What it's like to live in Balch Springs
Balch Springs is a small city in Texas with home prices that remain within reach and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Balch Springs deals with household incomes below the national average, commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
How Balch Springs compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Balch Springs
Based on Balch Springs's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,756
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $55,120 a year
- 53% of Balch Springs renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$44,880
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $22,440
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,378/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,378 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $224,400. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $224,400 · 53% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 17% above US
386 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 2686/100k · Balch Springs Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 30% above US
34 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 33.7 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 10% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 95°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 37°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 75% below US
9% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below 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 Waco Mammoth National Monument (84 miles away).
Bottom line
Balch Springs's strongest point is home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,378/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes.
Other places near Balch Springs
All Texas guides →Moving to Mesquite →
3 mi away · pop. 149,299
Rent $1,513/mo · Income $72,537
Compare with Balch Springs →Moving to Seagoville →
6 mi away · pop. 19,352
Rent $1,381/mo · Income $66,743
Compare with Balch Springs →Moving to Forney →
10 mi away · pop. 31,532
Rent $1,828/mo · Income $104,112
Compare with Balch Springs →Moving to Heartland →
10 mi away · pop. 10,607
Rent $2,333/mo · Income $92,996
Compare with Balch Springs →Not sure Balch Springs is the one?
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