What it's like to live in Mesquite
Mesquite is a mid-size city in Texas with home prices that remain within reach and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Mesquite deals with crime rates above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Crime above national average
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
How Mesquite compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Mesquite
Based on Mesquite's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,026
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $60,520 a year
- 59% of Mesquite renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$49,140
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $24,570
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,513/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,513 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $245,700. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $245,700 · 59% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.2% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.2%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 38% above US
453 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 2231/100k · Mesquite Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 23% above US
32 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 32.1 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. 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 40°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 46% below US
20% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
50 public schools inside the boundary
There are 50 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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 Waco Mammoth National Monument (87 miles away).
Bottom line
Mesquite's strongest point is home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are crime rates above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,513/mo) equals 25% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for people who dread long commutes and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Mesquite
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