What it's like to live in The Colony
The Colony is a small city in Texas with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, 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. The Colony deals with rent well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and hot summers.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Air quality concerns
- Hot summers
How The Colony compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to The Colony
Based on The Colony's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,916
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $78,320 a year
- 38% of The Colony renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$76,780
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $38,390
- Homes cost 3.4× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 39% above US
$1,958/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,958 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 $383,900. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $383,900 · 38% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 12% below US
3.8% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.8%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 59% below US
136 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 1299/100k · The Colony Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
27 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 27.1 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 7 in 10 workers drive to work; 24% 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
Education & workforce▲ 33% above US
48% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 48% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, 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 Chickasaw National Recreation Area (95 miles away).
Bottom line
The Colony'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 air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,958/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, remote workers (24% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget.
Other places near The Colony
All Texas guides →Moving to Lewisville →
6 mi away · pop. 131,080
Rent $1,670/mo · Income $89,233
Compare with The Colony →Moving to Little Elm →
7 mi away · pop. 54,820
Rent $1,953/mo · Income $119,219
Compare with The Colony →Not sure The Colony is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.