Texas is home to the Alamo, Astrodome, and affordable abodes. Folks pour into places like Austin and San Antonio from more expensive states.
But, where exactly can you attend the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo or go out for Tex-Mex while still finding a cheap place to live?
Our methodology for identifying Texas’s most affordable places to live is straightforward. We use Saturday Night Science and Census data to consider multiple factors, including median home prices, average rent costs, and costs of living. After comparing 352 cities, we arrived at this affordable list.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 most affordable places to live in Texas
What’s the cheapest place to live in Texas? The cheapest place to live in Texas is San Benito according to our analysis of cost of living data.
Although most of the cheapest cities are in Northern Texas, if you are looking for a beach town, you still have plenty of options.
So saddle up for a Texas sized adventure as we explore the cheapest places in Texas.
Check out some more reading about Texas and the cheapest places in the country:
The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Texas For 2024
/10
Population: 24,766
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 69
Median Income: $38,100
Median Home Price: $120,692
Median Rent: $866
San Benito took home the top spot on the list of the cheapest cities in Texas for 2024. The rule in Texas for affordable living is the closer to the Mexican border, the more affordable. San Benito fits that bill as it’s right off of I-69E by the border in southeast Texas.
With an average home price of $120,692 and an average rent of $866, the overall cost of living index comes in at 69. The coast is nearby, and places like Adolph Thomae Jr County Park offer affordable fun.
More on San Benito: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 10,301
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 69
Median Income: $42,109
Median Home Price: $81,303
Median Rent: $816
Raymondville, located in Willacy County in the southern part of Texas, is the second lowest cost city in the state. The city has the tenth best home price to income in the Lone Star State.
The cost of living index at 69 is below the state average, cementing Raymondville as a financially savvy selection. Smiley Face Park and Veteran’s Park offer something cheap to do with the family.
More on Raymondville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 16,361
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 72
Median Income: $43,243
Median Home Price: $125,973
Median Rent: $625
Mercedes, another border town in southeast Texas, has the 26th lowest home prices and a solid 68th best home-price-to-income ratio. The city has the third lowest overall cost of living.
Mercedes has been steadily getting cheaper over the years and has fun things to do, including being right next to Estero Llano Grande State Park, without breaking the budget.
More on Mercedes: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 6,848
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 73
Median Income: $38,656
Median Home Price: $131,147
Median Rent: $862
La Feria is a town near the coast in Texas. It is a town with hot summers, but nice winters, which means you can wear shorts year-round here. La Feria ranks fourth in our cheapest cities in Texas because of its low cost of living.
In La Feria, you can rack up the savings accounts because rent here is so low, you will think you are living for free. For around $500/month you could live in a spacious apartment in this town. We doubt your friends will believe your luck.
More on La Feria: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 186,999
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 74
Median Income: $46,735
Median Home Price: $176,876
Median Rent: $872
Brownsville, in Cameron County, ranks as the fifth cheapest city in Texas. According to Zillow, the average home price is the 82nd lowest in the state at $176,876.
Brownsville is the biggest city in southeast Texas, clocking in at 186,999 people. Most of the other cities on this list are actually Brownsville suburbs. The Gladys Porter Zoo and Ernesto Gamez Cascade Park are cheap things to do in town.
More on Brownsville: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 12,505
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 74
Median Income: $54,159
Median Home Price: $83,727
Median Rent: $868
Borger, TX, is a great place to call home for those looking for affordable living. With a population of 12,505, Borger enjoys a median home value of $83,727 and a median rent of $868. This is significantly lower compared to other cities in the state, making it one of the most affordable places to live in Texas.
Bolger provides residents with a large set of recreational activities. These activities include a climbing wall, a disc golf course, a Johnson Park Youth Center swimming pool, and the Borger Municipal Golf Course.
More on Borger: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 5,721
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 74
Median Income: $44,505
Median Home Price: $129,544
Median Rent: $691
We’re heading to Hidalgo County, near the Mexico border, to reach the seventh most affordable place in Texas, Elsa. The cost of living in Elsa is 25% lower than the Texas average, so you’ll pay less for things like healthcare, services, and transportation.
But where Elsa stands out is housing costs, which are only 31% of the national average. Elsa has the 29th cheapest homes and 11th cheapest rent anywhere in Texas.
The median home price in Elsa is $129,544, while you can find a place to rent for just $691.
Just because Elsa is cheap, don’t think that it skimps on quality. The city is currently investing a bunch of money into a brand new park that will transform an old railroad site.
