What it's like to live in Richmond
Richmond is a small city in Texas with home prices that remain within reach, 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. Richmond deals with commute times longer than most cities, college degree attainment below the national average, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and hot summers.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Low college degree attainment
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Richmond compares
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Richmond
Based on Richmond's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,638
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $52,760 a year
- 69% of Richmond renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$46,300
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,150
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,319/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,319 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $231,500. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $231,500 · 69% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
4.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Fort Bend County is 4.3%, close to the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Fort Bend County (county-wide)
SafetyNear US average
312 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1082/100k · Richmond Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 12% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 5% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 93°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 45°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
2 hospitals
There are 2 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 48% below US
19% 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
7 public schools inside the boundary
There are 7 public schools inside the boundary and 4 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, close to the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Bottom line
Richmond's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and a population that has grown fast since 2020; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and college degree attainment below the national average. Whether it fits comes down to the specifics: the neighborhood, the job, and what matters most in the move.
Other places near Richmond
All Texas guides →Moving to Pecan Grove →
4 mi away · pop. 24,272
Rent $1,507/mo · Income $131,937
Compare with Richmond →Moving to Sugar Land →
7 mi away · pop. 110,016
Rent $1,957/mo · Income $136,217
Compare with Richmond →Not sure Richmond is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.