Places › Texas › Lufkin

Living in Lufkin, TX

Small city in Texas

Lufkin is a small city in Texas, home to about 34,000 people, with 90,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, a car is essential. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are a mix of apartments and houses.

Is Lufkin a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $224k and rents for $1,370 a month
  • Low natural disaster risk: 8 federally declared disasters since 2000

👎 Cons

  • Smaller job market: about 90,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Fewer graduates: 22% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • No dog parks within 9 mi

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

Key facts

Population
34,000
90,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
62°F / 92°F
Average daily highs
3-bedroom home
$224k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$1,370/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
97
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
No income tax
State income tax per resident · 1.49% property tax
Safety
1.4× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
8 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, heat waves
Top-rated hospitals
0
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Average
Tests close to US average · 13 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
22%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
IAH
99 mi away

Living in Lufkin: common questions

What is the cost of living in Lufkin?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $224k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,370 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are close to the US average (index 97, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Lufkin?

Texas has no state income tax, and homeowners here pay about 1.49% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Lufkin safe?

Violent crime is somewhat above the national rate (1.4× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Lufkin?

Public schools in Lufkin test close to the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 13 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Lufkin?

Lufkin has mild winters: winter days average around 62°F and summer days around 92°F.

Does Lufkin get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding and heat waves: 8 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.8 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Lufkin?

The nearest major airport is IAH, about 99 mi away.

How Lufkin scores

Each bar compares Lufkin with the other 1,990 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 sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietQuiet / rural Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundCar essential Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureCulture & nature Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateMild winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingAffordable Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceSlow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityPrivate AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingApartments & houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingExcellent
💸Low taxesAverage
💼Job marketPoor
🏥HealthcareBelow average
🏫SchoolsAverage
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyPoor
🐕Dog-friendlyPoor
⛰️OutdoorsPoor
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetyModerate crime
🌪️Few natural disastersGood
☀️SunnyAverage
🌤️Mild summersBelow average
✈️AirportBelow average

Places like Lufkin

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Meridian, MSSmall city31 $101k$1,200/moModerate crime San Angelo, TXSmall city37 $242k$1,820/moSafe Victoria, TXSmall city36 $217k$1,730/moModerate crime Odessa, TXMid-size city34 $268k$1,910/moHigher crime Brownsville, TXMid-size city40 $213k$1,410/moSafe Hot Springs, ARSmall city39 $252k$1,390/moHigher crime

Nearby

Nacogdoches, TXSmall city · 20 mi away38 $252k$1,280/moSafe Huntsville, TXSmall city · 65 mi away34 $260k$1,600/moNo crime data Tyler, TXMid-size city · 77 mi away44 $265k$1,790/moSafe Conroe, TXSmall city · 82 mi away50 $264k$2,120/moNo crime data Longview, TXSmall city · 83 mi away46 $245k$1,610/moModerate crime The Woodlands, TXSuburb · 92 mi away64 $557k$2,120/moNo crime data

See all the best places to live in Texas.

Is Lufkin right for you?

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

Take the free quiz →

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.