More on Elsa: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 5,478
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 74
Median Income: $31,240
Median Home Price: $79,151
Median Rent: $520
Marlin is a fish out of water on this list, as it is one of the few places not near the border. Marlin is the eighth cheapest city in the Lone Star State. It’s easy to save money when home prices are $79,151 and the overall cost of living sits at 74, 18.7% lower than the Texas average.
Marlin is between Austin and Dallas outside of Waco. Falls On the Brazos Park is close by for an afternoon outing.
More on Marlin: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 71,497
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 76
Median Income: $50,367
Median Home Price: $172,284
Median Rent: $867
Back to the border we go as we stop at Harlingen, the ninth cheapest place in the state. It’s thirty minutes or so north of Brownsville.
The overall cost of living index of 76 includes low index values for utilities, services, and healthcare. The Harlingen Thicket and Hugh Ramsey Nature Park are some great local parks.
More on Harlingen: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
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Population: 16,742
Overall Cost Of Living Index: 76
Median Income: $34,049
Median Home Price: $136,004
Median Rent: $694
In Hidalgo County, you’ll find the tenth cheapest city in the state – Donna. It squeaked onto the list with a manageable 76 overall cost of living index 15 points lower than the state average.
The home price to income of ratio 3.99 places 227th best statewide. That means you have more of your income to spend on the annual trip to a Spurs game in San Antonio.
More on Donna: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Cheapest places to live in Texas FAQs
The county in Texas with the lowest cost of living is Uvalde County. The average living wage in Uvalde County is $75,965 according to MIT data. Uvalde County has the lowest cost of living because it has relatively less expensive childcare and housing costs compared to Texas as a whole. Childcare costs $10,143 a year in Uvalde County for two children compared to the Texas average of $14,973. Housing costs, defined as a blend of the average rent and average mortgage payment, are $8,808 per year in Uvalde County compared to $13,442 on average in Texas.
The cost of living in Texas is 3.3% lower than the US average. According to MIT, the required living wage for a family of four with two working parents in Texas is $86,749 vs the national average for a family of four with two working parents of $89,744. The median income of a Texas household is $63,826.
The cheapest housing market in Texas is Marlin. The average home value in Marlin is $46,100, the lowest in the state. The average home value in Texas is $187,200, almost 4.1 times higher than Marlin.
Methodology: How we determined the most affordable places to live in the Lone Star State for 2024
Determining affordability for places in Texas boils down to how much it costs to live here.
You need to understand your costs relative to what people in the rest of the state are paying.
With that logic in mind, we derived several cost of living statistics from the latest Census American Community Survey 2018-2022 for Texas using Saturday Night Science. We indexed the cost of living statistics across the following categories:
- Housing
- Transportation
- Services
- Groceries
- Healthcare
- Utilities
These are then weighted together to produce an overall cost of living index where 100 is the United States average. Anything below 100 is relatively affordable. Anything over 100 is relatively expensive.
We applied the biggest weight to housing as it typically accounts for 25% or more of your budget. Additionally, housing costs are the highest variant cost across a state. We then compare these cost of living metrics for each place in Texas to figure out which is the least expensive.
The “Cost of Living Index” allows you to rank all of the 352 places in Texas that have more than 5,000 people from least expensive to most expensive. Any ties went to the larger city.
The place in Texas with the lowest cost of living according to the data is San Benito.
We updated this article for 2024. This report reflects our tenth time ranking the cheapest places to live in Texas.
Texas Affordabilility Summary
This is an accurate list of the most affordable places to live in Texas for 2024, if you’re looking at the cost of living numbers in Texas.
The cheapest cities in Texas are San Benito, Raymondville, Mercedes, La Feria, Brownsville, Borger, Elsa, Marlin, Harlingen, and Donna.
