What it's like to live in Pasadena
Pasadena is a mid-size city in Texas with rent below the national average, 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. Pasadena deals with household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
- High rent burden for renters
How Pasadena compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Pasadena
Based on Pasadena's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,426
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $48,520 a year
- 50% of Pasadena renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$41,920
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $20,960
- 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▼ 14% below US
$1,213/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,213 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $209,600. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $209,600 · 50% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 23% above US
5.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 5.3%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 32% above US
436 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 1778/100k · Pasadena Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.6 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; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 48°F. It's a wet climate overall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
4 hospitals
There are 4 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 55% below US
16% 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
51 public schools inside the boundary
There are 51 public schools inside the boundary and 5 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.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Big Thicket National Preserve (72 miles away).
Bottom line
Pasadena'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 ($1,213/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Pasadena
All Texas guides →Moving to South Houston →
5 mi away · pop. 16,033
Rent $1,212/mo · Income $53,497
Compare with Pasadena →Moving to Galena Park →
8 mi away · pop. 10,487
Rent $1,184/mo · Income $51,220
Compare with Pasadena →Not sure Pasadena is the one?
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