What it's like to live in Wichita Falls
Wichita Falls 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 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. Wichita Falls 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
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Below-average household incomes
- Hot summers
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Wichita Falls compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Wichita Falls
Based on Wichita Falls's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,044
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $40,880 a year
- 41% of Wichita Falls renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$31,360
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $15,680
- Homes cost 2.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 28% below US
$1,022/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,022 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $156,800. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $156,800 · 41% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
3.9% unemployment
Unemployment here is 3.9%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
SafetyNear US average
358 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 2190/100k · Wichita Falls Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 45% below US
14 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 14.3 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 7% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 95°F, and winters are cold, with lows around 32°F and snow a regular occurrence.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
3 hospitals
There are 3 Medicare-certified hospitals inside city limits. They average 3.0 out of 5 on Medicare's star rating.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 29% below US
25% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 25%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
34 public schools inside the boundary
There are 34 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 Chickasaw National Recreation Area (95 miles away).
Bottom line
Wichita Falls'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 ($1,022/mo) equals 20% 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. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Wichita Falls
All Texas guides →Moving to Burkburnett →
12 mi away · pop. 11,059
Rent $964/mo · Income $66,308
Compare with Wichita Falls →Moving to Mineral Wells →
80 mi away · pop. 15,244
Rent $1,077/mo · Income $55,929
Compare with Wichita Falls →Moving to Gainesville →
81 mi away · pop. 17,883
Rent $1,038/mo · Income $58,809
Compare with Wichita Falls →Not sure Wichita Falls is the one?
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