2023 Report: Cities in Texas where Household Expenses are Highest and Lowest
How much do Texans pay on living expenses in comparison to residents of other states? doxo breaks down key insights about Texas household bills, with a close eye to how expenses differ in towns and cities across the state. For example the average household in Texas, doxo’s data reveals, pays $2,110 in bills per month.
This average monthly expenses figure takes into account the 10 most common household bills, which are:Mortgage; Rent; Auto Loan; Utilities (electric, gas, water & sewer, and waste & recycling); Auto Insurance; Cable & Internet & Phone, Health Insurance (consumer paid portion); Mobile Phone; Alarm & Security; and Life Insurance.
doxo’s data also has infographics for 247 cities and towns across Texas, breaking down localized bill pay data figures as well. The state-wide rankings for most and least expensive cities provide insight into cost of living in Texas and how it varies by location.
The data sheds light on Texas’s cost of living through other metrics, too. For example, the “percent of household income” data point shows what percentage of household income local residents spend on bills. doxo’s data also indicates how much more or less expensive specific cities are than the national and state average.
Texas residents pay $2,110 in household bills a month on average
The average Texas household pays $2,110 a month for the 10 most common household bills. This puts Texas at number 19 out of the 50 states in terms of average monthly spending. Texas’s average monthly spending on household bills is more than the amount that US residents on average spend: $2,046.
Absolute dollar amounts don’t tell the full story, however. The “percentage of household income” metric provides a more proportional look at bill spending in a particular location. For example, New Jersey residents pay an average of $2,727 on bills per month, making the state the 4th most expensive state for household costs. However, New Jersey residents spend 35% of their income on household bills. Texas households, by contrast, spend 38% of their income on bills.
Annually, Texas residents pay $226 billion in household bills. See more data about bill pay in Texas by clicking on the infographic link below.
Data: doxoINSIGHTS’ bill pay infographic about Texas
- Average Bill Cost per HH: $2,110 per month
- State Bill Pay Market Size: $226 billion
- doxoINSIGHTS State Rank: 19 out of 50
- Percent of HHI Used for Bills: 38%
- Difference from the National Average: 3.1% higher
Texas households pay less for Utilities than the national average
The average Texas household pays $2,110 in the 10 most common household bills per month. Average mortgage expenses, unsurprisingly, are the largest out of the 10 categories. They are also proportionally substantially larger than the national average: $1,626 for the average Texas monthly mortgage payment compared to $1,321 for the national average. Rent, meanwhile, is nearly identical to the national average: $1,171 in Texas, compared to $1,191 nationally.
Other than housing-related expenses, auto loans are the largest of the 10 most common bills for Texans. The average auto loan bill in Texas is $519 a month, compared to the national average of $467. This may come down to car choice: larger, more expensive vehicles cost individuals more in terms of monthly loan payments.
There are expenses, however, that are considerably lower for Texas residents than they are for US residents as a whole. Utilities is one of these. While the average household in Texas pays $296 per month in utilities, the national average for the same expense is $351.
Health insurance and life insurance expenses are also more affordable in Texas than they are nationally. While the average out-of-pocket health insurance payment is $112 in Texas, it is $120 nationally. And while the average life insurance payment for Texans is $76, it is $89 for US households on average.
Note: Health Insurance and Life Insurance expenses do not account for payments made by employers on behalf of employees. These just include out-of-pocket expenses.
Average Texas Household Bill Spending
| Bill Category | Average Texas Monthly Bill | National Average Monthly Bill | Texas Percent +/- National Average ($2,046) |
| Mortgage | $1,626 | $1,321 | 23% higher |
| Rent | $1,171 | $1,191 | 2% lower |
| Auto Loan | $519 | $467 | 11% higher |
| Utilities | $296 | $351 | 16% lower |
| Auto Insurance | $175 | $207 | 15% lower |
| Cable & Internet | $118 | $118 | 0% higher |
| Health Insurance | $112 | $120 | 7% lower |
| Mobile Phone | $119 | $119 | 0% higher |
| Alarm & Security | $76 | $84 | 10% lower |
| Life Insurance | $76 | $89 | 15% lower |
| Total | $2,110 | $2,046 | 3% higher |
Southlake is the most expensive city in Texas for household bills
Residents of Southlake pay the highest household bills in the state of Texas, at an average of $3,653 per month. This is 78.5% higher than the national average of $2,046. Colleyville comes second in the rankings, with residents paying $3,362 on average per month.
Access detailed infographics about each city or town by clicking on the hyperlinks in the “City” column in the tables below. You can also browse doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to see infographics about more than 4,000 cities and towns across all 50 states in the US.
10 Most Expensive Texas Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (1-10 out of 247) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills | Percent +/- from National Average ($1,889) |
| 1 | Southlake | $3,653 | 20% | +78.5% |
| 2 | Colleyville | $3,362 | 24% | +64.3% |
| 3 | Bellaire | $3,153 | 21% | +54.1% |
| 4 | Argyle | $3,096 | 25% | +51.3% |
| 5 | Flower Mound | $2,915 | 24% | +42.4% |
| 6 | Humble | $2,889 | 42% | +41.2% |
| 7 | Roanoke | $2,885 | 30% | +41% |
| 8 | Frisco | $2,864 | 28% | +39.9% |
| 9 | Grapevine | $2,857 | 36% | +39.6% |
| 10 | Allen | $2,850 | 29% | +39.3% |
*Household Bill Pay Expense averages shown above reflect the ten most common bills paid, including housing (rent/mortgage).
Mercedes is Texas’s most affordable city for household bills
Mercedes is the most affordable city in Texas for household bills, with residents paying $1,294, which is 36.7% lower than the national average and the state average. Household bills account for a whopping 44% of local income in the town.
Marshall comes in at the second most affordable town or city in Texas, with residents paying $1,369 per month on average, at 33.1% lower than the national average.
Also on the list of 10 least expensive cities in Texas are Alamo ($1,391 per month), Carthage ($1,401 per month), and Uvalde ($1,405 per month).
10 Most Affordable Texas Cities for Household Bills
| Rank (238-247 out of 247) | City | Monthly Bill Expenses Per Household | Percent of Household Income Used for Bills | Percent +/- from National Average ($1,889) |
| 238 | Pampa | $1,453 | 32% | -29% |
| 239 | Donna | $1,441 | 58% | -29.6% |
| 240 | San Benito | $1,426 | 48% | -30.3% |
| 241 | Graham | $1,425 | 29% | -30.4% |
| 242 | Livingston | $1,414 | 34% | -30.9% |
| 243 | Uvalde | $1,405 | 38% | -31.3% |
| 244 | Carthage | $1,401 | 32% | -31.5% |
| 245 | Alamo | $1,391 | 45% | -32% |
| 246 | Marshall | $1,369 | 35% | -33.1% |
| 247 | Mercedes | $1,294 | 44% | -36.7% |
Some individuals may be deciding whether to move from a more expensive city to a less expensive one. doxoINSIGHTS can be a valuable resource for consumers seeking to make key decisions like this, allowing them to compare Florida’s household expenses against average bills in different cities and states across the country. They can also use doxoINSIGHTS’ regional bill comparison database to compare average costs for over 900 towns and cities across the country.