What it's like to live in Rowlett
Rowlett is a smaller city in Texas with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a growing population, 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. Rowlett deals with rent well above the national average, commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and hot summers.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Hot summers
How Rowlett compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Rowlett
Based on Rowlett's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,980
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $79,600 a year
- 48% of Rowlett renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$73,760
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $36,880
- Homes cost 3.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 41% above US
$1,990/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,990 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 run above average, with a median around $368,800. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $368,800 · 48% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.0% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.0%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 52% below US
157 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 1167/100k · Rowlett Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 20% above US
31 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.2 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; 18% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 91°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 36°F.
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 & workforceNear US average
38% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 38% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
15 public schools inside the boundary
There are 15 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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
Rowlett's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and commute times longer than most cities. A year of median rent ($1,990/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime and remote workers (18% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
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