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Living in
Red Oak.
About
Life in Red Oak
Living in Red Oak means settling into a rapidly growing Dallas suburb that's still early enough in its development cycle that you're not paying peak metroplex prices—median home values sit around $366,100 with a median household income of $104,125, which gives you real breathing room compared to closer-in Dallas neighborhoods. The trade-off is that you're watching your city transform: the population is projected to nearly quadruple by 2030, so the quiet suburban feel you move into today will shift noticeably over the next few years, bringing both opportunity and growing pains. The job market is solid with just 3.7% unemployment, and your 33-minute average commute to Dallas via I-35E is manageable if you're working in the metroplex, though you'll definitely be car-dependent—that's just how this area functions.
Red Oak at a Glance
Population, income, housing and more
Median Age
34.0 yrs
Poverty Rate
5.2%
Foreign-Born
10.0%
Broadband Internet
93.6%
of households
Population Growth
+42.9%
recent change · Census Bureau
Median household income
Demographics10.0% foreign-born, most often from Mexico
Who lives in Red Oak: race and ethnicity, ages, households, languages and countries of origin
In Red Oak, the largest foreign-born group is from Mexico (49.6%), and 15.8% of residents speak Spanish at home.
Under 18
31.0%
of residents
65 and Older
10.3%
of residents
Households with Kids
46.3%
anyone under 18
Living Alone
16.7%
of households
Married Couples
57.8%
of households
Avg Household Size
3.16
people
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino of any race; other groups are non-Hispanic
Top countries of origin (foreign-born)
Languages Spoken at Home
Cost of Living
Rent, home values, and income in Red Oak
In Red Oak, home values are 29% above the TX average.
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
Rent Burdened
79.5%
spending 30%+ of income on rent
Severely Rent Burdened
38.9%
spending 50%+
Cost of Living Index
103.1
metro area (BEA) · US avg = 100
Median Property Tax
$6,091
per year, owner-occupied homes
Homeowners
75.5%
of occupied homes are owned
Typical Home Built
2007
median year built
Home Value Trend
Latest: $343,024 (September 2026)
Jobs & Economyunemployment 0.4 pts below TX average
Unemployment in Red Oak and typical pay across the metro area
Unemployment in Ellis County, which includes Red Oak, is 0.4 percentage points lower than the TX average.
Unemployment rate
Red Oak: Ellis County rate (county-wide) · BLS annual average
Unemployment Rate — 10 Year Trend
Ellis County (county-wide) · Annual averages
What Red Oak Residents Do for Work · share of employed residents by industry
City residents, wherever they work
Median Salary by Occupation · metro area
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area
Commute27.1 min avg
How Red Oak residents get to work, and the nearest airports
In Red Oak, most residents drive alone to work (71%), and 53% get there in under 30 minutes.
How People Get to Work
Commute Time Distribution
Nearest airports · with airline service
- 23 mi
Dallas Love Field (DAL)
Medium hub8.2M passengers boarded in 2025
- 30 mi
Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW)
Major hub41.3M passengers boarded in 2025
Straight-line distance. Size is the FAA’s hub category, based on passenger traffic: regional airports may have only a few flights a day.
Safetyviolent crime 53% below national average
Crime rates for 2025
Violent crime in Red Oak runs 53% below the national average.
Violent Crime Rate
153.4
per 100,000 residents
Below average (329 national, 2025)
Property Crime Rate
1,308.5
per 100,000 residents
Below average (1,552 national, 2025)
Red Oak Police Department
Natural DisastersHeat most common — 15 events in 2025
Natural hazard risk, storms and earthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index
Relatively Moderate
81.6 / 100
Compares expected losses from natural hazards, social vulnerability and community resilience against every US county (higher = more risk).
Ellis County, county-wide · FEMA NRI December 2025
In Ellis County, which includes Red Oak, the most common type is heat, with 15 recorded events in 2025.
Most common events:
Storm events by year
| Year | Events | Top Type | Property Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 15 | Hail | $214,000 |
| 2024 | 23 | Heat | $250,000 |
| 2023 | 23 | Excessive Heat | $347,000 |
| 2022 | 28 | Drought | $740,500 |
| 2021 | 13 | Hail | $22.3M |
| 2020 | 13 | Heat | None reported |
| 2019 | 21 | Thunderstorm Wind | $11.1M |
| 2018 | 5 | Drought | $25,000 |
Property damage is the National Weather Service's estimate filed with each event. “None reported” means the events were logged with $0 damage; “Not estimated” means no estimate was filed. Storms covering several counties aren't counted here, since NOAA doesn't split their damage by county.
