What it's like to live in Canyon
Canyon is a small city in Texas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Canyon deals with cold winters, hot summers, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Clean air
The not so good
- Cold winters
- Hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Canyon compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Canyon
Based on Canyon's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,968
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $39,360 a year
- 46% of Canyon renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$48,060
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $24,030
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 30% below US
$984/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $984 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $240,300. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $240,300 · 46% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
2.9% county unemployment
Unemployment in Randall County is 2.9%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Randall County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 71% below US
95 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 463/100k · Canyon Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 13% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 22.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 91°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 24°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 24% above US
45% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 45% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, 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 Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument (43 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Canyon's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are cold winters and hot summers. A year of median rent ($984/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget, job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low), and anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Canyon
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