What it's like to live in Raymondville
Raymondville is a small city in Texas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, 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. Raymondville deals with county unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and college degree attainment below the national average.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
- Very hot summers
How Raymondville compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Raymondville
Based on Raymondville's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$1,762
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $35,240 a year
- 44% of Raymondville renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$10,440
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $5,220
- Homes cost 1.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 38% below US
$881/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $881 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $52,200. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $52,200 · 44% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
5.6% county unemployment
Unemployment in Willacy County is 5.6%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Willacy County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 57% above US
516 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 1568/100k · Raymondville Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 38% below US
16 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 16.2 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 97°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 50°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 72% below US
10% 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
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 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 Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park (37 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Raymondville's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are county unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($881/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and people who struggle with heat.
Other places near Raymondville
All Texas guides →Moving to Harlingen →
20 mi away · pop. 72,087
Rent $928/mo · Income $53,645
Compare with Raymondville →Moving to Mercedes →
24 mi away · pop. 16,733
Rent $812/mo · Income $46,904
Compare with Raymondville →Moving to San Benito →
25 mi away · pop. 24,709
Rent $839/mo · Income $43,639
Compare with Raymondville →Not sure Raymondville is the one?
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