Buying a home in Temple TX.
What your budget actually gets in 2026.

The median sold price in Temple, TX is $269,900 in the dated closed-sales analysis (CTXMLS export, Aug 21, 2025–Sep 1, 2026), based on 1,457 closed transactions with prices over $5,000. The mean is $297,236, reflecting a long tail of higher-priced homes. Median price per square foot is $156 in Temple and $161 across Temple and Belton combined. Recent Temple closings in the Sep 2, 2026 status export (Jul 6–Sep 1) ran at a $262,500 median. See what that median costs per month at today’s rates.

623 active listings in Temple, TX as of the September 2, 2026 CTXMLS pull, with another 246 in Belton for a combined total of about 870 active homes across the two cities; 54% of Temple’s actives have already cut price at least once. This is higher than 2023-2024 inventory levels, giving buyers meaningful negotiation leverage on most price tiers.

The median sold price in Temple in the dated closed-sales analysis was $269,900 (1,457 CTXMLS closings with prices over $5,000, Aug 21, 2025 to Sep 1, 2026), and recent closings in the September 2, 2026 status export ran at a $262,500 median. Active listings carry a higher median list price of about $285,000, which is why a $270K budget still buys a real house here: the median sale-price-to-original-list-price ratio was 95.8%, before selling costs.

Flat to slightly down, not falling off a cliff. 75% of Temple closings in the analysis through Sep 1, 2026 sold below original list price; 54% of active Temple listings in the Sep 2, 2026 snapshot had already cut price (median cut $15,614), and the median Temple seller took 95.8% of original ask. The closed median has settled in the $260K–$270K range while national indexes show low-single-digit declines for Temple. That is buyer leverage, not a crash.

No, by Texas-metro standards. A $269,900 median sold home (closed-sales analysis through Sep 1, 2026) and no state income tax make the housing comparison useful, but calculate property tax from the exact parcel’s taxing entities and taxable values after exemptions. The full breakdown of housing, taxes, utilities, and commute costs is on the Temple cost of living page.

It depends on buyer type. For BSW employees needing under 10 minutes to Main Campus: Wildflower-adjacent (Sugar Brook, Palomonte), Western Hills, and Mesa Ridge. For first-time buyers under $275K: established Temple neighborhoods like Westfield and some overlap-area homes. For new construction at $275-325K: The Grove at Lakewood Ranch and Three Creeks (Belton). For school priority families: compare the exact address’s assigned campus, programs, commute, and parcel tax rather than choosing by city label.

There is no reliable citywide combined bill. Bell CAD’s adopted 2025 component table lists City of Temple $0.699900 and City of Belton $0.522500 per $100 taxable value; Temple ISD $1.137200 and Belton ISD $1.149400. These are selected historical components, not 2026 rates or a complete bill. Use Bell CAD parcel search to identify all taxing entities, exemptions, taxable values, MUDs, and assessments for the address, then confirm a completed-home estimate for new construction.

Yes. In the historical Aug 5, 2026 CTXMLS export, 958 of 1,486 Temple closings sold under $300,000 (64%). Want the current under-$300K active list? Use the form at the bottom of this page and I’ll send it same-day — filterable by school district, square footage, and lot size.

Yes for BSW Health employees, Austin-overflow remote workers seeking 13% lower cost of living, military families using VA loans at Fort Hood-area pay grades, and first-time buyers priced out of Austin or DFW. School-priority buyers should compare the assigned campus, programs, commute, and total cost for actual Temple and Belton addresses. Median Temple home is $269K vs. a national median above $400K, with comparable square footage.

In the September 2, 2026 CTXMLS closed-sales analysis, Temple had 1,457 recorded sales with a $269,900 median and Belton had 660 with a $320,848 median (prices over $5,000). These unadjusted city samples do not establish a price difference for comparable homes or isolate a school effect. Temple can put some homes nearer Baylor Scott & White Main Campus. In TEA’s 2026 district ratings, Temple ISD is B (81) and Belton ISD is B (80); the 2025 C (77) / B (80) split is historical. Some Temple addresses feed into Belton ISD, so verify the current-year campus assignment and parcel-specific tax for each property. Full comparison →

Typical closing timelines: 30-45 days for VA or FHA loans, 21-30 days for conventional financing, 14-21 days for cash. New construction varies — 6-12 months from contract to close if buying a to-be-built home, or as short as 30 days if buying a builder-completed spec home with active incentives. Inspection-to-option-period typically runs 7-10 days. Title and appraisal each take 2-3 weeks parallel to underwriting.

