Places › Texas › Abilene

Living in Abilene, TX

Mid-size city in Texas

Abilene is a mid-size city in Texas, home to about 127,000 people, with 146,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly houses.

Is Abilene a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $238k and rents for $1,650 a month
  • Sunny: more sunshine and clearer skies than most places
  • Dog-friendly: 8 dog parks within 9 mi
  • Low natural disaster risk: 6 federally declared disasters since 2000

👎 Cons

  • Smaller job market: about 146,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Fewer outdoor escapes: no big hills or water close by
  • Fewer graduates: 27% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Abilene ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
127,000
146,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
60°F / 95°F
Average daily highs · 4″ snow a year
3-bedroom home
$238k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,650/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
90
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
No income tax
State income tax per resident · 1.51% property tax
Safety
1.0× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
6 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, hail
Top-rated hospitals
0
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Adults with a degree
27%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
DFW
160 mi away

Living in Abilene: common questions

What is the cost of living in Abilene?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $238k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,650 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 90, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Abilene?

Texas has no state income tax, and homeowners here pay about 1.51% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Abilene safe?

Violent crime is close to the national rate (1.0× in FBI 2019 data).

What is the weather like in Abilene?

Abilene has mild winters: winter days average around 60°F and summer days around 95°F, with roughly 4″ of snow a year.

Does Abilene get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and hail: 6 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.65 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Abilene?

The nearest major airport is DFW, about 160 mi away.

How Abilene scores

Each bar compares Abilene with the other 1143 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City size Small city Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quiet Quiet / rural Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting around Mostly car Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or nature Culture & nature Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️Climate Mild winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of living Very affordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️Pace Slow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝Community Anonymous AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡Housing Mostly houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housing Excellent
💸Low taxes Average
💼Job market Poor
🏥Healthcare Below average
🎓Education Poor
🧸Kids & family Below average
🐕Dog-friendly Good
⛰️Outdoors Poor
🎭Culture Poor
🛡️Safety Safe
🌪️Few natural disasters Good
☀️Sunny Excellent
🌤️Mild summers Below average
✈️Airport Average

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Is Abilene right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

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Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.