In Gainesville, a typical home is worth $177,000 and typical rent is $1,038 a month. Compared with all of Cooke County, the typical home value is 26% lower, typical household income is 20% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 14 points lower.
Typical home value from Zillow, September 2021 to September 2026: from $205,898 to $243,038.
Typical rent
$1,480a month
Typical rent from Zillow, March 2026 to September 2026: from $1,451 to $1,480.
From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).
Gainesville is in Cooke County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Cooke County. See the county
What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.
1
58% of households in Gainesville own their home, against 72% in Cooke County.
2
The typical home in Gainesville is worth $177,000,26% less than in Cooke County as a whole ($240,400).
3
The typical household income in Gainesville is $58,809,20% less than in Cooke County as a whole ($73,932).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).
The homes here
Housing in Gainesville
What homes there are in Gainesville, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).
What homes there are
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Kind of home
Detached houseAttached houseBuilding of 2 to 4Apartments (5 or more)Mobile homeBoat, RV and otherUnreliable estimate
Gainesville
Cooke County
Texas
United States
Kind of home: Gainesville and its comparisons
Measure
Gainesville
Cooke County
Texas
United States
Detached house
71%
76%
64%
61%
Attached house
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
3%
6%
Building of 2 to 4
9%
5%
5%
8%
Apartments (5 or more)
17%
7%
21%
19%
Mobile home
Unreliable estimate
12%
6%
6%
Boat, RV and other
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
0%
0%
Detached houses are the majority in Gainesville (71%), but less so than in Cooke County (76%).
Year built
Before 19601960–19791980–19992000–20092010 or later
Gainesville
Cooke County
Texas
United States
Year built: Gainesville and its comparisons
Measure
Gainesville
Cooke County
Texas
United States
Before 1960
31%
20%
12%
26%
1960–1979
37%
26%
21%
24%
1980–1999
13%
23%
28%
25%
2000–2009
9%
15%
18%
14%
2010 or later
9%
15%
21%
11%
Homes in Gainesville are older: the typical year built is 1971; in Cooke County, 1983.
What it costs here
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Value of owner-occupied homes
Under the limitOver the limitUnreliable estimate
Under $100K24%
$100K–$200K31%
$200K–$300K31%
$300K–$500K11%
$500K–$750KUnreliable
FHA limit: $541,287
$750K–$1MUnreliable
$1M or moreUnreliable
Value of owner-occupied homes: Gainesville and its comparisons
Measure
Gainesville
Under $100K
24%
$100K–$200K
31%
$200K–$300K
31%
$300K–$500K
11%
$500K–$750K
Unreliable estimate
$750K–$1M
Unreliable estimate
$1M or more
Unreliable
The FHA limit for Cooke County is high ($541,287): at least 96% of owner-occupied homes in Gainesville are worth less than $500,000.
Monthly rent with utilities
Under the limitOver the limitUnreliable estimate
Under $50020%
$500–$99927%
$1,000–$1,49936%
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms: $1,314
$1,500–$1,99914%
$2,000–$2,499Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999Unreliable
$3,000 or moreUnreliable
Monthly rent with utilities: Gainesville and its comparisons
Measure
Gainesville
Under $500
20%
$500–$999
27%
$1,000–$1,499
36%
$1,500–$1,999
14%
$2,000–$2,499
Unreliable estimate
$2,500–$2,999
Unreliable
$3,000 or more
Unreliable estimate
HUD's 2-bedroom fair market rent (FMR) for Cooke County is $1,314; about 69% of rents in Gainesville are below it.
With a mortgage
$1,387 a month
Cooke County: $1,831 a month
Without a mortgage
$607 a month
Cooke County: $674 a month
Owners with a mortgage
50%
Cooke County: 46%
Owning costs less in Gainesville: with a mortgage, the typical cost is $1,387 a month; in Cooke County, $1,831. Without one, $607.
How it changed
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Change since 2015–2019
Typical home value
Gainesville+64%
Cooke County+49%
Texas+65%
United States+53%
Typical rent
Gainesville+17%
Cooke County+18%
Texas+34%
United States+33%
Typical household income
Gainesville+31%
Cooke County+23%
Texas+27%
United States+29%
Change since 2015–2019: Gainesville and its comparisons
Measure
Gainesville
Cooke County
Texas
United States
Typical home value
+64%
+49%
+65%
+53%
Typical rent
+17%
+18%
+34%
+33%
Typical household income
+31%
+23%
+27%
+29%
From 2015–2019 to 2020–2024, the typical home value in Gainesville rose 64%; in Cooke County, it rose 49%.