Here’s a look at the most expensive cities in Texas according to the data:
- Highland Park
- University Park
- West University Place
For more Texas reading, check out:
Cheapest Places To Live In Texas
| Rank | City | Population | Cost Of Living Index | Median Income | Home Prices | Rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Benito | 24,766 | 69 | $38,100 | $120,692 | $866 |
| 2 | Raymondville | 10,301 | 69 | $42,109 | $81,303 | $816 |
| 3 | Mercedes | 16,361 | 72 | $43,243 | $125,973 | $625 |
| 4 | La Feria | 6,848 | 73 | $38,656 | $131,147 | $862 |
| 5 | Brownsville | 186,999 | 74 | $46,735 | $176,876 | $872 |
| 6 | Borger | 12,505 | 74 | $54,159 | $83,727 | $868 |
| 7 | Elsa | 5,721 | 74 | $44,505 | $129,544 | $691 |
| 8 | Marlin | 5,478 | 74 | $31,240 | $79,151 | $520 |
| 9 | Harlingen | 71,497 | 76 | $50,367 | $172,284 | $867 |
| 10 | Donna | 16,742 | 76 | $34,049 | $136,004 | $694 |
| 11 | Robstown | 10,246 | 76 | $35,417 | $85,886 | $952 |
| 12 | Slaton | 5,859 | 76 | $54,278 | $107,389 | $1,023 |
| 13 | Weslaco | 40,858 | 77 | $53,517 | $172,384 | $884 |
| 14 | Alamo | 19,811 | 77 | $47,398 | $157,839 | $655 |
| 15 | Palmview | 15,245 | 77 | $41,483 | $160,807 | $703 |
| 16 | Hereford | 14,943 | 77 | $51,164 | $151,258 | $845 |
| 17 | Roma | 11,531 | 77 | $26,951 | $97,050 | $468 |
| 18 | Los Fresnos | 8,081 | 77 | $39,536 | $183,451 | $808 |
| 19 | Muleshoe | 5,515 | 77 | $76,618 | $117,235 | $687 |
| 20 | Center | 5,221 | 77 | $57,875 | $162,091 | $942 |
| 21 | Port Isabel | 5,137 | 77 | $42,601 | $242,681 | $661 |
| 22 | Alton | 18,493 | 78 | $44,317 | $170,571 | $891 |
| 23 | Pampa | 16,861 | 78 | $52,966 | $85,386 | $844 |
| 24 | Rio Grande City | 15,256 | 78 | $44,307 | $113,546 | $709 |
| 25 | Sweetwater | 10,546 | 78 | $44,306 | $106,061 | $801 |
| 26 | Pharr | 79,434 | 79 | $45,016 | $159,705 | $926 |
| 27 | San Juan | 35,463 | 79 | $51,497 | $172,910 | $872 |
| 28 | Plainview | 20,113 | 79 | $46,274 | $112,455 | $763 |
| 29 | Alice | 17,916 | 79 | $43,017 | $121,120 | $860 |
| 30 | Hidalgo | 14,075 | 79 | $45,919 | $182,289 | $832 |
| 31 | Lamesa | 8,571 | 79 | $39,434 | $80,354 | $817 |
| 32 | Crystal City | 6,332 | 79 | $49,211 | $84,064 | $806 |
| 33 | Kermit | 5,984 | 79 | $84,931 | $103,704 | $919 |
| 34 | Brady | 5,129 | 79 | $50,197 | $101,631 | $808 |
| 35 | Uvalde | 15,342 | 80 | $47,289 | $166,066 | $1,061 |
| 36 | Beeville | 13,637 | 80 | $47,815 | $147,223 | $986 |
| 37 | Levelland | 12,607 | 80 | $50,707 | $133,303 | $713 |
| 38 | Vernon | 10,018 | 80 | $47,528 | $89,808 | $808 |
| 39 | Littlefield | 5,939 | 80 | $48,962 | $82,905 | $813 |
| 40 | Yoakum | 5,841 | 80 | $44,627 | $183,757 | $849 |
| 41 | Cameron | 5,356 | 80 | $57,076 | $194,911 | $830 |
| 42 | Breckenridge | 5,230 | 80 | $38,500 | $132,287 | $665 |
| 43 | Primera | 5,219 | 80 | $61,108 | $145,074 | $906 |
| 44 | McAllen | 142,722 | 81 | $56,326 | $216,705 | $955 |
| 45 | Edinburg | 100,964 | 81 | $54,139 | $199,290 | $920 |
| 46 | Gatesville | 15,848 | 81 | $46,536 | $234,737 | $937 |
| 47 | Jacksonville | 14,104 | 81 | $49,750 | $140,129 | $835 |
| 48 | Bellmead | 10,480 | 81 | $51,474 | $144,650 | $939 |
