What it's like to live in Ennis
Ennis is a small city in Texas with home prices that remain within reach, air quality that stays clean most of the year, a population that has grown fast since 2020, 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. Ennis deals with college degree attainment below the national average, hot summers, fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Clean air
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Low college degree attainment
- Hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Ennis compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Ennis
Based on Ennis's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,724
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $54,480 a year
- 45% of Ennis renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$52,020
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $26,010
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,362/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,362 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $260,100. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $260,100 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.8% county unemployment
Unemployment in Ellis County is 3.8%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Ellis County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 20% below US
265 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 776/100k · Ennis Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.6 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% 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
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 43% below US
21% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 21%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
11 public schools inside the boundary
There are 11 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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 Waco Mammoth National Monument (59 miles away).
Bottom line
Ennis's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are college degree attainment below the national average and hot summers. A year of median rent ($1,362/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. Whether it fits comes down to the specifics: the neighborhood, the job, and what matters most in the move.
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