The typical rent in Gainesville rose 17% since 2015–2019, about the same as in Cooke County (18%).
To compare: typical income in Gainesville rose 31%; the home, +64%; the rent, +17%.
How people live
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
How people live: Gainesville and its comparisons
Measure
Gainesville
Cooke County
Texas
United States
Rental vacancy
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
7.7%
5.5%
Homeowner vacancy
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
1.1%
0.9%
More than one person per room
Unreliable estimate
3.6%
4.8%
3.4%
People per household
2.49
2.57
2.69
2.53
Drive alone
79%
80%
71%
69%
Carpool
11%
9%
10%
9%
Public transit
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
1%
3%
Walk or bike
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
2%
3%
Work from home
Unreliable estimate
7%
14%
15%
Other means
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
2%
2%
Typical commute
10 to 19 minutes
Unreliable estimate
20 to 29 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
A household in Gainesville has 2.49 people on average, about the same as in Cooke County (2.57).
To get to work, 79% of workers in Gainesville drive alone; in Cooke County, 80%.
Do the math
What would you pay each month for a home in Gainesville?
A typical home is tight for the typical income
We start with a typical home in Gainesville, worth $177,000, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 31% of the typical household income in Gainesville, which is $58,809 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $65,507 a year.
The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Cooke County.
Change the price, the down payment or the loan: the payment updates right away.
Your numbers
Local data
$
Starts at the typical home value in Gainesville. Change it to the price you have in mind.
Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.
Down payment
%
That is $6,195 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.
This week's average ± a quarter or half point.
National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.
Adjust advanced details⌄
Estimated monthly payment
Local data
$1,529
at 7.18% · 30 years
Loan amount
$173,794
Total interest
$250,049
Paid off in
November 2056
Includes $2,989 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.
Does it fit the income?
Comfortable
up to $1,372 a month
Tight
$1,372 to $1,764 a month
Your payment · 31%
Hard
more than $1,764 a month
Compared with the typical household income in Gainesville ($58,809 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.
Monthly payment breakdown
Principal & interest
$1,177
Property tax
$199
Home insurance
$74
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)
$78
You need at least $6,195 for the down payment, plus closing costs.
This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.
Total monthly payment $1,529; principal and interest $1,177.
The city and its county
Gainesville and Cooke County
Gainesville is in Cooke County, Texas. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).
Gainesville
Map of Cooke County, Texas, with Gainesville marked. Around it, the neighboring counties.
Gainesville
Cooke County
Other cities with a page
Gainesville's own numbers
Typical home value
$177,000
Typical monthly rent
$1,038
Typical yearly household income
$58,809
Households that own their home
58%
Effective property tax rate
1.35%
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).
Numbers for all of Cooke County
FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,314
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+62%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
3.1%
HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.
Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Cooke County.
A typical home in Gainesville is worth $177,000: 26% below the county and 38% below Texas. With the typical household income in Gainesville ($58,809 a year), a typical home costs 3.0 times what the household earns in a year.
Years of income to pay for a typical home
The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.
Gainesville3.0 years
Cooke3.3 years
Texas3.6 years
United States4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024
How prices have changed in Cooke County
According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Cooke County rose 116% in the 10 years through 2025.
FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Cooke County.
Yearly change in FHFA’s price index in Cooke County, 2016 to 2025
2016: +0.8% +0.8% 2016
2017: +8.5% +8.5% 2017
2018: +7.9% +7.9% 2018
2019: +8.7% +8.7% 2019
2020: +3.6% +3.6% 2020
2021: +13.6% +13.6% 2021
2022: +24.1% +24.1% 2022
2023: +8.3% +8.3% 2023
2024: +1.1% +1.1% 2024
2025: +5.2% +5.2% 2025
Change in FHFA’s price index in Cooke County, Texas and the United States
Period
County
Texas
U.S.
Last year (2025)
+5.2%
+0.8%
+2.9%
5 years (2020–2025)
+62%
+44%
+47%
10 years (2015–2025)
+116%
+88%
+85%
The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data
Gainesville next to Cooke County, Texas and the U.S.
Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.
Typical home value
Gainesville$177,000
Cooke$240,400
Texas$283,800
United States$332,700
Typical monthly rent
Gainesville$1,038
Cooke$1,047
Texas$1,403
United States$1,413
Typical yearly household income
Gainesville$58,809
Cooke$73,932
Texas$78,476
United States$80,734
See the full table
Gainesville next to Cooke County and Texas
Measure
Gainesville
Cooke County
Texas
U.S.
