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City · 6,458 residents · Galveston County, Texas

San Leon , Texas

In San Leon, a typical home is worth $183,100 and typical rent is $989 a month. Compared with all of Galveston County, the typical home value is 42% lower, typical rent is 30% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 20 points higher.

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  • Typical home value

    $183,100

    42% below the county

    35% below Texas

    • San Leon
    • Galveston
    • Texas

  • Typical rent

    $989a month

    30% below the county

    30% below Texas

    • San Leon
    • Galveston
    • Texas

  • Typical household income

    $75,446a year

    12% below the county

    4% below Texas

    • San Leon
    • Galveston
    • Texas

  • Households that own their home

    88%

    20 points above the county

    25 points above Texas

    • San Leon
    • Galveston
    • Texas

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

Market now, with Zillow data

Zillow data
Typical home value
$241,606
2.4% less than 12 months ago

From Zillow (ZHVI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).

San Leon is in Galveston 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 Galveston County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets San Leon apart

What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.

  1. San Leon has the 12th largest share of rent-burdened renters of the 356 cities in Texas with more than 5,000 people (74%).

  2. 88% of households in San Leon own their home, against 68% in Galveston County.

  3. The typical home in San Leon is worth $183,100, 42% less than in Galveston County as a whole ($314,600).

  4. The typical rent in San Leon is $989 a month, 30% less than in Galveston County as a whole ($1,404).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).

The homes here

Housing in San Leon

What homes there are in San Leon, 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

The detached house is still the most common home in San Leon, but it weighs less than in Galveston County: 59% against 72%.

There are more mobile homes here than in Galveston County: 34% of homes, against 4%.

Year built

Homes in San Leon are newer: the typical year built is 2001; in Galveston County, 1990.

All homes, occupied or empty. A figure the Census cannot measure precisely enough here is not shown.

Census tables: B25024, B25034, B25035, B25041

What it costs here

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

Value of owner-occupied homes

The FHA limit for Galveston County is high ($541,287): at least 91% of owner-occupied homes in San Leon are worth less than $500,000.

Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$1,983 a month

Galveston County: $2,245 a month

Without a mortgage

$610 a month

Galveston County: $824 a month

Owners with a mortgage

43%

Galveston County: 57%

The typical cost for an owner with a mortgage in San Leon is $1,983 a month, less than in Galveston County ($2,245); without one, $610.

Value: what owners think their home is worth. Rent: rent plus utilities, for homes of every size. The FHA limit is the most an FHA loan (Federal Housing Administration) lends for a one-unit home; the fair market rent (FMR) is the one HUD uses for housing vouchers.

Census tables: B25075, B25063, B25088, B25081

How it changed

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

Change since 2015–2019

Since 2015–2019, the typical rent in San Leon did not change clearly, according to the Census.

Change between two 5-year periods that do not overlap, in each period's dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

Census tables: B25077, B25064, B19013

How people live

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024

MeasureSan LeonGalveston CountyTexasUnited States
Rental vacancy Unreliable estimate8.9%7.7%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate1.5%1.1%0.9%
More than one person per room Unreliable estimate3.1%4.8%3.4%
People per household 2.432.512.692.53
Drive alone 63%77%71%69%
Carpool 23%7%10%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate1%1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate2%2%3%
Work from home Unreliable estimate12%14%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate1%2%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

By size, households in San Leon look like those in Galveston County: 2.43 people on average.

Carpooling is common in San Leon: 23% of workers get to work that way, against 7% in Galveston County.

Vacancy: empty homes offered for rent or for sale. Rooms: every room in the home, not only bedrooms. Commute: the minute range of the typical worker.

Census tables: B25004, B25003, B25014, B25010, B08301, B08303

Do the math

What would you pay each month for a home in San Leon?

A typical home is within reach of the typical income

We start with a typical home in San Leon, worth $183,100, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 22% of the typical household income in San Leon, which is $75,446 a year.

The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Galveston County.

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in San Leon. Change it to the price you have in mind.

Loan type
Your credit score

Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.

Down payment
%

That is $6,409 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.

This week's average ± a quarter or half point.

Term

National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.

Adjust advanced details

Estimated monthly payment

Local data

$1,590

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$179,783
Total interest
$258,666
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $3,092 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,760 a month

    Your payment · 25%

  • Tight

    $1,760 to $2,263 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,263 a month

Compared with the typical household income in San Leon ($75,446 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$1,590
Principal & interest$1,218
Property tax$215
Home insurance$76
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$81

You need at least $6,409 for the down payment, plus closing costs.

Next step

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.

The city and its county

San Leon and Galveston County

San Leon is in Galveston 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).

San Leon's own numbers

Typical home value
$183,100
Typical monthly rent
$989
Typical yearly household income
$75,446
Households that own their home
88%

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).

Numbers for all of Galveston County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,497
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+43%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
35%

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 Galveston County.

Everything about Galveston County

Buying

Buying a home in San Leon

A typical home in San Leon is worth $183,100: 42% below the county and 35% below Texas. With the typical household income in San Leon ($75,446 a year), a typical home costs 2.4 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.

  • San Leon 2.4 years
  • Galveston 3.7 years
  • Texas 3.6 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Galveston County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Galveston County rose 93% in the 10 years through 2025.

FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Galveston County.

