States › Texas › Gainesville

Is Gainesville, TX expensive to live in?

OKRent takes 27 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,42019% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$63,426about $5,286/month · 27% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$177,00047% lower than U.S. average

Rent is lower than in 62% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs under 3 years of household income, which is easy by U.S. standards.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $56,800 a year. That is $27 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other Texas cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of Texas. It is number 201 of 426 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Gainesville
$1,420
Bay City
$1,023
Alice
$941
Glenn Heights
$2,738
White Settlement
$1,848
Stafford
$1,919
Nederland
$1,691

How much do households earn in Gainesville?

Under $25k
16.7%
$25k–50k
29.1%
$50k–100k
29.3%
$100k–150k
12.5%
$150k+
7.2%

Share of households by yearly income. 19.7% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Gainesville

SizeGainesvilleU.S. average
Studio$929$1,338
1 bedroom$832$1,324
2 bedrooms$1,208$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,267$1,698

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Gainesville overall?

Everyday prices in Texas overall are 3% below the U.S. average (index 97.1, U.S. = 100).

Housing
97
Goods (food, clothes…)
98
Utilities
88
Other services
97
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Gainesville, so the Texas figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Gainesville

🏛️ Property tax$2,382a year · 1.35% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$184a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Gainesville

Commute to work22.2 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree19.4%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home57.6%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line19.1%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment8.1%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Gainesville?

Buying is cheaper month to month: about $192 a month less than renting.

Renting
$1,420
Owning
$1,228

Owning assumes a typical $177,000 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $17,700 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Gainesville, TX?

Renting in Gainesville costs a median of about $1,420 a month in 2026, including utilities. The Texas median is $1,451.

How much do I need to make to live in Gainesville?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $56,800 a year, or $27 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Gainesville cheap or expensive?

Gainesville is rated OK: rent takes 26.9% of the typical household income of $63,426. It ranks 201st cheapest of 426 Texas cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Gainesville?

The median homeowner in Gainesville pays $2,382 a year in property taxes, about 1.35% of the median home value.

Is Gainesville more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in Texas are 3% below the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Gainesville?

The median home value in Gainesville is $177,000, about 2.8 times the typical yearly household income.

17,883 people live in Gainesville. Numbers are typical (middle) values.