearby Counties

Harris County
Home: $276,600 Tax: $4,489/yr
Dallas County
Home: $303,000 Tax: $4,798/yr
Tarrant County
Home: $323,900 Tax: $5,334/yr
Bexar County
Home: $262,200 Tax: $4,535/yr
Travis County
Home: $523,000 Tax: $7,727/yr
Collin County
Home: $475,600 Tax: $7,521/yr

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Hardeman County, Texas? ▼
Renting comes out ahead in Hardeman County under the standard 20%-down, 6.5% assumptions used on this page, by roughly $464 a month. That gap narrows or reverses with a bigger down payment, a lower rate, or a longer time horizon (owning builds equity that renting doesn't), so treat the number as a starting point, not a verdict, and rerun it with your own terms in the calculator above.
How much house can you afford in Hardeman County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $63,333 household here can afford up to $189,999, which comfortably covers this county's $81,900 median home price -- a healthier affordability picture than many of the counties tracked on this site.
What is the median home price in Hardeman County? ▼
$81,900, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. The property tax on that value works out to roughly 1.04% a year, in line with typical rates for the area.
What is the average rent in Hardeman County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $973/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $695/mo, so the per-bedroom jump is worth checking against your actual space needs before assuming the 2-BR figure applies to your situation.
How does Hardeman County compare to other Texas counties for renting vs buying? ▼
Out of 250 Texas counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Hardeman County lands at spot 12, putting it in the more buy-favorable quarter of the state. See the <a href="/states/texas">Texas property tax overview</a> for how neighboring counties stack up.
Is rent going up or down in Hardeman County? ▼
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has risen 4.3% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.

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Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainPropertyTax

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Government Finances State and local property tax revenue by jurisdiction · 2025

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