Cost of Living & Housing in Beaumont
Beaumont is genuinely affordable by national standards -- a citywide home-price median well below the national figure and a cost of living roughly 11% below average -- but homeowners insurance runs meaningfully above the national average once Jefferson County's TWIA coastal windstorm designation is factored in, a real cost stack this page discloses directly rather than downplaying.
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Learn moreHousing Prices -- Affordable and Appreciating
A June 2026 Redfin snapshot put the citywide median sale price at $234,872, up a real, meaningful 17.5% year over year. By price tier (January 2026 Redfin data): starter tier $132,915, mid tier $216,490, high tier $326,260, luxury tier $544,825 -- a wide range depending on housing stock and neighborhood. The citywide median sits well below the roughly $408K national median cited elsewhere in this project.
Property Taxes
Jefferson County's effective property tax rate is cited at 1.53% (median bill about $2,600/year on a $169,500 home), with a separate source citing 1.59% as the average assessed rate. Rates vary substantially by ZIP code within the county -- from about $1,027/year in 77701 to about $3,446/year in 77706 -- primarily reflecting differing school-district levies. Verify the exact rate for a specific address with the Jefferson Central Appraisal District (JCAD) directly.
Homeowners Insurance -- A Real Coastal-County Cost Stack, Not Downplayed
Jefferson County is officially designated a first-tier coastal windstorm catastrophe area and is TWIA-eligible -- the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association's average statewide residential premium runs $2,541/year (as of mid-2026, across all 14 covered counties, not Beaumont-specific), and that TWIA wind/hail coverage must be stacked on top of a SEPARATE standard homeowners policy for fire, theft, and liability. This two-part cost stack is real and genuinely higher than an inland Texas market carries -- get an address-specific quote for both pieces before budgeting.
Overall Cost of Living
A cost-of-living index of 89 (100 = national average, about 11% below national) is cited alongside an affordability index of 130 relative to median household income. Median household income is cited at $56,997 (a separate source cites a modestly different $53,745) -- both meaningfully below the Texas and national medians.
Key takeaways
- Beaumont's median home price ($234,872, June 2026) is well below the national median and appreciating at a real 17.5% year-over-year pace.
- Jefferson County's property tax rate (1.53%-1.59% depending on source) varies substantially by ZIP code -- verify the exact rate for a specific address with JCAD.
- Homeowners insurance is a genuine two-part cost stack here: TWIA windstorm coverage (statewide average $2,541/year) PLUS a separate standard homeowners policy -- a real coastal-county cost that inland Texas markets do not carry.
- Beaumont's overall cost of living runs about 11% below the national average, though median household income also runs meaningfully below both the Texas and national medians.
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