What it's like to live in La Porte
La Porte is a small city in Texas with home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, 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. La Porte deals with air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, college degree attainment below the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and hot summers.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Very rainy — 60" of rain per year
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How La Porte compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to La Porte
Based on La Porte's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,756
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $55,120 a year
- 60% of La Porte renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$46,920
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,460
- Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,378/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,378 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $234,600. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $234,600 · 60% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 21% above US
5.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.2%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 59% below US
134 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 978/100k · La Porte Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.4 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 91°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 48°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 51% below US
18% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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 Big Thicket National Preserve (67 miles away).
Bottom line
La Porte's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are air quality that falls short of national benchmarks and college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,378/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near La Porte
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