In Rio Grande City, a typical home is worth $113,200 and typical rent is $767 a month. Compared with all of Starr County, the typical home value is 19% higher and typical household income is 18% higher.
Typical home value from Zillow, September 2021 to September 2026: from $170,819 to $148,384.
From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).
Rio Grande City is in Starr 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 Starr County. See the county
What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.
1
Rio Grande City has the 11th lowest typical rent of the 413 cities in Texas with more than 5,000 people ($767).
2
Nearby, in Roma, the typical rent is $563: 27% less than in Rio Grande City ($767).
3
Rio Grande City has the 23rd lowest typical household income of the 424 cities in Texas with more than 5,000 people ($44,577).
4
According to Zillow, in the 12 months to September 2026 the typical home value in Rio Grande City rose 2.6%; in Texas, it fell 1.4%.
5
Nearby, in Roma, the typical home value is $94,400: 17% less than in Rio Grande City ($113,200).
6
The typical home in Rio Grande City is worth $113,200,19% more than in Starr County as a whole ($95,100).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024); Zillow (September 2026 data). Zillow data
The homes here
Housing in Rio Grande City
What homes there are in Rio Grande City, 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
Rio Grande City
Starr County
Texas
United States
Kind of home: Rio Grande City and its comparisons
Measure
Rio Grande City
Starr County
Texas
United States
Detached house
70%
80%
64%
61%
Attached house
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
3%
6%
Building of 2 to 4
Unreliable estimate
5%
5%
8%
Apartments (5 or more)
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
21%
19%
Mobile home
11%
10%
6%
6%
Boat, RV and other
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
0%
0%
The detached house is still the most common home in Rio Grande City, but it weighs less than in Starr County: 70% against 80%.
Year built
Before 19601960–19791980–19992000–20092010 or later
Rio Grande City
Starr County
Texas
United States
Year built: Rio Grande City and its comparisons
Measure
Rio Grande City
Starr County
Texas
United States
Before 1960
6%
4%
12%
26%
1960–1979
18%
15%
21%
24%
1980–1999
39%
42%
28%
25%
2000–2009
18%
20%
18%
14%
2010 or later
19%
18%
21%
11%
The typical year built in Rio Grande City is 1991, about the same as in Starr County (1994).
What it costs here
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Value of owner-occupied homes
Unreliable estimate
Under $100K42%
$100K–$200K37%
$200K–$300KUnreliable
$300K–$500KUnreliable
$500K–$750KUnreliable
$750K–$1MUnreliable
$1M or moreUnreliable
Value of owner-occupied homes: Rio Grande City and its comparisons
Measure
Rio Grande City
Under $100K
42%
$100K–$200K
37%
$200K–$300K
Unreliable estimate
$300K–$500K
Unreliable estimate
$500K–$750K
Unreliable estimate
$750K–$1M
Unreliable
$1M or more
Unreliable
Monthly rent with utilities
Unreliable estimate
Under $500Unreliable
$500–$99972%
$1,000–$1,499Unreliable
$1,500–$1,999Unreliable
$2,000–$2,499Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999Unreliable
$3,000 or moreUnreliable
Monthly rent with utilities: Rio Grande City and its comparisons
Measure
Rio Grande City
Under $500
Unreliable estimate
$500–$999
72%
$1,000–$1,499
Unreliable estimate
$1,500–$1,999
Unreliable estimate
$2,000–$2,499
Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999
Unreliable
$3,000 or more
Unreliable
With a mortgage
$1,669 a month
Starr County: $1,473 a month
Without a mortgage
$390 a month
Starr County: $394 a month
Owners with a mortgage
31%
Starr County: 17%
Owning costs more in Rio Grande City: with a mortgage, the typical cost is $1,669 a month; in Starr County, $1,473. Without one, $390.
How it changed
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Change since 2015–2019
Typical home value
Rio Grande City+57%
Starr County+32%
Texas+65%
United States+53%
Typical rent
Rio Grande City+19%
Starr County+24%
Texas+34%
United States+33%
Typical household income
Rio Grande City+35%
Starr County+24%
Texas+27%
United States+29%
Change since 2015–2019: Rio Grande City and its comparisons
Measure
Rio Grande City
Starr County
Texas
United States
Typical home value
+57%
+32%
+65%
+53%
Typical rent
+19%
+24%
+34%
+33%
Typical household income
+35%
+24%
+27%
+29%
The typical home value in Rio Grande City rose 57% since 2015–2019, more than in Starr County (32%).
