What it's like to live in Lubbock
Lubbock is a large city in Texas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Lubbock deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, hospital ratings below the national average, and a poverty rate above the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Short commutes
- Clean air
- Growing population
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Below-average hospital ratings
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
How Lubbock compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Lubbock
Based on Lubbock's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,364
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $47,280 a year
- 52% of Lubbock renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$42,480
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $21,240
- 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▼ 16% below US
$1,182/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,182 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $212,400. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $212,400 · 52% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 19% below US
3.5% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.5%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 112% above US
699 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 2489/100k · Lubbock Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 37% below US
16 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 16.3 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 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 92°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 30°F and snow a regular occurrence. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
8 hospitals
There are 8 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 2.3 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
35% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 35% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
76 public schools inside the boundary
There are 76 public schools inside the boundary and 14 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
Lubbock'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 crime rates above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,182/mo) equals 23% 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.
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