What it's like to live in Jacksonville
Jacksonville is a small city in Texas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, 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. Jacksonville deals with household incomes below the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, and hot summers.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
- Hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Jacksonville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Jacksonville
Based on Jacksonville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,816
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $36,320 a year
- 46% of Jacksonville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$23,960
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $11,980
- Homes cost 2.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 36% below US
$908/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $908 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 $119,800. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $119,800 · 46% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Cherokee County is 4.3%, 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.
Cherokee County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 57% below US
142 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 737/100k · Jacksonville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.5 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 93°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 36°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 41% 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
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 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.
Bottom line
Jacksonville'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 college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($908/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Jacksonville
All Texas guides →Moving to Tyler →
25 mi away · pop. 109,215
Rent $1,252/mo · Income $67,486
Compare with Jacksonville →Moving to Palestine →
26 mi away · pop. 19,136
Rent $1,062/mo · Income $44,981
Compare with Jacksonville →Moving to Henderson →
31 mi away · pop. 13,385
Rent $1,007/mo · Income $61,285
Compare with Jacksonville →Moving to Athens →
37 mi away · pop. 13,200
Rent $1,112/mo · Income $67,984
Compare with Jacksonville →Not sure Jacksonville is the one?
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