The typical rent in Rio Grande City rose 19% over the same time; in Starr County, it rose 24%.
The typical household income in Rio Grande City rose 35% over that time; home values changed +57% and rent +19%.
How people live
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
How people live: Rio Grande City and its comparisons
Measure
Rio Grande City
Starr County
Texas
United States
Rental vacancy
Unreliable estimate
6.5%
7.7%
5.5%
Homeowner vacancy
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
1.1%
0.9%
More than one person per room
7.0%
8.3%
4.8%
3.4%
People per household
3.29
3.42
2.69
2.53
Drive alone
80%
72%
71%
69%
Carpool
11%
13%
10%
9%
Public transit
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
1%
3%
Walk or bike
Unreliable estimate
4%
2%
3%
Work from home
7%
9%
14%
15%
Other means
Unreliable estimate
2%
2%
2%
Typical commute
10 to 19 minutes
10 to 19 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
More than one person per room: that is how 7.0% of households in Rio Grande City live, less than in Starr County (8.3%).
A household in Rio Grande City has 3.29 people on average, about the same as in Starr County (3.42).
In Rio Grande City, 80% of workers drive alone to work; in Starr County, 72%.
Do the math
What would you pay each month for a home in Rio Grande City?
A typical home is within reach of the typical income
We start with a typical home in Rio Grande City, worth $113,200, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 26% of the typical household income in Rio Grande City, which is $44,577 a year.
The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Starr 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 Rio Grande City. 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 $3,962 (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
$967
at 7.18% · 30 years
Loan amount
$111,150
Total interest
$159,918
Paid off in
November 2056
Includes $1,912 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.
Does it fit the income?
Comfortable
up to $1,040 a month
Your payment · 26%
Tight
$1,040 to $1,337 a month
Hard
more than $1,337 a month
Compared with the typical household income in Rio Grande City ($44,577 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.
Monthly payment breakdown
Principal & interest
$753
Property tax
$117
Home insurance
$47
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)
$50
You need at least $3,962 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 $967; principal and interest $753.
The city and its county
Rio Grande City and Starr County
Rio Grande City is in Starr 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).
Rio Grande City
Map of Starr County, Texas, with Rio Grande City marked. Around it, the neighboring counties.
Rio Grande City
Starr County
Other cities with a page
Rio Grande City's own numbers
Typical home value
$113,200
Typical monthly rent
$767
Typical yearly household income
$44,577
Households that own their home
69%
Effective property tax rate
1.24%
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).
Numbers for all of Starr County
FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,014
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+71%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
14%
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 Starr County.
A typical home in Rio Grande City is worth $113,200: 19% above the county and 60% below Texas. With the typical household income in Rio Grande City ($44,577 a year), a typical home costs 2.5 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.
Rio Grande City2.5 years
Starr2.5 years
Texas3.6 years
United States4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024
How prices have changed in Starr County
According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Starr County rose 83% in the 10 years through 2025.
FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Starr County.
Yearly change in FHFA’s price index in Starr County, 2016 to 2025
2016: −3.4% −3.4% 2016
2017: +4.0% +4.0% 2017
2018: +6.4% +6.4% 2018
2019: −5.1% −5.1% 2019
2020: +5.3% +5.3% 2020
2021: +12.9% +12.9% 2021
2022: +17.9% +17.9% 2022
2023: +8.4% +8.4% 2023
2024: −2.2% −2.2% 2024
2025: +21.3% +21.3% 2025
Change in FHFA’s price index in Starr County, Texas and the United States
Period
County
Texas
U.S.
Last year (2025)
+21.3%
+0.8%
+2.9%
5 years (2020–2025)
+71%
+44%
+47%
10 years (2015–2025)
+83%
+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
Rio Grande City next to Starr 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
Rio Grande City$113,200
Starr$95,100
Texas$283,800
United States$332,700
Typical monthly rent
Rio Grande City$767
Starr$726
Texas$1,403
United States$1,413
Typical yearly household income
Rio Grande City$44,577
Starr$37,639
Texas$78,476
United States$80,734
See the full table
Rio Grande City next to Starr County and Texas
Measure
Rio Grande City
Starr County
Texas
U.S.
