What it's like to live in Leander
Leander is a smaller city in Texas with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Leander deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and hot summers.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Hot summers
How Leander compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Leander
Based on Leander's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,878
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $77,560 a year
- 43% of Leander renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$101,240
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $50,620
- Homes cost 3.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 37% above US
$1,939/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,939 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $506,200. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $506,200 · 43% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 21% below US
3.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.4%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 82% below US
58 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 471/100k · Leander Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 12% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 31% 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
Education & workforce▲ 48% above US
53% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
23 public schools inside the boundary
There are 23 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. 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.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail (46 miles away). There are 4 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Leander's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,939/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (31% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near Leander
All Texas guides →Moving to Brushy Creek →
8 mi away · pop. 19,576
Rent $2,127/mo · Income $138,589
Compare with Leander →Moving to Round Rock →
12 mi away · pop. 127,786
Rent $1,763/mo · Income $99,287
Compare with Leander →Not sure Leander is the one?
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