Moving to
Galveston.

All Galveston data Compare Galveston

53,424people live here $55,631median household income▼ 31% below US $1,298median rent per monthNear US average $326,000median home valueNear US average

What it's like to live in Galveston

Galveston is a smaller city in Texas with rent below the national average, commutes that run shorter than most cities, 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. Galveston deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and a poverty rate above the national average.

The good

Rent below the national average
Short commutes
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

Below-average household incomes
Crime above national average
Air quality concerns
High poverty rate
High rent burden for renters
Hot summers

How Galveston compares

Median household income

Galveston$55,631

Texas avg$78,476

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

Galveston$1,298

Texas avg$1,403

US$1,413

Median home value

Galveston$326,000

Texas avg$283,800

US$332,700

What it takes to move to Galveston

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

To rent

$2,596

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

Income to keep rent under 30%: $51,920 a year
53% of Galveston renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$65,200

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $32,600
Homes cost 5.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of livingNear US average

$1,298/mo median rent

Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,298 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $326,000. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.

Median home value $326,000 · 53% of renters cost-burdened

Job marketNear US average

4.2% unemployment

Unemployment here is 4.2%, close to the national average of 4.3%.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▲ 54% above US

506 violent crimes per 100k

Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.

Property crime 2269/100k · Galveston Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▼ 22% below US

20 min average commute

Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.2 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

69%

Work from home

12%

Carpool

7.9%

Walk

5.4%

Other

5.2%

Public transit

0.3%

Climate

Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 91°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 51°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

2 hospitals

There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforceNear US average

36% bachelor's degree or higher

Education levels run about average, with 36% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.

Schools

13 public schools inside the boundary

There are 13 public schools inside the boundary and 4 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 Big Thicket National Preserve (88 miles away).

Bottom line

Galveston's strongest points are rent below the national average and commutes that run shorter than most cities; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,298/mo) equals 28% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people who want short commutes.

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