Fort Worth, TX Relocation Guide (2026)
Cost of living, housing, and income data for Fort Worth, sourced from the US Census Bureau.
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Salary needed to live in Fort Worth →
Source: US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022). Last updated July 2026.
Fort Worth's population is about 924,663. On income, the typical household clears $72,726 a year, running roughly in line with the median household income across the cities we cover (+1%).
Expect a median home value of $250,300 in Fort Worth, which runs below what we see across other cities (-23%). Median rent lands at $1,313/month — a useful baseline before comparing mortgage payments to rent.
At roughly 3.4 times median household income, home values in Fort Worth are on the affordable end compared to the cities we cover. Home prices around Fort Worth have been essentially flat over the past year, up just 0.46%. FEMA rates Fort Worth's overall natural-hazard risk as Relatively High — worth factoring into home insurance costs.
Personal Affordability Check
Renting at $1,313/mo in Fort Worth would take 21.7% of your income.
$505/mo under the 30% guideline.
Buying the median home ($250,300) would take 22.0% of your income toward principal & interest.
$361/mo under the 28% guideline.
Cost of housing in Fort Worth
Median home value is $250,300 and median gross rent is $1,313/month. For buyers, monthly costs depend heavily on current mortgage rates — worth checking before you commit.
FHFA's county-level home price index for Tarrant rose 0.46% over the past year (as of 2025).
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom unit in the surrounding county is $1,723/month.
Climate & home insurance
FEMA rates Fort Worth's overall natural-hazard risk as Relatively High. Risk level is a major driver of home insurance premiums.
Safety
Fort Worth reported a violent crime rate of 374.9 per 100,000 residents in 2025, per FBI data.
Moving to Fort Worth
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the cost of living in Fort Worth, TX?
- Housing drives most of the cost-of-living picture in Fort Worth — median home value of $250,300, median rent of $1,313/month — set against a median household income of $72,726 (US Census Bureau ACS 5-Year (2022)).
- How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Fort Worth?
- A common guideline is that rent should stay under 30% of gross income. With median rent at $1,313/month in Fort Worth, that implies an income of about $52,520 to keep housing affordable. See the full salary breakdown (renting and buying) for Fort Worth.
- Is it better to rent or buy in Fort Worth?
- With a median home value of $250,300 and median rent of $1,313/month, renting comfortably in Fort Worth takes about $52,520/year (the 30% guideline), while buying at the median price takes roughly $57,267/year in principal-and-interest alone (assumes 20% down, a 30-year fixed loan, and current mortgage rates). The right call depends on how long you plan to stay and your down payment.
- Is Fort Worth safe?
- Fort Worth reported a violent crime rate of 374.9 per 100,000 residents in 2025, per FBI data. Compare that figure against other cities you're considering for context.
See the full salary breakdown for Fort Worth →
Cities with a similar cost of living
Matched on median rent and household income within 15% of Fort Worth's.