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Hidalgo County, TX

Rent vs Own in Hidalgo County, Texas

Owning the median home in Hidalgo County works out cheaper than renting: about $943/mo against HUD's $1,060/mo for a 2-bedroom. Here is the arithmetic behind that. Owner-occupied homes: 182,271.

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Buying is cheaper in Hidalgo County

Owning runs about $943/mo here, under $1,060/mo to rent a comparable 2-bedroom. That is a $117/mo difference.

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

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

Primary driver

The tax rate is a national headwind

Hidalgo County's 1.62% effective rate is among the highest of 3,135 tracked counties: only about 92% pay more. Treat that recurring tax line separately from principal and interest.

Decision signal 2

Income supports the median purchase price

Median household income is $54,338, putting the home-price-to-income ratio at 2.6x. Property taxes consume 4.2% of median income; use those two burdens separately rather than treating the mortgage payment as the whole ownership cost.

Decision signal 3

HUD moved the rent benchmark up

HUD raised its 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Hidalgo County from $992/mo in FY2025 to $1,060/mo in FY2026: it increased by $68/mo (+6.9%). 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.

Decision signal 4

The monthly comparison favours owning

The median home value in Hidalgo County, Texas is $140,900 with a median annual property tax of $2,279, an effective rate of 1.62%. At 20% down on a 6.5% 30-year mortgage, the all-in monthly ownership cost comes to $943, under the $1,060/mo HUD prices a 2-bedroom rental at. Owning is about $117/mo cheaper before maintenance, HOA fees, or closing costs.

Decision signal 5

The county sits near the state middle

Using the assumptions above, Hidalgo County ranks 106 of 250 Texas counties for buy-vs-rent value (rank 1 = the best relative deal for buying). It sits ahead of 144 other Texas counties on this measure.

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
$943
Mortgage (P&I) $712
Property Tax $190
Insurance (est.) $41
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$1,060
Studio$842
1-Bedroom$847
2-Bedroom$1,060
3-Bedroom$1,376
4-Bedroom$1,522

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$54,338
$4,528/mo
Home Price / Income
2.6x
Affordable (≤3x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
4.2%
National benchmark: 2-4%

Who actually pays it here

Even with the loan gone, the largest group of owners here still owes $3,000 or more every year. That is a permanent monthly obligation of a few hundred dollars, and it is why "paid off" understates the real cost of holding property in this county.

As across most of the country, six-figure earners between $100,000 and $200,000 account for more of these write-offs than any other group.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Hidalgo County, Texas?
Renting comes out ahead in Hidalgo County under the standard 20%-down, 6.5% assumptions used on this page, by roughly $117 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.
What is the average rent in Hidalgo County?
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $1,060/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $680/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 much house can you afford in Hidalgo County?
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $54,338 household here can afford up to $163,014, which comfortably covers this county's $140,900 median home price -- a healthier affordability picture than many of the counties tracked on this site.
What is the median home price in Hidalgo County?
$140,900, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. What stands out more than the price itself is the tax load on it: this county's 1.62% effective rate sits near the high end of the 3,135 counties tracked here.
Is rent going up or down in Hidalgo County?
HUD's 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent figure has risen 6.9% between the FY2025 and FY2026 publications, the two most recent years tracked here.
How does Hidalgo County compare to other Texas counties for renting vs buying?
Out of 250 Texas counties ranked here on buy-vs-rent value, Hidalgo County lands at spot 106, roughly in the middle of the pack statewide. See the <a href="/states/texas">Texas property tax overview</a> for how neighboring counties stack up.

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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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