Welcome to the 806

New to Lubbock

Thinking about moving here, or just landed? What it costs, what the weather does, where to live and what to set up, with the source and date beside every number.

  • 273,071people, 2025 estimate
  • $1,182median rent a month
  • 16.3average minutes to work

Source: Census QuickFacts · checked Sep 30, 2026. Rent and minutes to work are 2020-2024 estimates.

The short answer

Is Lubbock a good place to live?

It depends on what you need. Lubbock has 273,071 people, a median gross rent of $1,182, a 16.3-minute average trip to work and a university of 42,272 students. It also has hot summers, spring wind and few commuters on public transit. Each side gets its numbers below, with sources.

Lubbock fits if you want

  • Housing costs you can look up. The median home is worth $212,400 and median gross rent is $1,182 a month.
  • Short trips. The average trip to work is 16.3 minutes.
  • A college-town calendar. Texas Tech counted 42,272 students in fall 2025.
  • No state income tax. The sales tax in Lubbock is 8.25%.
  • A commercial airport with eight nonstop destinations.

Think twice if

  • You want to get by without a car. 93.9% of households have a vehicle and 0.7% of workers ride public transportation.
  • You want mild summers or lots of rain. July’s average high is 93.4°F, January’s average low is 27.2°F, and a normal year brings 18.33 inches of precipitation.
  • Spring wind worries you. On March 14, 2025 the airport recorded a 82 mph gust, the highest spring gust in a record that goes back to 1945.
  • You would rent on a tight income. 55.7% of renter households spend 30 percent or more of their income on rent, and 32.5% spend 50 percent or more.
  • You want a big city next door. Amarillo is about 113 miles away in a straight line and Dallas about 301.
Our view

Lubbock suits people who want room, routine and a college-town calendar, and who can live with driving, wind and hot summers. It suits people who need transit, mild weather or a big city nearby less. The numbers behind each side are on this page.

Money

What does it cost to live in Lubbock?

The median household income is $60,895 a year. Median gross rent is $1,182 a month and the median owner-occupied home is worth $212,400. Texas has no state income tax, and the sales tax in Lubbock is 8.25%. These are medians, so the rent-to-income picture below matters more than any single figure.

  • $60,895Median household incomea year, in 2024 dollars

    Source: Census QuickFacts · checked Sep 30, 2026

  • $1,182Median gross renta month, renters only

    Source: Census QuickFacts · checked Sep 30, 2026

  • $212,400Median home valueowner-occupied homes

    Source: Census QuickFacts · checked Sep 30, 2026

  • 51.2%Households that own their homethe rest rent

    Source: Census QuickFacts · checked Sep 30, 2026

  • $1,794Median owner costs a month, with a mortgage$681 a month without a mortgage

    Source: Census QuickFacts · checked Sep 30, 2026

  • 8.25%Sales tax in Lubbock6.25% state + 1.5% city + 0.5% county

    Source: Texas Comptroller · checked Sep 30, 2026

Census figures here are 2020-2024 American Community Survey estimates, which carry a margin of error. The sales tax is from the Texas Comptroller. Each card links to its source.

How much of their income do renters spend on rent?

  • Under 30 percent
  • 30 to 49.9 percent
  • 50 percent or more

Of the 48,965 renter households where the Census could work it out: 44.3% spend under 30 percent of income on rent, 23.2% spend 30 to 49.9 percent, and 32.5% spend 50 percent or more.

Source: Census ACS B25070 · 2020-2024 American Community Survey, renter-occupied housing units · checked Sep 30, 2026

How property tax works here

A property tax bill is built from separate rates, one for each taxing unit that covers the address. Lubbock Central Appraisal District posts tax-rate worksheets for the City of Lubbock, Lubbock County, the Lubbock County Hospital District, the school districts (Lubbock ISD, Frenship ISD and Lubbock-Cooper ISD among them) and the High Plains Water District.

Its tax estimator lets you pick your units and try a value. If you buy a home, file your own homestead exemption: the district says there is never a fee to file, so ignore any company that charges one.

Source: Lubbock CAD · checked Sep 30, 2026

What does a house cost right now?

Median sale price, days on market and rent, with the source and month for each number.

See real estate

Work

What do people do for work in Lubbock?

In the Lubbock metro area, BLS counts about 176,300 nonfarm jobs (August 2026, preliminary). Government is the largest sector at 23.0% of them, then trade, transportation and utilities, then education and health services. The July 2026 unemployment rate was 4.4%, preliminary and not seasonally adjusted.