Yes. Fort Hood is the closest military installation and most Bell County listings welcome VA financing. VA loans require 0% down with no PMI, and current 2026 conforming VA loan limits accommodate the entire Temple median price range. Many builders also offer rate buydowns to VA buyers in active periods. Verify current VA rates with a Bell County lender; this page lists no lenders by partnership and recommends shopping at least three quotes.

Builder incentives in Temple change weekly and are typically negotiated at offer, not advertised on listings. Common incentive categories include closing-cost credits ($5,000-$15,000), rate buydowns to below-market rates, and free upgrade packages. Active builders in Temple and Belton include Centex, D.R. Horton, Smalley Homes, Kiella Homebuilders, and Flintrock Builders. Always verify incentive specifics directly with the builder before signing, and confirm rate buydowns hold through your closing date, not just the offer date.

In TEA’s 2026 workbook, Temple ISD is B (81) and Belton ISD is B (80). The older 2025 ratings were Temple C (77) and Belton B (80). Temple ISD voters approved a $119.7M classroom bond and a separate school-safety tax-ratification measure in November 2025; those votes do not establish completed facilities or campus quality. Some Temple city addresses feed into Belton ISD. Verify the assigned campus for the exact address and current school year, then compare programs and parcel taxes rather than assuming one city or district wins.

Under 10 minutes from most central Temple neighborhoods to BSW Main Campus. Wildflower-adjacent neighborhoods like Sugar Brook and Palomonte run 6-8 minutes. Western Hills is 7-9 minutes. Mesa Ridge and Hillcrest are 8-12 minutes depending on Avenue H traffic at shift change. Belton residents face 12-15 minutes to BSW Main, and Salado runs 25-30 minutes. McLane Children’s Hospital is 5-7 minutes from most central Temple addresses. Times are typical off-peak drives door-to-door; Avenue H shift-change traffic adds a few minutes — verify from your exact address.

The best Temple neighborhood depends on buyer type: BSW commuters can compare Wildflower-adjacent (Sugar Brook, Palomonte), Western Hills, and Mesa Ridge; school-priority families should check assigned campuses, programs, commute, and parcel tax for specific addresses. For new construction at $275–325K, look at The Grove at Lakewood Ranch and Three Creeks (Belton). For the lowest entry prices, compare established Temple neighborhoods on the east side. There’s no single “best” — there’s a best for your commute, budget, and school priority. See the neighborhood matrix above or the Temple map tour for area-level commutes.

No. Prices have softened modestly — Zillow’s all-property-type index shows roughly 2–4% year-over-year — but the Temple MLS closed single-family median was $269,900 in the analysis through Sep 1, 2026. Inventory is up versus 2023–2024 and homes take about 70 days to sell, which gives buyers real negotiating leverage. That’s a normalizing, buyer-leaning market, not a crash. The lower “down 4.4%” figures circulating online are algorithmic value indexes that blend in cheaper property types, not recorded single-family sale prices.

Safety in Temple varies meaningfully by neighborhood, so a citywide crime-rate average isn’t a useful number for a specific home decision. The newer subdivisions on the west and southwest sides (Wildflower-adjacent, Western Hills, Mesa Ridge, the Lakewood Ranch / Three Creeks corridor) generally read as quieter, lower-turnover areas; older central and east-side pockets are more mixed block to block. Rather than rely on a headline statistic, walk the specific street at different times of day, check the most recent local data, and use the Temple map tour for area-level context. Verify current crime data through official sources before deciding.

People move to Temple primarily for Baylor Scott & White Health — the largest hospital-system employer in Bell County — plus a cost of living roughly 13% below the national average, I-35 access without Austin pricing (Temple sits 45 minutes north of Austin), and current buyer leverage from higher inventory. Most 2026 buyers either work at BSW or relocated from a pricier metro and found their housing dollar goes 30–40% further per square foot here than in the Austin metro.