Cost of living in Port Arthur, TX
Port Arthur is cheap by Texas standards. Median rent is $1,021 a month, 27% lower than the Texas median of $1,403, and the median home is worth $107,400, 62% lower than the Texas median of $283,800.
Cost of living79 of 100. Higher means more affordable.
Overall grade for Port Arthur: F
- Median rent
- $1,021Texas $1,403
- 2-bedroom fair rent
- $1,218HUD FY2027
- Median home value
- $107,400Texas $283,800
- Monthly cost to buy
- $715Loan and property tax
- Property tax
- $1,521Median per year
- Income to rent
- $41,000At 30% of pay
Is Port Arthur expensive?
Prices only tell half the story. The typical household here earns $46,354, so the median home costs 2.3 times a year of income, against 3.6 times across Texas and 4.1 times across the US. So for people who earn local wages, homes here are easier to afford than in most of Texas.
Our cost of living grade for Port Arthur is B+ (79 of 100), comparing it with US cities of 50,000+ people. A higher grade means more affordable.
| Measure | Here | Texas | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent27% lower than Texas | $1,021 | $1,403 | $1,413 |
| Median home value62% lower than Texas | $107,400 | $283,800 | $332,700 |
| Home value to income36% lower than Texas | 2.3x | 3.6x | 4.1x |
| Median household income41% lower than Texas | $46,354 | $78,476 | $80,734 |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent6 points higher than Texas | 58% | 52% | 51% |
| Median property tax per year64% lower than Texas | $1,521 | $4,232 | $3,119 |
Rent in Port Arthur
HUD's fair market rents for Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX MSA run from $980 for a studio to $1,944 for 4 bedrooms. A two-bedroom is $1,218 a month, which takes an income of about $49,000 a year to stay at 30% of pay. HUD figures include utilities and describe a typical, modest unit.
58% of renters in Port Arthur already spend 30% or more of their income on rent, against 52% across Texas.
Income you need to rent
| Unit | Rent | Yearly income at 30% |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $980 | $39,000 |
| 1 bedroom | $986 | $39,000 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,218 | $49,000 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,588 | $64,000 |
| 4 bedrooms | $1,944 | $78,000 |
Buying a home in Port Arthur
Buying the median $107,400 home with 20% down ($21,480) and a 30-year loan at 7.28% costs about $588 a month for the loan plus $127 a month in property tax, $715 in all. Homeowners insurance, HOA dues and upkeep come on top.
That is close to the median rent, so if you plan to stay a few years, buying can cost about the same each month while building equity.
Taxes
Texas has no state income tax, which helps take-home pay. The trade-off is high property tax, set by the county, city, school district and other local bodies.
The median homeowner in Port Arthur pays $1,521 a year in property tax, 64% lower than the Texas median of $4,232 and 51% lower than the US median. Sales tax in most of Texas tops out at 8.25%.
Monthly cost to buy a median home
- Mortgage payment
- $588
- Property tax
- $127
- Median rent, for comparison
- $1,021
Based on a $107,400 home in Port Arthur, 20% down and a 30-year loan at 7.28% (Freddie Mac average, week of 2026-10-01). Property tax is the median paid locally, or the county median where the local figure is not published. Insurance and fees are not included.
Port Arthur cost of living compared with nearby cities
Census medians. Cost grade compares each place with US places of its own size.
| Place | Distance | Median rent | Median home | Household income | Cost grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Arthur | $1,021 | $107,400 | $46,354 | B+ | |
| Groves | 6 mi | $1,286 | $163,600 | $73,710 | A |
| Port Neches | 8 mi | $1,095 | $253,200 | $81,637 | A |
| Nederland | 10 mi | $1,400 | $208,300 | $77,570 | B |
| Central Gardens | 11 mi | $793 | $216,700 | $83,750 | A- |
| Bridge City | 13 mi | $1,431 | $202,800 | $88,958 | C |
What these numbers leave out
We only show costs we can source for Port Arthur itself: rent, home prices, property tax and incomes from the Census Bureau, fair market rents from HUD, and a mortgage payment at the current Freddie Mac average rate. Groceries, utilities, car insurance and health care are not included, because no public source publishes them city by city in Texas.
Cost of living in Port Arthur: common questions
Is Port Arthur, TX expensive to live in?
Port Arthur is cheap by Texas standards. Median rent is $1,021 a month, 27% lower than the Texas median of $1,403, and the median home is worth $107,400, 62% lower than the Texas median of $283,800. Prices only tell half the story. The typical household here earns $46,354, so the median home costs 2.3 times a year of income, against 3.6 times across Texas and 4.1 times across the US. So for people who earn local wages, homes here are easier to afford than in most of Texas.
How much do you need to earn to live in Port Arthur?
To rent a median home at $1,021 a month and keep rent at 30% of income, you need about $41,000 a year. To buy the median home, the monthly cost is about $715, which takes around $29,000 a year by the same rule.
What is the average rent in Port Arthur?
The median rent across all units is $1,021 a month (Census). HUD's fair market rent is $980 for a studio, $986 for 1 bedroom, $1,218 for 2 bedrooms, $1,588 for 3 bedrooms, $1,944 for 4 bedrooms.
How much is property tax in Port Arthur?
The median homeowner in Port Arthur pays $1,521 a year in property tax, 64% lower than the Texas median of $4,232 and 51% lower than the US median. Sales tax in most of Texas tops out at 8.25%.
Sources: US Census Bureau 2020-2024 ACS 5-year, HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027, Freddie Mac PMMS (week of 2026-10-01). Updated 2026-10-04.