What it's like to live in Copperas Cove

Copperas Cove is a small city in Texas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, a growing population, 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. Copperas Cove deals with commute times longer than most cities, college degree attainment below the national average, hot summers, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.

The good

  • Rent below the national average
  • Affordable home prices
  • Growing population
  • Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

  • Above-average commute times
  • Low college degree attainment
  • Hot summers
  • Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
  • Car-dependent — few commuters use transit

How Copperas Cove compares

Median household income

Copperas Cove$71,225
Texas avg$78,476
US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Copperas Cove$1,043
Texas avg$1,403
US$1,413

Median home value

Copperas Cove$180,500
Texas avg$283,800
US$332,700

What it takes to move to Copperas Cove

Based on Copperas Cove's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$2,086

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

  • Income to keep rent under 30%: $41,720 a year
  • 41% of Copperas Cove renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$36,100

a 20% down payment on the median home

  • With 10% down: $18,050
  • Homes cost 2.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▼ 26% below US

$1,043/mo median rent

Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,043 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $180,500. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.

Median home value $180,500 · 41% 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▼ 15% below US

280 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 1171/100k · Copperas Cove Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▲ 13% above US

29 min average commute

Commutes run about average, at 29.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone
75%
Work from home
11%
Carpool
9.8%
Other
3.6%
Walk
1.1%
Public transit
0.1%

Climate

Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 95°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 38°F.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)
20°40°60°80°100°5"Jan: 2.45" precipitationFeb: 2.16" precipitationMar: 3.27" precipitationApr: 2.15" precipitationMay: 4.70" precipitationJun: 3.21" precipitationJul: 2.74" precipitationAug: 1.64" precipitationSep: 3.89" precipitationOct: 3.42" precipitationNov: 2.72" precipitationDec: 2.40" precipitation36°JJan: high 60°F, low 36°FFFeb: high 63°F, low 40°FMMar: high 70°F, low 47°FAApr: high 77°F, low 54°FMMay: high 84°F, low 63°FJJun: high 92°F, low 70°FJJul: high 96°F, low 72°F97°AAug: high 97°F, low 73°FSSep: high 90°F, low 67°FOOct: high 80°F, low 56°FNNov: high 69°F, low 46°FDDec: high 60°F, low 38°F

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Education & workforce▼ 39% below US

22% bachelor's degree or higher

College degree attainment runs below average at 22%. 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 1 private school. 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 (55 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

Copperas Cove's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,043/mo) equals 18% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.

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