What it's like to live in Kingsville
Kingsville 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 commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Kingsville 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
- Short commutes
- 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 Kingsville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Kingsville
Based on Kingsville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,074
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $41,480 a year
- 45% of Kingsville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$29,880
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $14,940
- Homes cost 2.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 27% below US
$1,037/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,037 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 $149,400. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $149,400 · 45% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.4%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 39% below US
202 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1288/100k · Kingsville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 28% below US
19 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 18.7 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 run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 95°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 49°F.
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▼ 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 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 Padre Island National Seashore (44 miles away).
Bottom line
Kingsville'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 ($1,037/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, anyone prioritizing low crime, and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Kingsville
All Texas guides →Moving to Corpus Christi →
39 mi away · pop. 317,419
Rent $1,292/mo · Income $67,394
Compare with Kingsville →Moving to Portland →
42 mi away · pop. 20,543
Rent $1,577/mo · Income $83,865
Compare with Kingsville →Not sure Kingsville is the one?
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