Houston, Austin and San Antonio homeowners are getting hit with a not-so-fun line item in their budgets: homeowners association dues that keep climbing. A new LendingTree analysis finds owners in the three Texas metros are among the likeliest in the country to owe HOA fees, and locals say the bills are rising fast enough to sting.
In neighborhoods around Cypress and other west Houston communities, homeowners report monthly HOA charges that run from roughly $100 to $500, depending on the development. For some residents, those payments have jumped by hundreds of dollars over the last several years, on top of higher property taxes and insurance that are already squeezing household budgets.
The pressure shows up clearly in individual stories. Cypress homeowner Jeffery Byers told Spectrum News his HOA fees "have increased by hundreds of dollars a month over the last six years." Diane Sanders, who runs a family real estate business in west Houston, said about three quarters of her active listings are in HOAs and pointed to insurance as a major reason fees have climbed.
Study shows where HOAs are most common
LendingTree's analysis, as highlighted in industry coverage, shows just how embedded HOAs have become in major metro housing markets. Las Vegas and Orlando sit at the top of the rankings, with Houston coming in third. Across the 100 largest U.S. metros, the report estimates nearly 18 million homeowners paid HOA or condo fees in 2024. Roughly 2.6 million of them were shelling out $500 or more every month, according to National Mortgage News.
Austin and San Antonio also land high on the list in the LendingTree study, underscoring how common HOA obligations have become across Texas, particularly in newer master planned developments where amenities are part of the sales pitch and dues are part of the fine print.
HOAs are increasingly common on listings
Separate research from Realtor.com shows the share of for sale listings with a nonzero HOA fee has climbed in recent years. The figures clock in at about 40.5% in 2024 and 43.6% in 2025, with steep metro by metro differences that leave buyers in many markets with little choice but to factor in association dues.
That is exactly what Sanders urges her clients to do. She told Spectrum News to "be sure you get a resale certificate upfront" so buyers can review reserves, insurance coverage, lawsuits and bylaws before they close. It is not the most glamorous paperwork, but it is where the long term costs and potential red flags tend to live.
What buyers and sellers should watch
Analysts and agents say the trade off for HOA amenities like pools, clubhouses, golf courses and security boils down to lifestyle versus cost, and that dues need to be treated as part of the core affordability math, not an afterthought. "HOA fees can quietly reshape what homeownership really costs," Matt Schulz told National Mortgage News, adding that dues in the hundreds of dollars can squeeze budgets already stretched by rising taxes and insurance.
Agents recommend that buyers ask for reserve studies, recent meeting minutes and details on any pending special assessments so they can see whether surprise bills might be lurking. Those documents will not eliminate the possibility of a hike, but they can at least reveal whether an association is keeping up with maintenance and building adequate reserves.
For Texans buying or selling now, HOA dues are a material part of the monthly bottom line, especially in Houston area master planned communities where Realtor.com found more than three quarters of listings carry an HOA charge. Sellers and buyers alike are being urged to scrutinize association finances, include estimated dues in mortgage calculations and ask directly about potential special assessments so they are not blindsided by rising costs after move in.
