College Station, TX Relocation Guide (2026)
Cost of living, housing, and income data for College Station, sourced from the US Census Bureau.
Salary needed to live in College Station →
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022). Last updated July 2026.
With a population near 120,451, College Station, Texas sits below the multi-city income median: households earn a typical $52,397 per year (-27% vs. that benchmark).
Home values in College Station run a median $305,800, roughly in line with the benchmark across cities in our dataset (-6%). Renters see a median monthly cost of $1,129. Mortgage rates and property taxes are worth checking before you commit either way.
Home values running about 5.8× median income put College Station on the stretched end of the affordability spectrum among cities we cover. Year-over-year, home values around College Station are up 2.01%, a pace in line with a healthy, unremarkable market. College Station carries a Relatively Moderate hazard rating from FEMA, on the lower end of what we track.
Personal Affordability Check
Renting at $1,129/mo in College Station would take 25.9% of your income.
$181/mo under the 30% guideline.
Buying the median home ($305,800) would take 37.4% of your income toward principal & interest.
$410/mo over the 28% guideline.
Cost of housing in College Station
Median home value is $305,800 and median gross rent is $1,129/month. For buyers, monthly costs depend heavily on current mortgage rates — worth checking before you commit.
FHFA's county-level home price index for Brazos rose 2.01% over the past year (as of 2025).
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in the surrounding county is $1,186/month.
Climate & home insurance
FEMA rates College Station's overall natural-hazard risk as Relatively Moderate. Risk level is a major driver of home insurance premiums.
Safety
College Station reported a violent crime rate of 133.2 per 100,000 residents in 2025, per FBI data.
Moving to College Station
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in College Station, TX?
- For a quick read on College Station: homes carry a median value of $305,800, rent runs a median $1,129 monthly, and household income is a median $52,397, all from the US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022).
- How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in College Station?
- Comfortably affording rent in College Station — where the median runs $1,129/month — typically means earning about $45,160 a year, per the standard 30%-of-income benchmark. See the full salary breakdown (renting and buying) for College Station.
- Is it better to rent or buy in College Station?
- College Station's median rent of $1,129/month translates to about $45,160 a year needed to rent comfortably, versus roughly $69,965 a year for principal and interest on the $305,800 median home (20% down, 30-year fixed, today's rates). How long you'll stay is usually the deciding factor.
- Is College Station safe?
- Per FBI Crime Data Explorer figures, College Station's violent crime rate was 133.2 per 100,000 residents in 2025.
See the full salary breakdown for College Station →
Cities with a similar cost of living
Matched on median rent and household income within 15% of College Station's.