The 79072 zip code in Plainview tops our ranking of the most affordable places to live in Texas.
We looked at 786 zip codes in the state, evaluating home values, rental costs, energy rates, property taxes, and five other affordability indicators. We used the data we gathered to calculate our proprietary Affordability Score for each zip code.
Top 10 most affordable places to live in Texas
| Rank | City | Affordability Score | Median home value | Rental costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plainview 🥇 | 100.0 | $116,077 | $825 |
| 2 | Big Spring 🥈 | 99.0 | $140,875 | $1,207 |
| 3 | Beaumont 🥉 | 98.3 | $101,754 | $928 |
| 4 | Borger | 97.2 | $108,198 | $1,590 |
| 5 | Snyder | 96.2 | $137,737 | $1,590 |
| 6 | Pampa | 96.1 | $102,751 | $1,590 |
| 7 | Groves | 95.5 | $177,653 | $1,288 |
| 8 | Port Lavaca | 95.4 | $186,893 | $1,590 |
| 9 | Raymondville | 95.2 | $116,662 | $1,590 |
| 10 | Nederland | 95.0 | $211,368 | $1,245 |
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1. Plainview
Here's why the 79072 zip code in Plainview is Texas's most affordable place to live.
🔎 Key data about Plainview
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 786 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 100.0 | No. 1 | N/A |
| Median home value | $116,077[1] | No. 15 | -$215,699.32 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.5 | No. 24 | -1.4 |
| Home value five-year change | 3.3%[2] | No. 17 | -19.7% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -4.3%[3] | No. 9 | -3.1% |
| Rental costs | $825[4] | No. 1 | -$765 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.75% | No. 223 | -0.1% |
| Median household income | $47,255[5] | No. 717 | -$38,414 |
| Property taxes | $1,579[6] | No. 49 | -$3,196 |
| Energy costs | $0.13 kWh[7] | No. 205 | -$0.01 |
Plainview's 79072 zip code is the cheapest place to live in Texas, leading the 786 markets we evaluated.
The median home value is $116,077, making it the 15th-cheapest housing market in the state. Forecasts project a -4.3% change in home values in the next year. Rent in the zip code averages $825 per month, which is the 223rd cheapest amount in Texas.
The median property tax for homeowners in Plainview is $1,579 per household, the No. 49 ranked market in Texas.
Residents pay $0.13 per kWh of electricity, which ranks No. 205 among Texas markets.
2. Big Spring
The 79720 zip code is the 2nd-cheapest place to live in Texas.
🔎 Key data about Big Spring
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 786 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 99.0 | No. 2 | N/A |
| Median home value | $140,875[8] | No. 40 | -$190,901.49 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.0 | No. 6 | -1.8 |
| Home value five-year change | 23.0%[9] | No. 384 | 0.0% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -5.9%[10] | No. 7 | -4.7% |
| Rental costs | $1,207[11] | No. 81 | -$383 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.76% | No. 226 | -0.1% |
| Median household income | $68,785[12] | No. 462 | -$16,884 |
| Property taxes | $1,454[13] | No. 36 | -$3,321 |
| Energy costs | $0.12 kWh[14] | No. 52 | -$0.01 |
Big Spring's 79720 zip code has a median home value of $140,875, which is the 7th-cheapest housing market in Texas. You can rent for an average of $1,207 per month. That's the 81st-cheapest price in the state.
The average household income in the zip code is $68,785, which ranks 462nd-highest in the state.
Homeowners in Big Spring pay a median property tax of $1,454 per year, making it the 36th-most affordable market in Texas.
Big Spring ranks No. 52 among Texas energy markets. You'll pay $0.12 per kWh of electricity.
3. Beaumont
The 3rd-cheapest place to live in Texas is Beaumont's 77701 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Beaumont
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 786 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 98.3 | No. 3 | N/A |
| Median home value | $101,754[15] | No. 7 | -$230,022.80 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.1 | No. 7 | -1.8 |
| Home value five-year change | 6.8%[16] | No. 42 | -16.2% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -3.5%[17] | No. 18 | -2.3% |
| Rental costs | $928[18] | No. 9 | -$663 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.89% | No. 430 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $49,181[19] | No. 705 | -$36,488 |
| Property taxes | $892[20] | No. 2 | -$3,883 |
| Energy costs | $0.14 kWh[21] | No. 618 | $0.00 |
The No. 7 cheapest housing market in Texas is Beaumont's 77701 zip code, with a median home value of $101,754. Rents in the market average $928 per month, making it the 9th-most affordable rental market in the state.
The median property tax for households in Beaumont is $892, which makes it the 2nd-cheapest place in Texas. Beaumont ranks No. 618 among Texas markets by energy costs. Residents pay $0.14 per kWh of electricity.
4. Borger
The 79007 zip code in Borger comes in at No. 4 on our list of the cheapest places to live in Texas.
