What it's like to live in Port Arthur
Port Arthur is a smaller 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. Port Arthur deals with unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
How Port Arthur compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Port Arthur
Based on Port Arthur's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,042
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $40,840 a year
- 49% of Port Arthur renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$21,480
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $10,740
- Homes cost 2.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 28% below US
$1,021/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,021 a month. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $107,400. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $107,400 · 49% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 88% above US
8.1% unemployment
Unemployment here is 8.1%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 81% above US
596 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 1333/100k · Port Arthur Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 10% below US
23 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.4 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. Nearly all workers drive to work.
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 46°F. It's a wet climate overall.
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▼ 64% below US
13% 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
21 public schools inside the boundary
There are 21 public schools inside the boundary. 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 (50 miles away).
Bottom line
Port Arthur's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,021/mo) equals 26% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Port Arthur
All Texas guides →Moving to Port Neches →
8 mi away · pop. 13,664
Rent $1,095/mo · Income $81,637
Compare with Port Arthur →Moving to Nederland →
9 mi away · pop. 18,381
Rent $1,400/mo · Income $77,570
Compare with Port Arthur →Not sure Port Arthur is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.