2 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5+ within 100 miles in the past year
Ellis County, county-wide
Air Quality35 median AQI — Good
Days by air quality category (2025)
Air quality in Ellis County, which includes Red Oak, is typically good — 323 good-air days per year.
Median AQI
35
Good Days
323
per year
Moderate Days
39
per year
Unhealthy Days
0
per year
Ellis County, county-wide
Climate93°F summers, 36°F winters
30-year climate averages (1991–2020) — monthly temperatures and precipitation
Red Oak has hot summers (avg high 93°F) and mild winters (avg low 36°F).
Spring (Mar–May)
75°/54°F
avg high / low
Summer (Jun–Aug)
93°/73°F
avg high / low
Fall (Sep–Nov)
78°/55°F
avg high / low
Winter (Dec–Feb)
58°/36°F
avg high / low
Annual Precipitation
39.9"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"
Hot Days/Year
96
days above 90°F
Freeze Days/Year
33
days below 32°F
Rainy Days/Year
86
Average month
Show month-by-month table ↓Hide table ↑
| Month | High | Low | Precip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57°F | 34°F | 2.61" |
| Feb | 60°F | 38°F | 2.72" |
| Mar | 67°F | 45°F | 3.99" |
| Apr | 75°F | 53°F | 3.48" |
| May | 82°F | 63°F | 4.31" |
| Jun | 90°F | 71°F | 4.22" |
| Jul | 95°F | 74°F | 2.48" |
| Aug | 95°F | 74°F | 2.91" |
| Sep | 88°F | 67°F | 3.27" |
| Oct | 78°F | 55°F | 4.73" |
| Nov | 66°F | 44°F | 2.93" |
| Dec | 58°F | 36°F | 3.15" |
Healthcare
Hospitals, ratings, and health insurance in Red Oak
Uninsured
9.5%
of residents
No hospitals inside Red Oak's limits — nearest hospitals · within 15 miles
Crescent Medical Center Lancaster
Acute Care Hospitals · ER available · 6 mi away · Lancaster
Hickory Trail Hospital
Psychiatric · 8.9 mi away · Desoto
Dallas Behavioral Healthcare Hospital Llc
Psychiatric · 10 mi away · De Soto
Adult Health · vs. the typical US place
Share of adults. Modeled estimates, not counted cases. “US” = the typical US place.
Medicare-certified hospitals only. Doesn’t include clinics, urgent care, or freestanding ERs.
Education16.1:1 student/teacher ratio
Schools and degree attainment in Red Oak
Red Oak's student/teacher ratio is 16.1:1, close to the national average of 16:1, and 36.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Public Schools
6
within city limits
Private Schools
0
within city limits
College Degree Rate
36.7%
adults 25+ with bachelor's or higher
Student/Teacher Ratio
16.1:1
National avg 16:1
Schools located within city limits (2023) — school-level metrics change slowly year to year
Colleges Near Red Oak (within 15 miles)
University of North Texas at Dallas
9.8 mi awayPublic · 4-year · 2,878 students · in-state tuition $9,601 · 57% graduate
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 1,479 students · in-state tuition $26,324 · 33% graduate · median earnings $46,684 (10 yrs after entry)
Private nonprofit · 4-year · 620 students · in-state tuition $16,248 · 30% graduate · median earnings $37,049 (10 yrs after entry)
Degree-granting colleges with 100+ students, placed by campus location (main campuses only — branch campuses are reported under their parent school)
Parks & Recreationclosest: Waco Mammoth National Monument, 67 mi
Nearby national parks, recreation areas and public libraries for Red Oak
Red Oak has 1 nearby national park or recreation area, closest being Waco Mammoth National Monument (67 mi away).
Nearby National Parks & Recreation Areas
Waco Mammoth National Monument
National Monument
67 mi awayPublic Libraries in Red Oak
Red Oak Public Library
101 S Live Oak St, Red Oak
Cities Near Red Oak
The closest cities within 60 miles
Planning a move to Red Oak?
Read our full moving guide — what it's really like to live here.
Red Oak FAQ
Is Red Oak, Texas safe?⌄
Red Oak's violent crime rate was 153 per 100,000 residents in 2025, which is well below the national average — one of the safer cities in the country of 329/100k that year. Property crime rate is 1309 per 100,000. As with any city, crime rates vary by neighborhood.
What is the job market like in Red Oak, Texas?⌄
Ellis County, which includes Red Oak, has an unemployment rate of 3.8%, which is close to the national average of 4.3%.
How is the commute in Red Oak, Texas?⌄
The average commute in Red Oak is 27 minutes, which is about average compared to the national average of 26 minutes.
Data from the US Census Bureau, BLS, FBI, NOAA, EPA, Zillow Research and other public sources. Where our data comes from