In Rusk, a typical home is worth $157,400. Compared with all of Cherokee County, typical household income is 13% lower, the typical home value is 7% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 10 points lower.
Typical home value from Zillow, September 2021 to September 2026: from $178,205 to $209,592.
From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).
Rusk is in Cherokee 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 Cherokee County. See the county
What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.
1
Rusk has the smallest share of rent-burdened renters of the 356 cities in Texas with more than 5,000 people: 21%.
2
Nearby, in Jacksonville, the typical home value is $119,800: 24% less than in Rusk ($157,400).
3
64% of households in Rusk own their home, against 74% in Cherokee County.
4
24% of households in Rusk have no internet at home (14% in Cherokee County).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).
The homes here
Housing in Rusk
What homes there are in Rusk, 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
Rusk
Cherokee County
Texas
United States
Kind of home: Rusk and its comparisons
Measure
Rusk
Cherokee County
Texas
United States
Detached house
74%
71%
64%
61%
Attached house
Unreliable estimate
1%
3%
6%
Building of 2 to 4
Unreliable estimate
4%
5%
8%
Apartments (5 or more)
Unreliable estimate
4%
21%
19%
Mobile home
Unreliable estimate
19%
6%
6%
Boat, RV and other
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
0%
0%
The detached house rules in Rusk: 74% of homes, more than in Cherokee County (71%).
Year built
Before 19601960–19791980–19992000–20092010 or laterUnreliable estimate
Rusk
Cherokee County
Texas
United States
Year built: Rusk and its comparisons
Measure
Rusk
Cherokee County
Texas
United States
Before 1960
16%
18%
12%
26%
1960–1979
32%
20%
21%
24%
1980–1999
33%
31%
28%
25%
2000–2009
Unreliable estimate
18%
18%
14%
2010 or later
Unreliable estimate
14%
21%
11%
What it costs here
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Value of owner-occupied homes
Unreliable estimate
Under $100K43%
$100K–$200K23%
$200K–$300KUnreliable
$300K–$500KUnreliable
$500K–$750KUnreliable
$750K–$1MUnreliable
$1M or moreUnreliable
Value of owner-occupied homes: Rusk and its comparisons
Measure
Rusk
Under $100K
43%
$100K–$200K
23%
$200K–$300K
Unreliable estimate
$300K–$500K
Unreliable estimate
$500K–$750K
Unreliable estimate
$750K–$1M
Unreliable estimate
$1M or more
Unreliable
Monthly rent with utilities
Unreliable estimate
Under $500Unreliable
$500–$999Unreliable
$1,000–$1,499Unreliable
$1,500–$1,999Unreliable
$2,000–$2,499Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999Unreliable
$3,000 or moreUnreliable
Monthly rent with utilities: Rusk and its comparisons
Measure
Rusk
Under $500
Unreliable estimate
$500–$999
Unreliable estimate
$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
$1,449 a month
Cherokee County: $1,593 a month
Without a mortgage
$453 a month
Cherokee County: $523 a month
Owners with a mortgage
43%
Cherokee County: 38%
Owning costs less in Rusk: with a mortgage, the typical cost is $1,449 a month; in Cherokee County, $1,593. Without one, $453.
How it changed
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Change since 2015–2019
Typical home value
Rusk+87%
Cherokee County+65%
Texas+65%
United States+53%
Typical rent
RuskUnreliable
Cherokee County+28%
Texas+34%
United States+33%
Typical household income
RuskNo clear change
Cherokee County+27%
Texas+27%
United States+29%
Change since 2015–2019: Rusk and its comparisons
Measure
Rusk
Cherokee County
Texas
United States
Typical home value
+87%
+65%
+65%
+53%
Typical rent
Unreliable estimate
+28%
+34%
+33%
Typical household income
No clear change
+27%
+27%
+29%
From 2015–2019 to 2020–2024, the typical home value in Rusk rose 87%; in Cherokee County, it rose 65%.
How people live
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
How people live: Rusk and its comparisons
Measure
Rusk
Cherokee County
Texas
United States
Rental vacancy
Unreliable estimate
8.9%
7.7%
5.5%
Homeowner vacancy
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
1.1%
0.9%
More than one person per room
Unreliable estimate
5.1%
4.8%
3.4%
People per household
2.63
2.68
2.69
2.53
Drive alone
65%
74%
71%
69%
Carpool
Unreliable estimate
12%
10%
9%
Public transit
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
1%
3%
Walk or bike
Unreliable estimate
2%
2%
3%
Work from home
Unreliable estimate
11%
14%
15%
Other means
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
2%
2%
Typical commute
Unreliable estimate
Unreliable estimate
20 to 29 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
Much as in Cherokee County, a household in Rusk has 2.63 people on average.
In Rusk, 65% of workers drive alone to work; in Cherokee County, 74%.
Do the math
What would you pay each month for a home in Rusk?
A typical home is tight for the typical income
We start with a typical home in Rusk, worth $157,400, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 30% of the typical household income in Rusk, which is $53,438 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $56,848 a year.
The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Cherokee 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 Rusk. 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 $5,509 (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
$1,326
at 7.18% · 30 years
Loan amount
$154,549
Total interest
$222,360
Paid off in
November 2056
Includes $2,658 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.
Does it fit the income?
Comfortable
up to $1,247 a month
Tight
$1,247 to $1,603 a month
Your payment · 30%
Hard
more than $1,603 a month
Compared with the typical household income in Rusk ($53,438 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.