Typical home value
$177,000 ▼26% below the county
$240,400
$283,800
$332,700
Typical monthly rent
$1,038
$1,047
$1,403
$1,413
Typical yearly household income
$58,809 ▼20% below the county
$73,932
$78,476
$80,734
Households that own their home
58% ▼14 points below the county
72%
63%
65%
Typical yearly property tax
$2,382 ▼17% below the county
$2,864
$4,232
$3,119
Effective property tax rate
1.35% ▲0.16 points above the county
1.19%
1.49%
0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income
43%
43%
52%
51%
“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Cooke County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Gainesville
For a typical $177,000 home in Gainesville, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Gainesville's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.
FHA, 3.5% down$1,529a month
Least cash to close
Down payment
$6,195
Cash to close
$11,505
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
FHA MIP · $78
Conventional, 5% down$1,496a month
Down payment
$8,850
Cash to close
$14,160
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
PMI · $84
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI$1,232a month
Down payment
$35,400
Cash to close
$40,710
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
ITIN, 15% down (example)$1,396a month
Down payment
$26,550
Cash to close
$31,860
Rate
8.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Gainesville
Loan
Monthly payment
Down payment
Loan amount
Rate
Mortgage insurance
Cash to close
Minimum score
FHA, 3.5% down Least cash to close
$1,529
$6,195
$173,794
7.18%
FHA MIP · $78
$11,505
580
Conventional, 5% down
$1,496
$8,850
$168,150
7.18%
PMI · $84
$14,160
620*
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI
$1,232
$35,400
$141,600
7.18%
None
$40,710
620*
ITIN, 15% down (example)
$1,396
$26,550
$150,450
8.18%
None
$31,860
Set by the lender
The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.
Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.
Typical rent in Gainesville is $1,038 a month: about the same as the county. In Gainesville, 43% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Cooke County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,314 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $25.27 an hour working full time.
What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.
HUD fair market rent in Cooke County (Fiscal year 2027)
Size
Fair rent a month
Hourly wage
Yearly income
Studio
$998
$19.19
$39,920
1 bedroom
$1,004
$19.31
$40,160
2 bedrooms
$1,314
$25.27
$52,560
3 bedrooms
$1,623
$31.21
$64,920
4 bedrooms
$1,727
$33.21
$69,080
Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027
By ZIP code
Fair market rent by ZIP code in Gainesville
HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Gainesville has 2 ZIP codes with their own.
For 2 bedrooms it runs from $1,310 in 76241 to $1,340 in 76240.
1 of the 2 is above the fair market rent for Cooke County ($1,314).
Fair market rent by ZIP code and size in Gainesville, fiscal year 2027.
76240
$1,020
$1,020
$1,340
$1,700
$1,950
76241
$990
$1,000
$1,310
$1,620
$1,720
ZIP code2 bd3 bd
76240 $1,340$1,700
76241 $1,310$1,620
1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Gainesville when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD)Fiscal year 2027Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (external site)Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship fileData from 2020 dataCensus Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (external site)
You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.
We found no HUD-approved agencies with an office in Cooke County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.
No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Gainesville or Cooke County. The ones below are statewide in Texas: they work in Gainesville the same as in the rest of the state.
Texas state program for first-time buyers: a 30-year mortgage with down payment assistance.Offered by Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA).
Texas state program with down payment assistance for any buyer, not only first-time buyers.Offered by Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA).
Texas state certificate that turns part of your mortgage interest into a credit on your federal tax return.Offered by Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA).
No legal help resource on our list is for Gainesville or Cooke County in particular.
If you have a problem with your landlord, an eviction notice or a scam, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) search shows the free legal aid offices that serve your area.
Short answers with the numbers for Gainesville and all of Cooke County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.
How much does a typical home cost in Gainesville?
The typical home value in Gainesville is $177,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Cooke County it is $240,400.
How much does it cost to rent in Gainesville?
Typical rent in Gainesville is $1,038 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Cooke County is $1,314.
What is the FHA loan limit in Gainesville?
Gainesville uses the FHA limit for all of Cooke County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.
How much property tax do owners pay in Gainesville?
The typical homeowner in Gainesville pays $2,382 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.35% of the home’s value; in Cooke County, the rate is 1.19%.
Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Gainesville?
We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Cooke County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.