Jobs by sector, Lubbock metro area

  • Government40.6
  • Trade, transportation and utilities34.9
  • Education and health services26.4
  • Leisure and hospitality24.2
  • Professional and business services15.2
  • Mining, logging and construction11.8
  • Financial activities8.4
  • Other services7.5
  • Manufacturing5.6
  • Information1.7

Thousands of jobs, August 2026 (preliminary), not seasonally adjusted. The ten lines add up to 176,300 jobs.

Source: BLS · unemployment: July 2026 (preliminary); jobs: August 2026 (preliminary); not seasonally adjusted · checked Sep 30, 2026

Where to look

Weather

What is the weather like, month by month?

Summers are hot and winter nights fall below freezing. July’s average high is 93.4°F and January’s average low is 27.2°F. A normal year brings 18.33 inches of precipitation and 7.0 inches of snow, and May is the wettest month at 2.69 inches. All figures are NOAA 1991-2020 normals.

A normal year, month by month

  1. January: high 55.0°F, low 27.2°F, 0.65 inches of precipitation
  2. February: high 59.7°F, low 30.6°F, 0.65 inches of precipitation
  3. March: high 67.8°F, low 38.3°F, 1.10 inches of precipitation
  4. April: high 76.0°F, low 46.3°F, 1.33 inches of precipitation
  5. May: high 84.2°F, low 56.7°F, 2.69 inches of precipitation
  6. June: high 91.6°F, low 65.6°F, 2.58 inches of precipitation
  7. July: high 93.4°F, low 69.0°F, 1.96 inches of precipitation
  8. August: high 92.2°F, low 67.5°F, 1.74 inches of precipitation
  9. September: high 84.9°F, low 59.8°F, 2.55 inches of precipitation
  10. October: high 75.5°F, low 48.1°F, 1.53 inches of precipitation
  11. November: high 63.8°F, low 36.3°F, 0.80 inches of precipitation
  12. December: high 55.1°F, low 28.3°F, 0.75 inches of precipitation
  • Average low to average high, °F
  • Average precipitation, inches
  • Freezing

Each bar runs from the average low to the average high. The blue mark under it shows average precipitation. NOAA 1991-2020 normals for the Lubbock station.

See the numbers as a table
MonthAverage high (°F)Average low (°F)Precipitation (in)Snow (in)
January55.027.20.651.6
February59.730.60.651.4
March67.838.31.100.4
April76.046.31.330.1
May84.256.72.690.0
June91.665.62.580.0
July93.469.01.960.0
August92.267.51.740.0
September84.959.82.550.0
October75.548.11.530.1
November63.836.30.801.0
December55.128.30.752.4

Source: NOAA · 1991-2020 normals · checked Sep 30, 2026

Wind and dust: what the forecast office has written up

  • March 14, 2025

    NWS Lubbock recorded a peak gust of 82 mph at the airport, the highest wind gust on record for the spring (March, April, May) in a record that goes back to 1945. Blowing dust dropped visibility to a half mile or less.

    Source: NWS Lubbock · checked Sep 30, 2026

  • March 18, 2025

    The airport measured a peak gust of 78 mph. NWS wrote that thick dust brought brownout conditions at times, making travel difficult and dangerous.

    Source: NWS Lubbock · checked Sep 30, 2026

Get ready before spring

Where to live

Which part of Lubbock fits you?

Start with what matters to you: campus, families, historic blocks, walkability, newer homes or quiet streets. Then narrow by side of town and school district. The picker uses the same descriptors as our 47 neighborhood guides, and every match opens a full guide with local businesses and what to know.

What matters to you? Pick one or more
Side of town (optional)
School district (optional)

47 neighborhoods to choose from

Pick what matters and we will show the neighborhoods whose guide carries it. These are the same descriptors used on the neighborhood guides.

Districts are recorded for each neighborhood, but a boundary can split a neighborhood street by street. Check your address before you commit.

Thinking about a town outside the city? See nearby towns

Schools and colleges

Which school district will you be in?

It depends on your street, not your neighborhood name. Lubbock ISD, Frenship ISD and Lubbock-Cooper ISD are the districts our neighborhood guides list most often. Look up your address on the school district maps that Lubbock County Elections posts, then confirm with the district before you sign a lease or buy.

The districts

  • Lubbock ISD

    Recorded in 31 of our neighborhood guides

    Sides of town in those guides: Central, North, East, South, Southwest. Enrollment help line and documents are in the checklist below.

    Lubbock ISD

  • Frenship ISD

    Recorded in 2 of our neighborhood guides

    Sides of town in those guides: West. Frenship says it serves more than 12,000 students across 16 campuses in Wolfforth and Lubbock.

