What it's like to live in Longview
Longview is a smaller city in Texas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Longview deals with household incomes below the national average, hot summers, above-average rainfall, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Clean air
- Several well-rated hospitals
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Longview compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Longview
Based on Longview's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,202
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $44,040 a year
- 50% of Longview renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$40,520
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $20,260
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 22% below US
$1,101/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,101 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $202,600. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $202,600 · 50% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.5% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.5%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
346 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 2131/100k · Longview Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 20% below US
21 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20.7 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% 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 38°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
3 hospitals
There are 3 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.5 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 34% below US
24% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 24%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
28 public schools inside the boundary
There are 28 public schools inside the boundary and 11 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.
Bottom line
Longview'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 hot summers. A year of median rent ($1,101/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 and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Longview
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