Monthly payment breakdown
Principal & interest
$1,047
Property tax
$144
Home insurance
$66
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)
$70
You need at least $5,509 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 $1,326; principal and interest $1,047.
The city and its county
Rusk and Cherokee County
Rusk is in Cherokee 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).
Rusk
Map of Cherokee County, Texas, with Rusk marked. Around it, the neighboring counties.
Rusk
Cherokee County
Other cities with a page
Rusk's own numbers
Typical home value
$157,400
Typical yearly household income
$53,438
Households that own their home
64%
Effective property tax rate
1.1%
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).
Numbers for all of Cherokee County
FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,062
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+53%
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 Cherokee County.
A typical home in Rusk is worth $157,400: 7% below the county and 45% below Texas. With the typical household income in Rusk ($53,438 a year), a typical home costs 2.9 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.
Rusk2.9 years
Cherokee2.8 years
Texas3.6 years
United States4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024
How prices have changed in Cherokee County
According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Cherokee County rose 97% in the 10 years through 2025.
FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Cherokee County.
Yearly change in FHFA’s price index in Cherokee County, 2016 to 2025
2016: +6.6% +6.6% 2016
2017: +5.3% +5.3% 2017
2018: +2.9% +2.9% 2018
2019: +7.4% +7.4% 2019
2020: +4.3% +4.3% 2020
2021: +11.0% +11.0% 2021
2022: +19.6% +19.6% 2022
2023: +9.4% +9.4% 2023
2024: +0.1% +0.1% 2024
2025: +5.0% +5.0% 2025
Change in FHFA’s price index in Cherokee County, Texas and the United States
Period
County
Texas
U.S.
Last year (2025)
+5.0%
+0.8%
+2.9%
5 years (2020–2025)
+53%
+44%
+47%
10 years (2015–2025)
+97%
+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
Rusk next to Cherokee 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
Rusk$157,400
Cherokee$169,300
Texas$283,800
United States$332,700
Typical yearly household income
Rusk$53,438
Cherokee$61,261
Texas$78,476
United States$80,734
See the full table
Rusk next to Cherokee County and Texas
Measure
Rusk
Cherokee County
Texas
U.S.
Typical home value
$157,400 ▼7% below the county
$169,300
$283,800
$332,700
Typical yearly household income
$53,438 ▼13% below the county
$61,261
$78,476
$80,734
Households that own their home
64% ▼10 points below the county
74%
63%
65%
Typical yearly property tax
$1,725 ▼12% below the county
$1,963
$4,232
$3,119
Effective property tax rate
1.1% ▼0.06 points below the county
1.16%
1.49%
0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income
21% ▼20 points below the county
41%
52%
51%
“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Cherokee 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 Rusk
For a typical $157,400 home in Rusk, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Rusk's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.
FHA, 3.5% down$1,326a month
Least cash to close
Down payment
$5,509
Cash to close
$10,231
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
FHA MIP · $70
Conventional, 5% down$1,298a month
Down payment
$7,870
Cash to close
$12,592
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
PMI · $75
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI$1,063a month
Down payment
$31,480
Cash to close
$36,202
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
ITIN, 15% down (example)$1,208a month
Down payment
$23,610
Cash to close
$28,332
Rate
8.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Rusk
Loan
Monthly payment
Down payment
Loan amount
Rate
Mortgage insurance
Cash to close
Minimum score
FHA, 3.5% down Least cash to close
$1,326
$5,509
$154,549
7.18%
FHA MIP · $70
$10,231
580
Conventional, 5% down
$1,298
$7,870
$149,530
7.18%
PMI · $75
$12,592
620*
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI
$1,063
$31,480
$125,920
7.18%
None
$36,202
620*
ITIN, 15% down (example)
$1,208
$23,610
$133,790
8.18%
None
$28,332
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.
The Census Bureau publishes no typical rent for Rusk. Below are the fair market rents for Cherokee County. In Rusk, 21% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Cherokee County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,062 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $20.42 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 Cherokee County (Fiscal year 2027)
Size
Fair rent a month
Hourly wage
Yearly income
Studio
$807
$15.52
$32,280
1 bedroom
$812
$15.62
$32,480
2 bedrooms
$1,062
$20.42
$42,480
3 bedrooms
$1,351
$25.98
$54,040
4 bedrooms
$1,530
$29.42
$61,200
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 Rusk
HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Rusk is in ZIP code 75785.
For 2 bedrooms it is $1,090: $28 more than the fair market rent for Cherokee County ($1,062).
Fair market rent by ZIP code and size in Rusk, fiscal year 2027.
ZIP code
Studio
1 bd
2 bd
3 bd
4 bd
75785
$830
$830
$1,090
$1,390
$1,570
ZIP code2 bd3 bd
75785 $1,090$1,390
1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Rusk 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 Cherokee 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 Rusk or Cherokee County. The ones below are statewide in Texas: they work in Rusk 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 Rusk or Cherokee 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 Rusk and all of Cherokee 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 Rusk?
The typical home value in Rusk is $157,400, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Cherokee County it is $169,300.
What is the FHA loan limit in Rusk?
Rusk uses the FHA limit for all of Cherokee 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 Rusk?
The typical homeowner in Rusk pays $1,725 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.1% of the home’s value; in Cherokee County, the rate is 1.16%.
Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Rusk?
We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Cherokee County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.
