What it's like to live in Princeton
Princeton is a small city in Texas with household incomes running above the national average, a population that has grown fast since 2020, and schools with class sizes near the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Princeton deals with rent well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, hot summers, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Above-average commute times
- Hot summers
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Princeton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Princeton
Based on Princeton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$4,478
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $89,560 a year
- 41% of Princeton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$66,200
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $33,100
- Homes cost 3.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 58% above US
$2,239/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $2,239 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $331,000. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $331,000 · 41% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 22% below US
256 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 815/100k · Princeton Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 24% above US
32 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 32.2 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. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 15% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 94°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 36°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 21% below US
29% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 29%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
12 public schools inside the boundary
There are 12 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16:1, 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 Chickasaw National Recreation Area (93 miles away).
Bottom line
Princeton's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and a population that has grown fast since 2020; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($2,239/mo) equals 26% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget, people who dread long commutes, and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Princeton
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