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King County, TX

Rent vs Own in King County, Texas

Real numbers, not rules of thumb: King County's rent-vs-own math, drawn from actual property tax rates and HUD Fair Market Rents. Owner-occupied homes: 66.

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Buying is cheaper in King County

Put side by side, ownership costs $326/mo and a 2-bedroom rental costs $1,015/mo in King County. That is a $689/mo difference.

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

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

$52,100 is the median home price in King County; the tax bill that comes with it runs $564 a year, a 1.08% bite out of the home's value. Financing at 20% down and 6.5% puts the all-in monthly ownership cost (mortgage, tax, insurance) at $326 here, versus HUD's $1,015/mo 2-bedroom rental estimate. On those assumptions, owning is about $689/mo cheaper than renting before accounting for maintenance, HOA fees, or closing costs.

The median household income in King County is $46,645, which puts the home-price-to-income ratio at roughly 1.1x, a common affordability yardstick flags ratios above 5x as stretched. Property taxes alone consume 1.2% of median income, versus a 2%–4% national benchmark. These are median-household snapshots, not personalized numbers, your own rent-versus-own math depends on down payment, credit, mortgage rate, how long you plan to stay, and whether you itemize the property tax deduction on your federal return.

HUD puts the FY2026 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent for King County at $1,015/mo. Its FY2025 counterpart was $976/mo, so the local benchmark increased by $39/mo (+4.0%). That is in line with the modest single-digit annual FMR adjustment HUD applies in most counties.

The local comparison puts King County at rank 1 of 250 statewide: rank 1 represents the most buy-favorable result. It is the state's most buy-favorable county by 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
$326
Mortgage (P&I) $263
Property Tax $47
Insurance (est.) $15
Monthly Rent (2-BR FMR)
$1,015
Studio$789
1-Bedroom$811
2-Bedroom$1,015
3-Bedroom$1,321
4-Bedroom$1,493

Adjust Your Scenario

Affordability Context

Median Household Income
$46,645
$3,887/mo
Home Price / Income
1.1x
Affordable (≤3x)
Tax-to-Income Ratio
1.2%
National benchmark: 2-4%

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 King County, Texas? ▼
Renting comes out ahead in King County under the standard 20%-down, 6.5% assumptions used on this page, by roughly $689 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 median home price in King County? ▼
$52,100, per the Census Bureau's ACS 5-Year Estimates. The property tax on that value works out to roughly 1.08% a year, in line with typical rates for the area.
What is the average rent in King County? ▼
HUD prices a 2-bedroom unit at $1,015/mo here. Sizing up matters: going from a studio to a 4-bedroom adds about $704/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 King County? ▼
On the common 3x-income guideline, a $46,645 household here can afford up to $139,935, which comfortably covers this county's $52,100 median home price -- a healthier affordability picture than many of the counties tracked on this site.
Is rent going up or down in King County? ▼
Comparing HUD's FY2025 and FY2026 Fair Market Rent figures for King County shows a risen 2-bedroom rate 4.0%. HUD updates this annually from local rent surveys, and one year's change isn't necessarily the start of a longer trend.
How does King County compare to other Texas counties for renting vs buying? ▼
On buy-vs-rent value, King County sits at rank 1 among 250 Texas counties tracked here, 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.

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 Editorial

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

Verify with HUD →