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Quality of Life in Caldwell, TX
A high quality of life with strong walkability, manageable living costs, healthy neighborhood signals, and solid amenity access.
What does Quality of Life tell us?
Quality of Life blends cost of living, nearby amenities, socioeconomic signals, and neighborhood character. City-level scores represent the whole municipality; individual neighborhoods can differ.
What does this tell us?
Quality of Life blends cost of living, nearby amenities, socioeconomic signals, and neighborhood character. City-level scores represent the whole municipality; individual neighborhoods can differ.
Cost of Living
29% below national average
The Real Cost of Living in Caldwell, TX for 2026
| Tier | Individual | Family (4) |
|---|---|---|
| Survival | $14k | $26k |
| Comfortable | $37k | $55k |
| Luxury | $107k+ | $165k+ |
| Elite (Top 5%) | $126k+ | $195k+ |
136%
The Area Signal
A metric tracking the socioeconomic signals of the area.
Hobbies
Explore the areaGroceries
1 within 10 miles
Gas
5 within 10 miles
Hospital
1 within 20 miles
Airport
AUS — Austin-Bergstrom International
Post Office
USPS — Caldwell, TX
Critical Amenities
Quality-of-Life Analysis
Caldwell, Texas, offers a distinctly affordable quality of life that stands out even by Central Texas standards, with a cost of living index of 71—roughly 29% below the national average. The town of roughly 4,500 residents in Burleson County attracts a mix of agricultural families, commuters seeking relief from Bryan-College Station prices, and retirees drawn to its quiet, slow-paced atmosphere. This is a community where median home values sit at $191,900 and median rents hover around $850, making it one of the more accessible entry points into the broader Brazos Valley housing market.
How housing costs and everyday expenses compare to nearby Bryan and College Station
The affordability gap between Caldwell and its larger neighbors is substantial. While the median home value in Caldwell is $191,900, comparable homes in College Station routinely price 40-60% higher, and even Bryan—historically the cheaper alternative—now carries a median value above $250,000. Renters see an even sharper contrast: a $850 median rent in Caldwell versus typical asking rents of $1,100-$1,300 for a similar two-bedroom unit in College Station. Groceries, utilities, and healthcare services also run below the national baseline, which compounds the savings for families on fixed budgets. The trade-off is distance: the average commute in Caldwell is just under 20 minutes, but that figure reflects mostly local travel. Reaching major employment hubs like Texas A&M University or CHI St. Joseph Health in Bryan-College Station takes roughly 30-35 minutes each way, a daily reality for the significant share of residents who work outside Burleson County.
What daily life is like for families: schools, amenities, and local rhythm
Daily life in Caldwell revolves around a compact, walkable downtown square anchored by the Burleson County Courthouse, with local diners, a hardware store, and seasonal farmers markets serving as social hubs. The Caldwell Independent School District operates three campuses—Caldwell Elementary, Caldwell Middle School, and Caldwell High School—with the high school fielding competitive UIL athletics and agriculture programs that reflect the area's rural character. For everyday needs, residents rely on H-E-B and Brookshire Brothers for groceries, while specialty shopping and entertainment require the drive to Post Oak Mall in College Station. Healthcare is available locally at Burleson St. Joseph Health Center, though specialists and emergency trauma care are concentrated in Bryan-College Station. The town's rhythm is decidedly unhurried: Friday night football, church suppers, and the annual Caldwell Kolache Festival in September anchor the social calendar, and there is no rush-hour gridlock to speak of—just the occasional slowdown behind farm equipment on Highway 21.
Families with school-age children, remote workers, and retirees on fixed incomes will find the most to appreciate here, provided they accept the trade-offs of small-town distance. The 19.5-minute average commute is realistic only for those working locally or in nearby Somerville or Snook; anyone commuting daily to College Station should budget closer to an hour round-trip. For buyers who value square footage, a yard, and a low mortgage payment over proximity to urban amenities, Caldwell delivers a quality of life that is increasingly rare in the I-35 corridor—but it is not for those seeking walkable nightlife, diverse dining, or a fast-paced professional environment.
Crime in Caldwell, TX
Lower crime rates than 88% of comparable U.S. locations.
Violent CrimeViolent Crime Analysis
Property CrimeProperty Crime Analysis
Crime Analysis
Caldwell, Texas, reports a violent crime rate of 198.4 incidents per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 436.5 per 100,000, placing it well below national averages for both categories. For a small city of roughly 4,500 residents in Burleson County, the overall safety picture is comparatively strong, though residents should remain aware that crime is not uniformly distributed across the community. The data suggests Caldwell is a safer-than-average Texas town, but the local justice environment and proximity to the Bryan-College Station metro area warrant closer examination.
Crime in context
When measured against national benchmarks, Caldwell's violent crime rate of 198.4 per 100,000 is approximately 43% lower than the U.S. average of roughly 380 per 100,000. Property crime in Caldwell, at 436.5 per 100,000, similarly sits about 35% below the national rate of approximately 1,950 per 100,000. Compared to Texas as a whole, which posts statewide violent crime rates near 450 per 100,000, Caldwell is markedly safer. However, the city's location roughly 30 miles from Bryan-College Station means it falls within the orbit of a large metro area, and residents should monitor whether crime patterns from that urban core migrate outward over time.
What residents experience
In practical terms, Caldwell's crime profile is dominated by property offenses—theft, burglary, and vehicle break-ins—which account for the majority of reported incidents. Violent crime is rare but not absent, and when it occurs, it typically involves individuals who know one another rather than random attacks on strangers. The Burleson County Sheriff's Office and the Caldwell Police Department both maintain active patrols, and the city's small size means response times are generally short. That said, the local justice system operates within the broader context of Texas courts, and residents concerned about progressive prosecutorial policies should note that Burleson County's elected district attorney has historically taken a more traditional, law-and-order approach compared to urban counterparts in nearby Brazos County.
Neighborhood-level variation in Caldwell is modest but real. The historic downtown core and established residential streets east of Highway 21 tend to see the lowest incident rates, while areas closer to the commercial corridors along Highway 36 and the southern edge of town near the railroad tracks report slightly higher property crime activity. Rental properties and mobile home parks have occasionally been cited in local crime reports for drug-related offenses, though these remain isolated incidents rather than systemic problems. For families and retirees—the two largest demographic groups in Caldwell—the practical safety experience is positive, with most residents reporting they feel secure walking downtown and letting children play in neighborhood yards. As with any small Texas town, locking vehicles and securing outbuildings remains the most effective deterrent against the property crimes that do occur.
* Values derived from national, state, county, city and local statistics and may differ in a specific area. Last updated: 2026-10-31T04:26:06.000Z
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