What it's like to live in Huntsville
Huntsville 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. Huntsville deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, and a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
How Huntsville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Huntsville
Based on Huntsville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,070
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $41,400 a year
- 59% of Huntsville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$47,320
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,660
- Homes cost 5.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 27% below US
$1,035/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,035 a month. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $236,600. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $236,600 · 59% 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▲ 57% above US
517 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 1387/100k · Huntsville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 10% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.4 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 91°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 41°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, rated 2.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 32% below US
24% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 24%. 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 15:1, 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 (71 miles away).
Bottom line
Huntsville's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,035/mo) equals 26% of the median household income here, more 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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