What it's like to live in Tyler
Tyler is a mid-size city in Texas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Tyler deals with household incomes below the national average, hot summers, and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Short commutes
- Clean air
- Growing population
- Several well-rated hospitals
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Hot summers
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Tyler compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Tyler
Based on Tyler's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,504
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $50,080 a year
- 47% of Tyler renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$47,060
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $23,530
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 11% below US
$1,252/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,252 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $235,300. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $235,300 · 47% 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▲ 11% above US
366 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 1800/100k · Tyler Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 23% below US
20 min average commute
Commutes are reasonable, averaging 20 minutes. Nothing heroic, and there's still time left over for a life after work. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 8% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 92°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 40°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
4 hospitals
There are 4 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.8 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 13% below US
31% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 31% 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
34 public schools inside the boundary
There are 34 public schools inside the boundary and 11 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.
Bottom line
Tyler's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are household incomes below the national average and hot summers. A year of median rent ($1,252/mo) equals 22% 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.
Other places near Tyler
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