The 10 Cheapest Places To Live In Texas In 2024


The most affordable places to live in Texas for 2024 are San Benito, Raymondville, and Mercedes according to Saturday Night Science.

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

  1. San Benito
  2. Raymondville
  3. Mercedes
  4. La Feria
  5. Brownsville
  6. Borger
  7. Elsa
  8. Marlin
  9. Harlingen
  10. Donna

Most Affordable Cities In Texas Map

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

San Benito, TX

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

2
/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

Raymondville, TX

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

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

Mercedes, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Akissforme | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

2
/10

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

La Feria, TX

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

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

Brownsville, TX

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

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

Borger, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Billy Hathorn at en.wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

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

Elsa, TX

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

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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

Marlin, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Swinneas | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

3
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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

Harlingen, TX

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

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

Donna, TX

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

1
/10

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

Map Of The Cheapest Places To Live In Texas
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:

  1. Highland Park
  2. University Park
  3. 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
About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.