    Frenship ISD

    Source: Frenship ISD, Explore Frenship · checked Sep 30, 2026

  • Lubbock-Cooper ISD

    Recorded in 3 of our neighborhood guides

    Sides of town in those guides: South. See the district site for campuses and enrollment.

    Lubbock-Cooper ISD

How to find your district

  1. Look up your address on the school district maps that Lubbock County Elections posts.
  2. Confirm with the district before you sign a lease or buy. A boundary can split a neighborhood.
  3. Look up the school or district on Texas School Report Cards, from the Texas Education Agency.

Colleges in town

Moving for Texas Tech?

Health care

Where are the hospitals?

Two hospital systems run the main hospitals listed here. University Medical Center is at 602 Indiana Avenue and says it is a Level 1 trauma center. Covenant Medical Center is at 3615 19th St. The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center also has a Lubbock campus. Addresses come from each system’s own site.

More on our pages

Getting around

Do you need a car in Lubbock?

Most people here do. 93.9% of households have a vehicle, 77.3% of workers drive alone and 0.7% ride public transportation, and the average trip to work is 16.3 minutes. Citibus runs fixed routes, and Texas Tech students ride them free with a TTU ID.

How workers get to work

  • Drove alone77.3%
  • Carpooled11.3%
  • Worked from home7.1%
  • Walked1.9%
  • Public transportation0.7%
  • Bicycle0.5%
  • All other1.3%

Share of 131,071 workers aged sixteen and older, 2020-2024 estimates.

Source: Census ACS B08301 · 2020-2024 American Community Survey, workers age 16 and older · checked Sep 30, 2026

Vehicles per household

  • Two or more55.6%
  • One vehicle38.2%
  • No vehicle6.1%

Of 107,086 households, 2020-2024 estimates.

Source: Census ACS B25044 · 2020-2024 American Community Survey, occupied housing units · checked Sep 30, 2026

  • Citibus

    Fixed routes across Lubbock. Texas Tech students ride any fixed-route service free with proof of TTU ID. Citibus On-Demand rides run $2.00 to $10.00 each way.

    Citibus maps and schedules

    Source: Citibus · checked Sep 30, 2026

  • Flying out

    Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport (LBB) offers eight nonstop destinations, according to the City: DFW, DAL, AUS, DEN, IAH, HOU, LAS, PHX. American Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines serve it.

    See nonstop flights

    Source: City of Lubbock · checked Sep 30, 2026

  • Roads and closures

    Live traffic and road conditions, and the official City and TxDOT closure pages.

    Open the traffic page

  • Game days

    Where to eat, park and watch on Texas Tech home-game weekends.

    Open the game day guide

How far is everything?

  • Amarillo113 miles
  • Fort Worth268 miles
  • El Paso289 miles
  • Albuquerque, N.M.292 miles
  • Dallas301 miles
  • Austin331 miles
  • San Antonio346 miles
  • Houston463 miles

Straight-line miles from Lubbock, computed by us from the Census Bureau’s 2024 Gazetteer coordinates for each city. Driving distances are longer.

Source: Census Gazetteer · internal points of each city, 2024 Gazetteer · checked Sep 30, 2026

Food, fun, culture

What is there to eat and do?

Our directory lists 673 places to eat and drink and 134 things to see and do, and 155 events fall in the next 30 days. The lists below show places with at least 50 Google reviews and a rating of 4.3 or higher, ordered by a confidence-weighted rating. Nobody can pay for a spot.

Places to eat and drink

Things to see and do

On in the next 30 days

First Friday Art Trail

LHUCA describes the trail as a free, self-guided art tour in the Lubbock Cultural District.

Next dates on the organizer’s calendar: Nov 6, 2026 · Dec 4, 2026

Source: LHUCA, First Friday Art Trail · checked Sep 30, 2026

The city parks list has 86 parks, 56 with a playground.

Read from our directory at 11:13 AM.

Community

How do you meet people in a new city?

Start with places that already keep a calendar: the public library, City recreation programs, the First Friday Art Trail downtown and the 2-1-1 help line for local services. Each is a real institution with an official page. We list what each page says, not who you will meet.

Optional

Set-up checklist

Your progress0/9

Nothing here is required to read the rest of the page. If you have just arrived, these are the offices to call and the deadlines the state sets. Tick items off as you go; it is saved in this browser only.

  • This week

    Turn on water, power and gas

    Water, sewer and trash come from the City. Electricity and natural gas are separate accounts with separate companies.

    Phone numbers, addresses and what to bring

    City of Lubbock Utilities

  • This week

    Sign up for LBKAlert

    LBKAlert is the City of Lubbock’s emergency notification system. Set it up before you need it, not when the sky turns.

