What it's like to live in Richardson
Richardson is a mid-size city in Texas with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Richardson deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and hot summers.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- Hot summers
How Richardson compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Richardson
Based on Richardson's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,714
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $74,280 a year
- 48% of Richardson renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$86,280
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $43,140
- Homes cost 4.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 31% above US
$1,857/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,857 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices run above average, with a median around $431,400. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $431,400 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 14% below US
3.7% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.7%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 58% below US
138 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 1497/100k · Richardson Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 23.6 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 25% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 93°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 38°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 58% above US
57% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a highly educated city, with over half the adult population holding a college degree. That tends to shape the job market and the broader culture, and it's a solid indicator of a strong professional scene.
Schools
30 public schools inside the boundary
There are 30 public schools inside the boundary and 12 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 Waco Mammoth National Monument (98 miles away).
Bottom line
Richardson's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,857/mo) equals 23% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (25% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
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