Amarillo Texas Downtown · Who What Where Nguyen Why a/k/a Anonymous Cow / CC BY-SA 3.0Amarillo Texas Amarillo Museum of Art 2005-05-15 · Who What Where Nguyen Why a/k/a Anonymous Cow / CC BY-SA 3.0Amarillo High School in Amarillo Texas USA · No machine-readable author provided. Who What Where Nguyen Why~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). / Public domainAmarillo-Texas-Civic-Center-Ballroom-Dec2005 · No machine-readable author provided. J. Nguyen~commonswiki assumed (based on copyright claims). / CC BY-SA 3.0
Amarillo is a mid-sized city of 200,360 in Texas, with a median household income of $60,628
and a 3.5% unemployment rate.
Its cost of living index is 91 (US average = 100), which is
9% below the national average.
Strengths:
Amarillo stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs:
Potential downsides include a higher-than-average crime index. Whether Amarillo is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Amarillo city data on this page comes from official government sources —
the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 90.8
Amarillo's overall cost of living index is 90.8,
where 100 represents the US national average.
Living in Amarillo costs roughly 9% less than the average American city.
Metric
Amarillo, TX
National Avg
Median Home Value
$172,700
$244,900
Median Monthly Rent
$997
$1,163
Homeownership Rate
59.6%
65.9%
Median Household Income
$60,628
$74,755
Crime & Safety
Higher than Average
Amarillo's violent crime rate is 690.5 per 100,000 residents
— 82% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Violent Crime
690.5 /100k
Property Crime
2655.6 /100k
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Amarillo is served primarily by AMARILLO ISD.
The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.5:1
(better than the national average of ~16:1).
Metric
Amarillo, TX
National Avg
School District
AMARILLO ISD
—
Elementary Schools
37
—
Middle Schools
12
—
High Schools
6
—
Student/Teacher Ratio
14.5:1
16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
25.2%
35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher
86.1%
91.1%
Weather & Climate
Amarillo sees average highs of 50.7°F in January
and 92.0°F in July,
with 19.7 inches of annual precipitation
and 17.2 inches of snow per year.
Amarillo's cost of living index is 91, where 100 is the national average.
That makes Amarillo roughly 9% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage.
The median home price is $172,700 and median rent is $997/month.
Amarillo's violent crime rate is 690.5 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 2655.6 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Amarillo are operated by AMARILLO ISD.
The district has 37 elementary, 12 middle, and 6 high schools.
The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.5:1. 25.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Amarillo, TX has a population of 200,360, a median household income of $60,628, and an unemployment rate of 3.5%.
It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Amarillo averages 50.7°F in January and 92.0°F in July. Annual rainfall is 19.7 inches
with about 17.2 inches of snow per year.
Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Amarillo, TX is covered by 14 ZIP codes: 79107, 79118, 79109, 79111, 79108, 79106, 79124, 79119, 79110, 79103, 79104, 79102, 79121, 79101.
The population of Amarillo, Texas is 200,360 with a median age of 34.4. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Amarillo: cost of living index 91 (100 = US average), median home $172,700, median household income $60,628, crime index 160 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated B-. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Amarillo side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.
