What it's like to live in Killeen
Killeen is a mid-size city in Texas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, a growing population, 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. Killeen deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
How Killeen compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Killeen
Based on Killeen's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,416
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $48,320 a year
- 51% of Killeen renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$43,080
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $21,540
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 15% below US
$1,208/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,208 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $215,400. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $215,400 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 23% above US
5.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.3%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 51% above US
498 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 1643/100k · Killeen Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.5 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; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
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
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
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
42 public schools inside the boundary
There are 42 public schools inside the boundary and 6 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, 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 (49 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Killeen'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 ($1,208/mo) equals 24% 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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