What it's like to live in Waxahachie
Waxahachie is a small city in Texas with crime rates well below the national average, air quality that stays clean most of the year, 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. Waxahachie deals with hot summers and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit.
The good
- Low crime rates
- Clean air
- Fast-growing population
- Average class sizes
The not so good
- Hot summers
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Waxahachie compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Waxahachie
Based on Waxahachie's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,236
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $64,720 a year
- 40% of Waxahachie renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$67,300
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $33,650
- Homes cost 3.9× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 15% above US
$1,618/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,618 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $336,500. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $336,500 · 40% 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▼ 45% below US
180 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 1023/100k · Waxahachie Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.9 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% 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 36°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▼ 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
19 public schools inside the boundary
There are 19 public schools inside the boundary and 3 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.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Waco Mammoth National Monument (59 miles away).
Bottom line
Waxahachie's strongest points are crime rates well below the national average and air quality that stays clean most of the year; the main tradeoffs are hot summers and a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit. A year of median rent ($1,618/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.
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