10 Most Affordable Cities in Texas for Homebuyers in 2023

According to Forbes, Texas is one of the top 10 states people are moving to due to its lower taxes, strong economy, low cost of living and excellent weather. If you are hoping to relocate to The Lone Star State, luckily for you, there are lots of different options to choose from.

Whether you want the warm desert sun or lush plains and fields, you can find it in Texas. We scoured the state to find the 10 most affordable cities for homebuyers this year. Here’s what we discovered.

• 2023 Average Home Value: $223,852.71

Located in Bell County, Texas, Killeen is located just to the south of one of the largest military bases in the world: Fort Hood. Killeen is highly affordable, with a livability score of 67% or nearly one-third less than the national average. Groceries and transportation are also under the norm in the U.S., while health care and utilities are only slightly over at 101.5% and 100.4%, respectively. 

• 2023 Average Home Value: $212,697.35

Situated off U.S. Highway 80 in East Texas, Longview offers a low cost of living with a livability score of 78%. Groceries, healthcare, and utilities are also slightly below the national average. Transportation costs come in at 79.7% of the national average, meaning you’ll save big time on getting around.

• 2023 Average Home Value: $206,562.35

Sitting near the Western border, El Paso, Texas, is one of the largest cities in the state. The cost of living is significantly below the average in the U.S. The city has a livability score of 74% and a transportation cost of 91.9% of the national average. 

• 2023 Average Home Value: $218,424.49

Nearly halfway between Dallas and Austin lies the beautiful city of Waco, Texas. With must-see attractions like Magnolia Market and the Cameron Park Zoo, you simply can’t afford to miss the home of Baylor University. With a livability score of 67% and groceries, utilities, and transportation all costing under the national average, you won’t have to break the bank when you move to one of the city’s up-and-coming communities.

• 2023 Average Home Value: $197,984.56

Located along the Rio Grande, Laredo, Texas, offers residents affordable housing and a chance to experience Mexican culture. The border town has a livability score of 72% of the national average. Groceries will cost you approximately 92.2% of the average price in the U.S., and the cost of healthcare is just under the national average at 95.1%.

• 2023 Average Home Value: $142,702.52

Sitting near the Louisiana border in South Texas is the idyllic city of Beaumont. Beaumont is a vibrant coastal city with lots to offer residents, including low home prices. In fact, the 2023 average home value was the lowest of the ten that made our list. The city received a livability of 63%, with transportation costs coming in at 83.2% of the national average.

• 2023 Average Home Value: $194,496.58

Situated in the Texas panhandle, Amarillo is a desert town with a quirky art scene. The cost of living is extremely affordable, with a livability score of 73% of the national average. Groceries will cost you just under the standard in the United States, while health care will run you just over. 

• 2023 Average Home Value: $212,682.69

Located in southern Texas, the border town of McAllen, Texas, offers a bustling music scene and lower than average cost of living. Livability was scored at 81% or 19% lower than the national average. You can expect to pay less than the average person in the U.S. for groceries, healthcare and utilities.

• 2023 Average Home Value: $191,140.48

Situated in the Rio Grande Valley, Edinburg, Texas, ranks 2nd for affordability in the state. Located almost at the southern tip of Texas, the city has a livability score of 77% or 23% lower than the national average. You’ll pay slightly less than the average person in the U.S. for everything from groceries to transportation.

• 2023 Average Home Value: $160,216.61

With rich coastal land and low housing costs, Brownsville tops our list of the most affordable cities in Texas for homebuyers in 2023. The town received a livability score of 73% and a grocery score of 89.8% of what the average is in the U.S. You’ll also pay less for utilities and transportation compared to the average person in the country.

_{Methodology: GOBankingRates determined the most affordable cities in Texas for homeowners by starting with a list of all cities in Texas, and filtered to only show cities within the top 500 most populous cities in the US and has data available for research. Each city was scored along the following factors; [1] Livability Rating sourced from AreaVibes, [2] Grocery Cost of Living, [3] Healthcare Cost of Living, [4] Utilities Cost of Living, [5] Transportation Cost of Living, [6] Miscellaneous Cost of Living all sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces Indexes, and [7] Zillow Home Value Index for Single Family Homes. Once all of these data points were collected for each city they were scored and sorted to show the most affordable cities. The livability score was weighted at 1/2 of the other scores. All data is up-to-date as of June 1, 2023.}