What it's like to live in Little Elm
Little Elm is a smaller city in Texas with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Little Elm deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Hot summers
How Little Elm compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Little Elm
Based on Little Elm's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,906
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $78,120 a year
- 42% of Little Elm renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$84,140
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $42,070
- 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▲ 38% above US
$1,953/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,953 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 run above average, with a median around $420,700. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $420,700 · 42% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 58% below US
139 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 340/100k · Little Elm Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 33% above US
35 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 34.6 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 27% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 94°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 36°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 23% above US
44% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 44% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
11 public schools inside the boundary
There are 11 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. 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 Chickasaw National Recreation Area (88 miles away).
Bottom line
Little Elm's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below 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 ($1,953/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, remote workers (27% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and people who dread long commutes.
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