🔎 Key data about Borger
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 786 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 97.2 | No. 4 | N/A |
| Median home value | $108,198[22] | No. 11 | -$223,578.80 |
| Home affordability ratio | 1.7 | No. 1 | -2.2 |
| Home value five-year change | 11.1%[23] | No. 90 | -12.0% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -3.3%[24] | No. 42 | -2.1% |
| Rental costs | $1,590[25] | No. 360 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.86% | No. 287 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $63,929[26] | No. 517 | -$21,740 |
| Property taxes | $1,679[27] | No. 61 | -$3,096 |
| Energy costs | $0.12 kWh[28] | No. 47 | -$0.02 |
The No. 11 cheapest housing market in Texas is Borger's 79007 zip code, where the median home value is $108,198. Renters here pay an average of $1,590 per month.
When it comes to energy costs, Borger ranks 47th among Texas markets. Residents pay $0.12 per kWh of electricity.
The median property tax for households in the zip code is $1,679, which makes it the 61st-cheapest market in Texas.
5. Snyder
The 79549 zip code in Snyder ranks No. 5 among Texas's most affordable places to live.
🔎 Key data about Snyder
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 786 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 96.2 | No. 5 | N/A |
| Median home value | $137,737[29] | No. 37 | -$194,039.98 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.3 | No. 16 | -1.5 |
| Home value five-year change | 7.7%[30] | No. 55 | -15.4% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -2.9%[31] | No. 80 | -1.7% |
| Rental costs | $1,590[32] | No. 360 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.86% | No. 287 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $59,147[33] | No. 577 | -$26,522 |
| Property taxes | $1,421[34] | No. 32 | -$3,354 |
| Energy costs | $0.12 kWh[35] | No. 82 | -$0.01 |
Snyder's 79549 zip code has a median home value of $137,737, the 37th-cheapest market in the state. Forecasts project a -2.9% change in home values in the next year.
The median property tax per household in Snyder is $1,421. It's the 32nd-cheapest market by tax rate in Texas.
6. Pampa
The No. 6 most affordable place to live in Texas is the 79065 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Pampa
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 786 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 96.1 | No. 6 | N/A |
| Median home value | $102,751[36] | No. 8 | -$229,026.01 |
| Home affordability ratio | 1.7 | No. 2 | -2.1 |
| Home value five-year change | 8.3%[37] | No. 59 | -14.8% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -2.6%[38] | No. 97 | -1.4% |
| Rental costs | $1,590[39] | No. 360 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.86% | No. 287 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $58,912[40] | No. 584 | -$26,757 |
| Property taxes | $1,468[41] | No. 38 | -$3,307 |
| Energy costs | $0.13 kWh[42] | No. 563 | $0.00 |
The back half of our top 10 kicks off with Pampa's 79065 zip code, which has the 8th-cheapest home values in Texas. The median home value is $102,751. Rents average $1,590 per month, making it the 360th-most affordable rental market in the state.
Residents pay $0.13 per kWh of electricity. It's the 563rd-cheapest energy market.
7. Groves
Groves's 77619 zip code is the 7th-cheapest place to live in Texas.
🔎 Key data about Groves
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 786 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 95.5 | No. 7 | N/A |
| Median home value | $177,653[43] | No. 104 | -$154,123.85 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.4 | No. 20 | -1.5 |
| Home value five-year change | 15.9%[44] | No. 168 | -7.2% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -3.2%[45] | No. 63 | -2.0% |
| Rental costs | $1,288[46] | No. 125 | -$303 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.75% | No. 224 | -0.1% |
| Median household income | $73,710[47] | No. 396 | -$11,959 |
| Property taxes | $2,724[48] | No. 253 | -$2,051 |
| Energy costs | $0.14 kWh[49] | No. 618 | $0.00 |
You'll find the 104th-cheapest home values in Texas in Groves's 77619 zip code. The median value: $177,653. Renters in Groves pay an average of $1,288 per month.
Homeowners in Groves pay a median property tax of $2,724 per year, which is Texas's 253rd-most affordable market.
The average household income is $73,710, which ranks 396th-highest in the state.
8. Port Lavaca
The 8th-cheapest place to live in Texas is Port Lavaca's 77979 zip code.
🔎 Key data about Port Lavaca
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 786 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 95.4 | No. 8 | N/A |
| Median home value | $186,893[50] | No. 126 | -$144,883.31 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.4 | No. 22 | -1.4 |
| Home value five-year change | 7.1%[51] | No. 45 | -15.9% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -3.2%[52] | No. 63 | -2.0% |
| Rental costs | $1,590[53] | No. 360 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.86% | No. 287 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $77,039[54] | No. 358 | -$8,630 |
| Property taxes | $1,979[55] | No. 116 | -$2,796 |
| Energy costs | $0.12 kWh[56] | No. 72 | -$0.01 |
The 126th-cheapest housing market in Texas is Port Lavaca's 77979 zip code, with a median home value of $186,893. Renters pay an average of $1,590 per month, the No. 360 rental market in the state.
The median property tax for households in Port Lavaca is $1,979, which makes it the 116th-cheapest place in Texas. The average household income of $77,039 ranks 358th.
9. Raymondville
Raymondville's 78580 zip code sneaks into the top ten of Texas's most affordable places to live.
