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City · 13,523 residents · Travis County, Texas

Wells Branch , Texas

In Wells Branch, a typical home is worth $401,100 and typical rent is $1,544 a month. Compared with all of Travis County, typical household income is 33% lower, the typical home value is 23% lower, and the share of households that own their home is 21 points lower.

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  • Typical home value

    $401,100

    23% below the county

    41% above Texas

    • Wells Branch
    • Travis
    • Texas

  • Typical rent

    $1,544a month

    11% below the county

    10% above Texas

    • Wells Branch
    • Travis
    • Texas

  • Typical household income

    $66,656a year

    33% below the county

    15% below Texas

    • Wells Branch
    • Travis
    • Texas

  • Households that own their home

    31%

    21 points below the county

    31 points below Texas

    • Wells Branch
    • Travis
    • Texas

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

Wells Branch is in Travis County. The FHA loan limit ($571,550 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Travis County. See the county

Data updated: October 1, 2026 11 official sources

Only here

What sets Wells Branch apart

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

  1. Wells Branch has the 5th lowest homeownership rate of the 426 cities in Texas with more than 5,000 people (31%).

  2. The typical household income in Wells Branch is $66,656, 33% less than in Travis County as a whole ($99,611).

  3. The typical home in Wells Branch is worth $401,100, 23% less than in Travis County as a whole ($523,000).

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

The homes here

Housing in Wells Branch

What homes there are in Wells Branch, 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

There are more apartments in Wells Branch than in Travis County: 60% of homes, against 35%.

Year built

In Wells Branch, half of the homes were built before 1992; in Travis County, before 1999.

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
Monthly rent with utilities

With a mortgage

$2,182 a month

Travis County: $2,634 a month

Without a mortgage

$854 a month

Travis County: $1,019 a month

Owners with a mortgage

75%

Travis County: 67%

Owning costs less in Wells Branch: with a mortgage, the typical cost is $2,182 a month; in Travis County, $2,634. Without one, $854.

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

From 2015–2019 to 2020–2024, home values in Wells Branch rose at about the same pace as in Travis County: 63% against 61%.

The typical rent in Wells Branch rose 34% since 2015–2019, about the same as in Travis County (35%).

The typical household income in Wells Branch rose 23%: less than home values (+63%) and rent (+34%).

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

MeasureWells BranchTravis CountyTexasUnited States
Rental vacancy 5.7%4.6%7.7%5.5%
Homeowner vacancy Unreliable estimate0.8%1.1%0.9%
More than one person per room 5.0%3.8%4.8%3.4%
People per household 1.912.232.692.53
Drive alone 66%57%71%69%
Carpool 7%7%10%9%
Public transit Unreliable estimate2%1%3%
Walk or bike Unreliable estimate3%2%3%
Work from home 26%30%14%15%
Other means Unreliable estimate2%2%2%
Typical commute Unreliable estimate20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes20 to 29 minutes

In Wells Branch, the rental vacancy rate is 5.7%; in Travis County, 4.6%.

In Wells Branch, 5.0% of households live with more than one person per room, against 3.8% in Travis County.

Fewer people live in each home here: 1.91 on average, against 2.23 in Travis County.

To get to work, 66% of workers in Wells Branch drive alone; in Travis County, 57%.

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 Wells Branch?

A typical home costs more than the typical income allows

We start with a typical home in Wells Branch, worth $401,100, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 63% of the typical household income in Wells Branch, which is $66,656 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $150,165 a year.

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

Your numbers

Local data
$

Starts at the typical home value in Wells Branch. 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 $14,039 (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

$3,504

at 7.18% · 30 years

Loan amount
$393,835
Total interest
$566,636
Paid off in
November 2056

Includes $6,774 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.

Does it fit the income?

  • Comfortable

    up to $1,555 a month

  • Tight

    $1,555 to $2,000 a month

  • Hard

    more than $2,000 a month

    Your payment · 63%

Compared with the typical household income in Wells Branch ($66,656 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.

Show the result as
per month$3,504
Principal & interest$2,668
Property tax$491
Home insurance$167
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)$177

You need at least $14,039 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

Wells Branch and Travis County

Wells Branch is in Travis 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).

Wells Branch's own numbers

Typical home value
$401,100
Typical monthly rent
$1,544
Typical yearly household income
$66,656
Households that own their home
31%
Effective property tax rate
1.47%

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

Numbers for all of Travis County

FHA limit, one-unit home
$571,550
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,817
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+32%
Homes in a high flood-risk zone
2%

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 Travis County.

Everything about Travis County

Buying

Buying a home in Wells Branch

A typical home in Wells Branch is worth $401,100: 23% below the county and 41% above Texas. With the typical household income in Wells Branch ($66,656 a year), a typical home costs 6.0 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.

  • Wells Branch 6.0 years
  • Travis 5.3 years
  • Texas 3.6 years
  • United States 4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024

How prices have changed in Travis County

According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Travis County rose 83% in the 10 years through 2025.