Typical home value
$113,200 ▲19% above the county
$95,100
$283,800
$332,700
Typical monthly rent
$767 ▲6% above the county
$726
$1,403
$1,413
Typical yearly household income
$44,577 ▲18% above the county
$37,639
$78,476
$80,734
Households that own their home
69%
70%
63%
65%
Typical yearly property tax
$1,404 ▲30% above the county
$1,083
$4,232
$3,119
Effective property tax rate
1.24% ▲0.1 points above the county
1.14%
1.49%
0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income
53% ▼3 points below the county
56%
52%
51%
“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Starr 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 Rio Grande City
For a typical $113,200 home in Rio Grande City, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Rio Grande City's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.
FHA, 3.5% down$967a month
Least cash to close
Down payment
$3,962
Cash to close
$7,358
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
FHA MIP · $50
Conventional, 5% down$946a month
Down payment
$5,660
Cash to close
$9,056
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
PMI · $54
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI$778a month
Down payment
$22,640
Cash to close
$26,036
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
ITIN, 15% down (example)$882a month
Down payment
$16,980
Cash to close
$20,376
Rate
8.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Rio Grande City
Loan
Monthly payment
Down payment
Loan amount
Rate
Mortgage insurance
Cash to close
Minimum score
FHA, 3.5% down Least cash to close
$967
$3,962
$111,150
7.18%
FHA MIP · $50
$7,358
580
Conventional, 5% down
$946
$5,660
$107,540
7.18%
PMI · $54
$9,056
620*
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI
$778
$22,640
$90,560
7.18%
None
$26,036
620*
ITIN, 15% down (example)
$882
$16,980
$96,220
8.18%
None
$20,376
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 Rio Grande City is $767 a month: 6% above the county. In Rio Grande City, 53% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Starr County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,014 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $19.50 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 Starr County (Fiscal year 2027)
Size
Fair rent a month
Hourly wage
Yearly income
Studio
$771
$14.83
$30,840
1 bedroom
$775
$14.90
$31,000
2 bedrooms
$1,014
$19.50
$40,560
3 bedrooms
$1,404
$27.00
$56,160
4 bedrooms
$1,471
$28.29
$58,840
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 Rio Grande City
HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Rio Grande City is in ZIP code 78582.
For 2 bedrooms it is $1,030: $16 more than the fair market rent for Starr County ($1,014).
Fair market rent by ZIP code and size in Rio Grande City, fiscal year 2027.
ZIP code
Studio
1 bd
2 bd
3 bd
4 bd
78582
$780
$790
$1,030
$1,430
$1,490
ZIP code2 bd3 bd
78582 $1,030$1,430
1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Rio Grande City 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)
HUD lists 5 buildings with rents for lower incomes in Rio Grande City. These are the largest.
La Esperanza del Rio315 Butterfly Garden Dr, Rio Grande City 7858260 homes, 50 low-income · In service since 2015
Nixon Apts204 E Nixon St, Rio Grande City 7858244 low-income homes · Run by Starr County Housing Authority · Average payment: $305 a month · Average wait: 12 months(956) 487-3216
Villa Vallarta600 N Fairgrounds Rd, Rio Grande City 7858240 low-income homes · 1 bd: 36 · 2 bd: 4 · In service since 1995 · For older adults, people with disabilities, families, people experiencing homelessness
Charco Blanco1988 Charco Blanco Rd, Rio Grande City 7858234 low-income homes · Run by Starr County Housing Authority · Average payment: $366 a month · Average wait: 24 months(956) 487-3216
Villa de Escandon Apts212 Frank Doyno St, Rio Grande City 7858224 low-income homes · In service since 2004 · For older adults
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 Starr 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 Rio Grande City or Starr County. The ones below are statewide in Texas: they work in Rio Grande City 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).
The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of Rio Grande City, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.
No legal help resource on our list is for Rio Grande City or Starr 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 Rio Grande City and all of Starr 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 Rio Grande City?
The typical home value in Rio Grande City is $113,200, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Starr County it is $95,100.
How much does it cost to rent in Rio Grande City?
Typical rent in Rio Grande City is $767 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Starr County is $1,014.
What is the FHA loan limit in Rio Grande City?
Rio Grande City uses the FHA limit for all of Starr 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 Rio Grande City?
The typical homeowner in Rio Grande City pays $1,404 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.24% of the home’s value; in Starr County, the rate is 1.14%.
Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Rio Grande City?
We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Starr County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.
