What it's like to live in Lockhart
Lockhart is a small city in Texas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, county unemployment below the national average, and crime rates well below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Lockhart deals with household incomes below the national average, commute times longer than most cities, college degree attainment below the national average, and very hot summers.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment in the county
- Low crime rates
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Above-average commute times
- Low college degree attainment
- Very hot summers
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Lockhart compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lockhart
Based on Lockhart's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,304
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $46,080 a year
- 47% of Lockhart renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$50,320
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $25,160
- Homes cost 3.7× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 18% below US
$1,152/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,152 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $251,600. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $251,600 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.6% county unemployment
Unemployment in Caldwell County is 3.6%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Caldwell County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 80% below US
67 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 802/100k · Lockhart Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 10% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.6 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; 10% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 96°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 41°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
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
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, slightly above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail (25 miles away). There are 3 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Lockhart'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 commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,152/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for people who struggle with heat.
Other places near Lockhart
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