What it's like to live in Bedford
Bedford is a small city in Texas with crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Bedford deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a population that has been shrinking, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and hot summers.
The good
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Shrinking population
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Bedford compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Bedford
Based on Bedford's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,004
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $60,080 a year
- 55% of Bedford renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$70,140
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $35,070
- Homes cost 4.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,502/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,502 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $350,700. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $350,700 · 55% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
3.9% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.9%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 45% below US
180 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 1700/100k · Bedford Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.5 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 18% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 93°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 36°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 21% above US
44% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 44% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, close to the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Waco Mammoth National Monument (86 miles away).
Bottom line
Bedford's strongest points are crime rates well below the national average and a highly educated workforce; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and a population that has been shrinking. A year of median rent ($1,502/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (18% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Bedford
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