| 49 | Brownfield | 8,912 | 81 | $41,228 | $94,191 | $759 |
| 50 | Perryton | 8,664 | 81 | $61,067 | $115,210 | $829 |
| 51 | Dalhart | 8,013 | 81 | $75,000 | $168,387 | $1,133 |
| 52 | Lampasas | 7,377 | 81 | $57,270 | $265,834 | $832 |
| 53 | Penitas | 6,313 | 81 | $50,110 | $146,807 | $611 |
| 54 | Sinton | 5,505 | 81 | $46,411 | $152,407 | $537 |
| 55 | Brookshire | 5,187 | 81 | $58,712 | $274,785 | $1,216 |
| 56 | Granite Shoals | 5,161 | 81 | $65,101 | $376,646 | $1,155 |
| 57 | Mission | 85,755 | 82 | $56,421 | $205,501 | $876 |
| 58 | Brownwood | 18,820 | 82 | $45,412 | $160,136 | $835 |
| 59 | Palestine | 18,741 | 82 | $43,759 | $183,632 | $981 |
| 60 | Dumas | 14,404 | 82 | $65,379 | $168,788 | $1,000 |
| 61 | Port Lavaca | 11,545 | 82 | $58,871 | $172,942 | $903 |
| 62 | Snyder | 11,378 | 82 | $54,915 | $114,304 | $1,044 |
| 63 | Graham | 8,726 | 82 | $63,361 | $188,431 | $898 |
| 64 | Aransas Pass | 8,720 | 82 | $59,403 | $201,349 | $1,142 |
| 65 | Hillsboro | 8,281 | 82 | $53,021 | $166,983 | $911 |
| 66 | Lacy-Lakeview | 7,190 | 82 | $46,311 | $177,277 | $811 |
| 67 | Crockett | 6,365 | 82 | $37,500 | $146,482 | $742 |
| 68 | Childress | 5,786 | 82 | $55,500 | $84,017 | $858 |
| 69 | Bowie | 5,483 | 82 | $60,659 | $210,368 | $1,161 |
| 70 | Rockdale | 5,424 | 82 | $39,911 | $219,367 | $942 |
| 71 | Laredo | 255,293 | 83 | $60,928 | $206,477 | $968 |
| 72 | Port Arthur | 55,897 | 83 | $45,357 | $95,526 | $938 |
| 73 | Denison | 24,872 | 83 | $58,930 | $221,303 | $1,058 |
| 74 | Freeport | 10,738 | 83 | $50,704 | $133,897 | $1,043 |
| 75 | Pearsall | 8,870 | 83 | $41,761 | $127,042 | $824 |
| 76 | Fort Stockton | 8,404 | 83 | $65,657 | $167,067 | $872 |
| 77 | Cleveland | 7,756 | 83 | $46,875 | $232,773 | $835 |
| 78 | Mexia | 6,907 | 83 | $33,239 | $122,661 | $753 |
| 79 | Alpine | 5,997 | 83 | $46,619 | $236,151 | $780 |
| 80 | Edna | 5,985 | 83 | $60,361 | $188,498 | $942 |
| 81 | Sansom Park | 5,387 | 83 | $54,909 | $187,670 | $1,150 |
| 82 | Rusk | 5,344 | 83 | $68,611 | $148,934 | $946 |
| 83 | Amarillo | 200,360 | 84 | $60,628 | $193,058 | $997 |
| 84 | Waco | 140,545 | 84 | $47,421 | $214,027 | $1,038 |
| 85 | Abilene | 126,356 | 84 | $59,254 | $189,348 | $1,060 |
| 86 | Marshall | 23,509 | 84 | $49,162 | $135,626 | $866 |
| 87 | La Marque | 18,464 | 84 | $61,403 | $215,534 | $1,125 |
| 88 | Gainesville | 17,459 | 84 | $49,170 | $199,601 | $1,037 |
| 89 | Taylor | 16,449 | 84 | $66,626 | $300,890 | $1,041 |
| 90 | South Houston | 16,169 | 84 | $51,006 | $190,485 | $1,131 |
| 91 | Sulphur Springs | 16,033 | 84 | $54,950 | $248,147 | $955 |
| 92 | Kilgore | 13,400 | 84 | $58,439 | $198,861 | $962 |
| 93 | Galena Park | 10,641 | 84 | $45,614 | $161,745 | $1,163 |
| 94 | Vidor | 9,806 | 84 | $56,866 | $158,071 | $791 |
| 95 | Jacinto City | 9,589 | 84 | $58,333 | $160,108 | $1,116 |
| 96 | Wharton | 8,669 | 84 | $37,722 | $178,448 | $784 |
| 97 | Liberty | 8,348 | 84 | $57,962 | $202,095 | $972 |
| 98 | Jasper | 7,131 | 84 | $38,796 | $143,359 | $820 |
| 99 | Luling | 5,455 | 84 | $59,773 | $231,575 | $1,015 |
| 100 | Atlanta | 5,453 | 84 | $62,215 | $157,387 | $909 |