Period County Texas U.S.
Last year (2025) +1.7% +0.8% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +43% +44% +47%
10 years (2015–2025) +93% +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

San Leon next to Galveston 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
  • San Leon $183,100
  • Galveston $314,600
  • Texas $283,800
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • San Leon $989
  • Galveston $1,404
  • Texas $1,403
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • San Leon $75,446
  • Galveston $86,105
  • Texas $78,476
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
San Leon next to Galveston County and Texas
Measure San Leon Galveston County Texas U.S.
Typical home value $183,100 $314,600 $283,800 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $989 $1,404 $1,403 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $75,446 $86,105 $78,476 $80,734
Households that own their home 88% 68% 63% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $1,875 $4,442 $4,232 $3,119
Renters with high rent for their income 74% 55% 52% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Galveston 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 San Leon

For a typical $183,100 home in San Leon, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies. It leaves out property tax because the Census Bureau doesn't publish San Leon's rate.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $1,375a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $6,409
    Cash to close
    $11,902
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $81

  • Conventional, 5% down $1,342a month

    Down payment
    $9,155
    Cash to close
    $14,648
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $87

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $1,069a month

    Down payment
    $36,620
    Cash to close
    $42,113
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $1,238a month

    Down payment
    $27,465
    Cash to close
    $32,958
    Rate
    8.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

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.

How much house can I afford? Estimate closing costs

Taxes and floods

Two costs that change from place to place

Property tax and flood insurance raise or lower what you pay each month. Here are the numbers for San Leon and for Galveston County.

Property tax

Data not available for this place

What Texas publishes School-district homestead exemption (Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts)

Exemptions and deadlines in Texas

Flood risk in Galveston County

FEMA does not publish these numbers by city: they are for all of Galveston County.

Homes in the high-risk zone
35%
43,982
Of those, with NFIP insurance
66%
County Texas U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 35% 4.1% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 66% 48% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in San Leon

Typical rent in San Leon is $989 a month: 30% below the county. In San Leon, 74% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Galveston County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,497 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $28.79 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Galveston County

What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.

Size Fair rent a month Hourly wage Yearly income
Studio $1,233 $23.71 $49,320
1 bedroom $1,261 $24.25 $50,440
2 bedrooms $1,497 $28.79 $59,880
3 bedrooms $2,017 $38.79 $80,680
4 bedrooms $2,502 $48.12 $100,080

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 San Leon

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). San Leon is in ZIP code 77539.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,520: $23 more than the fair market rent for Galveston County ($1,497).

  • 77539 $1,520$2,050

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for San Leon 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 2027 Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file Data from 2020 data Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file

Is your rent high for your ZIP?

Free help

Help to buy or rent in San Leon

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 Galveston County. The nearest ones are below; many serve by phone or online.

A grandmother smiles, seated at home.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in San Leon

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for San Leon or Galveston County. The ones below are statewide in Texas: they work in San Leon the same as in the rest of the state.

Which programs do I qualify for? All programs in Texas

  • My First Texas Home

    Statewide in Texas

    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).

    DeferredForgivable

    See the program Official page

  • My Choice Texas Home

    Statewide in Texas

    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).

    DeferredForgivable

    See the program Official page

  • Texas Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC)

    Statewide in Texas

    Limited funds remain, per the source

    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).

    Tax credit

    See the program Official page

Housing counselors near San Leon

The HUD-approved agencies closest to the center of San Leon, in a straight line, nearest first. If one says it serves in Spanish, its card says so.

  • Keystone Community Development Corporation

    309 W X St, Deer Park · 18 miles away

    • Budget and financial counseling
    • Pre-purchase counseling
    • and 1 more
    (281) 476-3592

  • Tejano Center for Community Concerns

    1062 Fairmont Pkwy, Pasadena · 19 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 2 more
    (713) 640-3743

  • Houston Area Urban League

    5260 Griggs Rd, Houston · 28 miles away

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Mortgage delinquency workshops
    • and 8 more
    (713) 393-8700

All counseling agencies in Texas

Help in Spanish near San Leon

1 of the 3 agencies on this list says it serves in Spanish.

Ask for service in Spanish

When you call, say “Spanish, please” or ask if someone speaks Spanish. If not, ask whether they offer an interpreter.

Housing authorities of San Leon

In HUD’s record, no housing authority with an office in Galveston County is named for San Leon or Galveston County.

2 other authorities have an office in Galveston County: see the list Source: HUD

Cities

Other cities in Galveston County

These cities are also in Galveston County. They share its loan limits and fair market rents, but home values and rent change from one to the next.

Everything about Galveston County Housing in Texas

Nearby cities

The cities closest to San Leon, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Galveston County is out of reach, look next door. Each number is that county's own.

Keep going

Guides for your next step

Short explanations, in plain language and with official sources, for buying or renting in San Leon.

All guides
A family walks a boardwalk trail in the forest; one of them uses a wheelchair.

Questions

Housing questions about San Leon

Short answers with the numbers for San Leon and all of Galveston 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 San Leon?

The typical home value in San Leon is $183,100, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Galveston County it is $314,600.

How much does it cost to rent in San Leon?

Typical rent in San Leon is $989 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Galveston County is $1,497.

What is the FHA loan limit in San Leon?

San Leon uses the FHA limit for all of Galveston 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 San Leon?

The typical homeowner in San Leon pays $1,875 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is Data not available for this place of the home’s value; in Galveston County, the rate is 1.41%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in San Leon?

We found no HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Galveston County; the nearest ones are on this page. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.

Sources: American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates (Average 2020–2024); FHA mortgage limits (HUD) (2026 data); Conforming loan limits (FHFA) (2026 data); Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (Fiscal year 2027); Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (2020 data); HUD-approved housing counseling agencies (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Public Housing Agencies (HUD) (Retrieved November 6, 2026); Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS) (As of November 5, 2026); FHFA House Price Index (HPI) (2025 data); Homes with flood insurance (NFIP, FEMA) (As of August 3, 2026).