What it's like to live in Cleburne
Cleburne is a small city in Texas with home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, 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. Cleburne deals with college degree attainment below the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, hot summers, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Low crime rates
- Clean air
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Low college degree attainment
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Cleburne compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Cleburne
Based on Cleburne's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,644
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $52,880 a year
- 51% of Cleburne renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$44,220
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $22,110
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,322/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,322 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $221,100. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $221,100 · 51% 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▼ 48% below US
173 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 877/100k · Cleburne Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
25 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. Nearly all workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 94°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 35°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 5.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
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 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, 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 (54 miles away).
Bottom line
Cleburne's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are college degree attainment below the national average and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin. A year of median rent ($1,322/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Cleburne
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