Abilene, TX
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
affordable
Price to income
2.60×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Texas
- 2.95×-0.35
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×-0.83
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
23.0%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Texas
- 23.2%-0.1
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%-0.2
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
deal-by-deal
Cap rate proxy
5.76%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Texas
- 5.06%+0.70
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%+1.41
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
steady
Net migration
+0.13%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Texas
- -0.00%+0.13
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%+0.10
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
strong
Permit pipeline
6.71
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Texas
- 5.01+1.70
- vs U.S.
- 3.52+3.19
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
healthy
Unemployment
3.1%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Texas
- 3.7%-0.6
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%-0.8
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+53.1%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+5.1%
Median home value
$172,800
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $1,020 | $12,240 | 18.4% |
| 2 BR | $1,276 | $15,312 | 23.0% |
| 3 BR | $1,653 | $19,836 | 29.8% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
3.1%
Median household income
$66,464
What's being built
Total TTM
1,185
+137.8% YoY
Single-family
823
2–4 unit
362
5+ unit
0
All 3 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor County | 143,029 | $190,300 | $66,406 | 1,097 | +124.8% |
| Jones County | 19,758 | $92,700 | $63,472 | 0 | |
| Callahan County | 13,869 | $144,800 | $68,455 | 88 | +300.0% |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★Abilene | 176,656 | $66,464 | 2.60× | 5.76% | +53.1% | 6.71 | 3.1% |
| Panama City, FL | 181,055 | $67,834 | — | — | +50.7% | — | 4.9% |
| Burlington, NC | 171,779 | $64,445 | — | — | +64.1% | — | 3.4% |
| Muskegon, MI | 175,947 | $63,495 | — | — | +70.0% | — | 5.1% |
| Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA | 168,404 | $68,916 | — | — | +38.3% | — | 3.6% |
| Bowling Green, KY | 180,624 | $62,437 | — | — | +55.7% | — | 3.4% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
+221
+0.13% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Taylor County, TX | 472 |
| Tarrant County, TX | 222 |
| Jones County, TX | 206 |
| Callahan County, TX | 202 |
| Dallas County, TX | 104 |
| Tom Green County, TX | 104 |
Who lives in Abilene
- Median age
- 34
- Bachelor's+
- 26.2%
- Owner-occupancy
- 63.5%
- Vacancy rate
- 12.7%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 44.8%
- Median household income
- $66,464
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.