What it's like to live in Mineral Wells
Mineral Wells is a small city in Texas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, crime rates well below the national average, and a growing population. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Mineral Wells deals with household incomes below the national average, college degree attainment below the national average, a poverty rate above the national average, and hot summers.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low crime rates
- Growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
- Hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Mineral Wells compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Mineral Wells
Based on Mineral Wells's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,154
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $43,080 a year
- 49% of Mineral Wells renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$32,260
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $16,130
- Homes cost 2.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 24% below US
$1,077/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,077 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $161,300. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $161,300 · 49% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.0% county unemployment
Unemployment in Palo Pinto County is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Palo Pinto County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 35% below US
214 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 2571/100k · Mineral Wells Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.5 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; 6% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 95°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 35°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▼ 68% below US
12% 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
4 public schools inside the boundary
There are 4 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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 Waco Mammoth National Monument (99 miles away).
Bottom line
Mineral Wells'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 college degree attainment below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,077/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 anyone prioritizing low crime.
Other places near Mineral Wells
All Texas guides →Moving to Weatherford →
19 mi away · pop. 35,788
Rent $1,527/mo · Income $81,516
Compare with Mineral Wells →Moving to Granbury →
31 mi away · pop. 12,136
Rent $1,386/mo · Income $73,516
Compare with Mineral Wells →Moving to White Settlement →
36 mi away · pop. 18,150
Rent $1,253/mo · Income $56,784
Compare with Mineral Wells →Not sure Mineral Wells is the one?
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