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

Period County Texas U.S.
Last year (2025) −1.7% +0.8% +2.9%
5 years (2020–2025) +32% +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

Wells Branch next to Travis 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
  • Wells Branch $401,100
  • Travis $523,000
  • Texas $283,800
  • United States $332,700
Typical monthly rent
  • Wells Branch $1,544
  • Travis $1,744
  • Texas $1,403
  • United States $1,413
Typical yearly household income
  • Wells Branch $66,656
  • Travis $99,611
  • Texas $78,476
  • United States $80,734
See the full table
Wells Branch next to Travis County and Texas
Measure Wells Branch Travis County Texas U.S.
Typical home value $401,100 $523,000 $283,800 $332,700
Typical monthly rent $1,544 $1,744 $1,403 $1,413
Typical yearly household income $66,656 $99,611 $78,476 $80,734
Households that own their home 31% 52% 63% 65%
Typical yearly property tax $5,916 $7,727 $4,232 $3,119
Effective property tax rate 1.47% 1.48% 1.49% 0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income 54% 48% 52% 51%

“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Travis 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 Wells Branch

For a typical $401,100 home in Wells Branch, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Wells Branch's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.

  • FHA, 3.5% down $3,504a month

    Least cash to close
    Down payment
    $14,039
    Cash to close
    $26,072
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    FHA MIP · $177

  • Conventional, 5% down $3,430a month

    Down payment
    $20,055
    Cash to close
    $32,088
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    PMI · $191

  • Conventional, 20% down, no PMI $2,832a month

    Down payment
    $80,220
    Cash to close
    $92,253
    Rate
    7.18%
    Mortgage insurance
    None

  • ITIN, 15% down (example) $3,203a month

    Down payment
    $60,165
    Cash to close
    $72,198
    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 Wells Branch and for Travis County.

Property tax

Effective rate in Wells Branch

1.47%of the home’s value each year

$5,916 a year for the typical owner in Wells Branch.

  • Wells Branch 1.47%
  • Travis 1.48%
  • Texas 1.49%

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

Exemptions and deadlines in Texas

Flood risk in Travis County

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

Homes in the high-risk zone
2%
6,184
Of those, with NFIP insurance
53%
County Texas U.S.
Homes in the high-risk zone 2% 4.1% 3.5%
Of those, with NFIP insurance 53% 48% 48%

Most homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage.

Look up your address on FEMA’s map

Renting

Renting in Wells Branch

Typical rent in Wells Branch is $1,544 a month: 11% below the county. In Wells Branch, 54% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.

HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Travis County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,817 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $34.94 an hour working full time.

HUD fair market rent for all of Travis 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 $1,447 $27.83 $57,880
1 bedroom $1,530 $29.42 $61,200
2 bedrooms $1,817 $34.94 $72,680
3 bedrooms $2,292 $44.08 $91,680
4 bedrooms $2,689 $51.71 $107,560

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 Wells Branch

HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Wells Branch is in ZIP code 78728.

For 2 bedrooms it is $1,750: $67 less than the fair market rent for Travis County ($1,817).

  • 78728 $1,750$2,210

1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Wells Branch 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 Wells Branch

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.

There are 3 HUD-approved agencies with an office in Travis County; 3 say they serve in Spanish.

A grandmother smiles, seated at home.

HUD counseling is free or low-cost

Assistance programs in Wells Branch

No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Wells Branch or Travis County. The ones below are statewide in Texas: they work in Wells Branch 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 Wells Branch

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

  • Frameworks Community Development Corporation

    2200 E Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Austin · 11 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Workshops for new owners
    • and 2 more
    (512) 385-1500

  • BCL of Texas (business and Community Lenders)

    1011 San Jacinto Blvd Ste 500, Austin · 12 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 3 more
    (512) 912-9884

  • Austin Habitat for Humanity

    500 W Ben White Blvd, Austin · 16 miles away · Spanish

    • Mortgage delinquency and default
    • Budget and financial counseling
    • and 4 more
    512-472-8788x122

Every agency in Travis County All counseling agencies in Texas

Help in Spanish near Wells Branch

3 of the 3 agencies on this list say they serve 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 Wells Branch

HUD’s record names them for Wells Branch or Travis County. They run public housing or Section 8 vouchers. Ask whether their waiting list is open.

  • Housing Authority of Travis County Section 8 vouchers (512) 854-8245

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

Cities

Other cities in Travis County

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

Everything about Travis County Housing in Texas

Nearby cities

The cities closest to Wells Branch, with the typical home value.

Neighboring counties

If Travis 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 Wells Branch.

All guides
A smiling girl holds up a small mushroom she found on a forest outing.

Questions

Housing questions about Wells Branch

Short answers with the numbers for Wells Branch and all of Travis 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 Wells Branch?

The typical home value in Wells Branch is $401,100, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Travis County it is $523,000.

How much does it cost to rent in Wells Branch?

Typical rent in Wells Branch is $1,544 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Travis County is $1,817.

What is the FHA loan limit in Wells Branch?

Wells Branch uses the FHA limit for all of Travis County (2026): $571,550 for a one-unit home and $1,099,150 for a four-unit home.

How much property tax do owners pay in Wells Branch?

The typical homeowner in Wells Branch pays $5,916 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.47% of the home’s value; in Travis County, the rate is 1.48%.

Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Wells Branch?

There are 3 HUD-approved counseling agencies with an office in Travis County. 3 say they serve in Spanish. 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).