What it's like to live in Alvin
Alvin is a small city in Texas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Alvin deals with commute times longer than most cities, college degree attainment below the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and hot summers.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Clean air
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Low college degree attainment
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Alvin compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Alvin
Based on Alvin's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,430
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $48,600 a year
- 51% of Alvin renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$45,740
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $22,870
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 14% below US
$1,215/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,215 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $228,700. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $228,700 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.6%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 61% below US
128 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1200/100k · Alvin Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 13% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 90°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 45°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 44% below US
20% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 20%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
13 public schools inside the boundary
There are 13 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Big Thicket National Preserve (92 miles away).
Bottom line
Alvin's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,215/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Alvin
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