What it's like to live in Carrollton
Carrollton is a mid-size city in Texas with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Carrollton deals with rent well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, hospital ratings below the national average, and hot summers.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Air quality concerns
- Below-average hospital ratings
- Hot summers
How Carrollton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Carrollton
Based on Carrollton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,470
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $69,400 a year
- 47% of Carrollton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$76,200
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $38,100
- Homes cost 3.8× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 23% above US
$1,735/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,735 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $381,000. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $381,000 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 16% below US
3.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.6%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 70% below US
98 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 1004/100k · Carrollton Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.1 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; 22% 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 38°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 2.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 26% 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
35 public schools inside the boundary
There are 35 public schools inside the boundary and 9 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 (97 miles away).
Bottom line
Carrollton's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,735/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 (22% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Carrollton
All Texas guides →Moving to Farmers Branch →
4 mi away · pop. 36,645
Rent $1,864/mo · Income $91,186
Compare with Carrollton →Moving to Lewisville →
6 mi away · pop. 131,080
Rent $1,670/mo · Income $89,233
Compare with Carrollton →Not sure Carrollton is the one?
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