🔎 Key data about Raymondville
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 786 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 95.2 | No. 9 | N/A |
| Median home value | $116,662[57] | No. 16 | -$215,114.73 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.2 | No. 10 | -1.7 |
| Home value five-year change | 23.0%[58] | No. 384 | 0.0% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -9.2%[59] | No. 1 | -8.0% |
| Rental costs | $1,590[60] | No. 360 | $0 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.86% | No. 287 | 0.0% |
| Median household income | $53,841[61] | No. 651 | -$31,828 |
| Property taxes | $1,242[62] | No. 16 | -$3,533 |
| Energy costs | $0.10 kWh[63] | No. 1 | -$0.03 |
The 16th-cheapest housing market in Texas is Raymondville's 78580 zip code, where the median home value is $116,662. Renters pay an average of $1,590 per month. It's the state's 360th-cheapest rental market.
The median property tax for households within the zip code is $1,242, which makes it the 16th-cheapest property tax rate in Texas.
10. Nederland
The final spot on our list of the most affordable places to live in Texas goes to the 77627 zip code in Nederland.
🔎 Key data about Nederland
| Data point | Value | Rank (out of 786 markets) | Difference from median or average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affordability Score | 95.0 | No. 10 | N/A |
| Median home value | $211,368[64] | No. 201 | -$120,408.46 |
| Home affordability ratio | 2.7 | No. 50 | -1.2 |
| Home value five-year change | 12.4%[65] | No. 117 | -10.7% |
| Home value one-year forecast | -2.9%[66] | No. 80 | -1.7% |
| Rental costs | $1,245[67] | No. 98 | -$345 |
| Rent affordability ratio | 1.60% | No. 149 | -0.3% |
| Median household income | $78,001[68] | No. 348 | -$7,668 |
| Property taxes | $3,273[69] | No. 318 | -$1,502 |
| Energy costs | $0.14 kWh[70] | No. 618 | $0.00 |
The 201st-most affordable market in Texas is Nederland's 77627 zip code. The median home value is $211,368. Rent in the market costs $1,245 per month on average, making it the 98th-most affordable rental market in Texas.
The median property tax for households in Nederland is $3,273, which is the 318th-cheapest property tax rate in the state.
Nederland ranks No. 618 among Texas markets by energy costs, with households paying $0.14 per kWh of electricity.
How we ranked the most affordable places in Texas
We evaluated 786 zip codes in Texas with a population over 10,000 on nine metrics. We then assigned each market an Affordability Score based on its weighted and combined rankings.
Our proprietary Affordability Score is a score on a scale of 0 (worst in state) to 100 (best in state) that estimates the affordability of a particular zip code. It takes into account these key data points for each zip code.
- Median home value: The median home value for each zip code comes from the Zillow Home Value Index. The lower the median home value relative to the median value in Texas, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 13.0% to median home value.
- Home affordability ratio. The home affordability ratio is the typical median home value divided by the median household income in the zip code, which reveals the number of years of household income needed to afford a home in that zip code. A lower ratio is better because it means more households can afford a home. The data comes from the Zillow Observed Rent Index and the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 28.0% to the home affordability ratio.
- Home value five-year change: The home value five-year change is the amount that the median home value in the zip code has risen or fallen during the last five years. Our data comes from the Zillow Home Value Index. We assign a weight of 10.0% to the home value five-year change.
- Home value one-year forecast: The home value one-year forecast comes from Zillow Forecast data. It projects how much home values in the zip code are forecasted to change in the next year. We assign a weight of 8.0% to the home value one-year forecast.
- Rental costs. The rental costs are the observed rents in the zip code, sourced from the Zillow Observed Rent Index. The index includes "listed rents that fall into the 40th to 60th percentile range for all homes and apartments in a given region." We assign a weight of 7.0% to rental costs.
- Median household income: The inflation-adjusted median household income figures for the zip code comes from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 5.0% to median household income.
- Rent affordability ratio. The rent affordability ratio is the ratio of rental costs divided by median household income, which provides the percentage of household income needed to pay a typical month’s rent in the zip code. The data comes from the Zillow Observed Rent Index and the U.S. Census American Community Survey. We assign a weight of 17.0% to the rent affordability ratio.
- Property taxes: The property tax figures are the median real estate taxes paid in the zip code, sourced from the U.S. Census American Community Survey. The lower the property tax rate relative to the Texas average, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 8.0% to property taxes.
- Energy costs: The energy costs are the costs of a kilowatt hour (kWh) of residential electricity in the zip code, sourced from the U.S. Department of Energy. The lower the cost of electricity relative to the Texas average, the higher our score on this component. We assign a weight of 4.0% to energy costs.
✍️ Editor’s note: Our Affordability Score identifies the most affordable places in a state by zip code. Often the zip code we identify will represent an entire city or portion of a city.
Occasionally the zip code we identify will encompass an area that includes one or more small towns. In these cases, the data we’ve gathered applies to the entire zip code, not just the single town we’re using to help identify the zip code's location.
If you’re looking to move to one of these affordable places, we recommend doing additional research to make sure the costs in the area — and the quality of life it offers — meet your specific needs.
