Best Texas cities for retirees

Home·Texas·For retirees

Mid-size cities with accessible home values, stable populations, and the scale to support healthcare and amenities. Sorted by composite momentum.

Texas runs the same no-state-income-tax pitch as Florida, with Social Security, pensions, and IRA withdrawals all untouched at the state level. The state has built real retiree infrastructure around the Hill Country, the Dallas suburbs, and 55+ developments like Sun City Georgetown, and the Texas Medical Center in Houston is among the largest in the world. The catches are getting harder to ignore: property taxes are among the highest in the country (it's how the state funds itself), homeowner insurance has been climbing with hail, hurricane, and wildfire claims, and summer heat is intensifying. 196 Texas cities currently clear the filter; top 25 shown.

What this filter screens for

Population 10,000 – 150,000Big enough to keep a real hospital, grocery, and pharmacy in town — small enough to keep daily life uncomplicated. Below 10k you start losing services you'll want later; above 150k the cost-of-living + traffic premium isn't typically worth it on a fixed budget.
Median home $100k – $600kThe low end keeps it accessible for downsizers cashing out coastal equity; the high end keeps it possible to buy without a mortgage. Above $600k the math gets hard on a fixed-income retirement plan.
Momentum 40+ (not actively declining)Avoid cities whose population and home values are both sliding — small markets that lose momentum tend to lose amenities and resale liquidity, which matters for an estate plan.

1SocorroEl Paso · pop 38,64276Rising$207,975median home

Strong momentum. ~7%/yr growth over 5 years. Population growing (+3.0%/yr).

2AlamoMcAllen-Edinburg-Mission · pop 20,69476Rising$173,658median home

Strong momentum. ~7%/yr growth over 5 years. Population growing (+1.5%/yr).

3DonnaMcAllen-Edinburg-Mission · pop 16,87676Rising$153,909median home

Strong momentum. Prices up 6% YoY. ~8%/yr growth over 5 years.

4AbileneAbilene · pop 130,50175Rising$214,916median home

Strong momentum. Prices up 6% YoY. ~5%/yr growth over 5 years.

5Horizon CityEl Paso · pop 24,80274Rising$222,081median home

Healthy momentum. ~7%/yr growth over 5 years. Population growing (+2.5%/yr).

6CanyonAmarillo · pop 16,45774Rising$296,512median home

Healthy momentum. ~5%/yr growth over 5 years. Population growing (+2.6%/yr).

7Mont BelvieuHouston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land · pop 10,22972Rising$443,226median home

Healthy momentum. Population growing (+7.5%/yr). Part of the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro (regional hospital + airport access).

8EdinburgMcAllen-Edinburg-Mission · pop 108,73371Rising$217,077median home

Healthy momentum. ~6%/yr growth over 5 years. Population growing (+2.1%/yr).

9AltonMcAllen-Edinburg-Mission · pop 22,90771Rising$194,548median home

Healthy momentum. ~7%/yr growth over 5 years. Population growing (+5.9%/yr).

10MercedesMcAllen-Edinburg-Mission · pop 17,53571Rising$143,972median home

Healthy momentum. ~7%/yr growth over 5 years. Population growing (+1.9%/yr).

11DumasDumas · pop 14,83471Rising$192,111median home

Healthy momentum. Prices up 8% YoY. Home values under $250k make it accessible on a fixed budget.

12San ElizarioEl Paso · pop 10,12870Rising$177,511median home

Healthy momentum. ~8%/yr growth over 5 years. Home values under $250k make it accessible on a fixed budget.

13WeslacoMcAllen-Edinburg-Mission · pop 43,86469Rising$178,387median home

Healthy momentum. ~7%/yr growth over 5 years. Population growing (+2.2%/yr).

14AndrewsAndrews · pop 13,67769Rising$263,356median home

Healthy momentum. Prices up 8% YoY.

15BryanCollege Station-Bryan · pop 91,54168Rising$275,442median home

Healthy momentum. Population growing (+2.2%/yr). Part of the College Station-Bryan metro (regional hospital + airport access).

16San JuanMcAllen-Edinburg-Mission · pop 37,34168Rising$182,051median home

Healthy momentum. ~6%/yr growth over 5 years. Population growing (+1.4%/yr).

17StephenvilleStephenville · pop 22,14768Rising$321,872median home

Healthy momentum. ~7%/yr growth over 5 years. Population growing (+1.5%/yr).

18PalmviewMcAllen-Edinburg-Mission · pop 16,03068Rising$184,707median home

Healthy momentum. ~7%/yr growth over 5 years. Home values under $250k make it accessible on a fixed budget.

19College StationCollege Station-Bryan · pop 128,02367Rising$349,672median home

Healthy momentum. Population growing (+1.5%/yr). Part of the College Station-Bryan metro (regional hospital + airport access).

20LongviewLongview · pop 83,66867Rising$232,445median home

Healthy momentum. ~6%/yr growth over 5 years. Home values under $250k make it accessible on a fixed budget.

21AlvinHouston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land · pop 29,86967Rising$294,161median home

Healthy momentum. Population growing (+2.5%/yr). Part of the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro (regional hospital + airport access).

22San BenitoBrownsville-Harlingen · pop 24,71267Rising$163,982median home

Healthy momentum. ~5%/yr growth over 5 years. Home values under $250k make it accessible on a fixed budget.

23HidalgoMcAllen-Edinburg-Mission · pop 15,16467Rising$191,746median home

Healthy momentum. ~6%/yr growth over 5 years. Population growing (+2.1%/yr).

24McAllenMcAllen-Edinburg-Mission · pop 148,78266Rising$229,034median home

Healthy momentum. ~6%/yr growth over 5 years. Population growing (+1.1%/yr).

25OdessaOdessa · pop 119,74866Rising$253,423median home

Healthy momentum. Population growing (+1.1%/yr).