    Phone numbers, addresses and what to bring

    City of Lubbock Emergency Management

  • Within 30 days

    Register your car

    Texas gives you 30 days from the time you move here to register your vehicle. Do this before the license: DPS asks for it.

    Phone numbers, addresses and what to bring

    • Bring

      TxDMV’s list of counties that need an emissions inspection first does not include Lubbock County. Not sure what applies to you? Call the Tax Office.

      TxDMV lists

      • Your insurance card
      • Proof of vehicle inspection (the Vehicle Inspection Report)
      • Proof you own the vehicle, such as the registration or title from your previous state

      Source: TxDMV, New to Texas · checked Sep 30, 2026

    • Where

      Lubbock County Tax Assessor-Collector, main office. Call with questions or to schedule an appointment.

      806-775-1344916 Main Street, Suite 102, Lubbock, TX 79401Mon. to Fri., 8:30 am to 5 pm.

      Source: Lubbock County Tax Assessor-Collector, Main Office · checked Sep 30, 2026

    TxDMV: New to Texas

  • Within 90 days

    Swap your driver license

    Texas DPS says you can legally drive on a valid, unexpired license from another U.S. state, U.S. territory, Canadian province or qualifying country for up to 90 days after you move.

    Phone numbers, addresses and what to bring

    Texas DPS: Moving to Texas

  • Before the next election

    Register to vote

    Texas requires you to register by the 30th day before Election Day. The deadline for the Nov. 3, 2026 election was Oct. 5, 2026, so plan ahead for the next one.

    Phone numbers, addresses and what to bring

    VoteTexas.gov

  • When you have kids

    Enroll your kids in school

    Which school district serves you depends on your address, so confirm it with the district before you sign a lease. Lubbock ISD’s registration help line is below.

    Phone numbers, addresses and what to bring

    • Lubbock ISD registration help

      A child should be enrolled by a parent, guardian or person with control under a court order.

      What Lubbock ISD says to bring

      • The student’s birth certificate and Social Security card
      • A government-issued photo ID for the parent or guardian
      • Proof of residency: a printed full utility bill (gas, electric, water or cable), or a signed lease or rental agreement, showing the address and the parent’s or guardian’s name
      (806) 219-01901628 19th Street, Lubbock, TX 79401

      Source: Lubbock ISD, Registration · checked Sep 30, 2026

    Lubbock ISD registration

  • Any time

    Get a library card

    Any resident of the City of Lubbock or Lubbock County may obtain a Lubbock Public Library card.

    Phone numbers, addresses and what to bring

    City of Lubbock: Get a Library Card

  • After you buy a home

    File your homestead exemption

    Lubbock Central Appraisal District says there is never a fee to file for any exemption, and to ignore companies that offer to file for a one-time processing fee.

    Phone numbers, addresses and what to bring

    Lubbock Central Appraisal District

  • When you need it

    Big trash and recycling drop-off

    The City runs four Citizen Convenience Stations for bulky items, yard debris, used oil and antifreeze, and recycling.

    Phone numbers, addresses and what to bring

    • Where and when

      1631 84th Street, 208 Municipal Drive, 4307 Adrian Street and 7308 Milwaukee Avenue. Mon. to Sat., 8 am to 5:30 pm, closed City holidays. Bring ID or a City utility bill. The service is included with your regular solid waste fee.

      Source: City of Lubbock, Citizen Convenience Stations · checked Sep 30, 2026

    City of Lubbock: Convenience Stations

Hours, deadlines and requirements are set by the offices above and can change. When in doubt, call before you go.

Questions

Questions about moving to Lubbock

Is Lubbock a good place to live?

It depends on what you need. Lubbock has 273,071 people, $1,182 median gross rent, a 16.3-minute average trip to work and a university of 42,272 students. It also has hot summers, spring wind and few commuters on public transit. The sections above give each side its numbers and sources.

How much does it cost to live in Lubbock?

The Census puts median household income at $60,895 a year, median gross rent at $1,182 a month and median home value at $212,400 (2020-2024 estimates). 55.7% of renter households spend 30 percent or more of income on rent. The sales tax is 8.25%, and Texas has no state income tax.

What is the weather like in Lubbock?

Hot summers and cold winter nights. July’s average high is 93.4°F and January’s average low is 27.2°F. A normal year brings 18.33 inches of precipitation and 7.0 inches of snow, with May the wettest month. These are NOAA 1991-2020 normals for the Lubbock station; the month-by-month strip above shows all twelve.

Does Lubbock get dust storms and high wind?

Yes. The National Weather Service in Lubbock has written up spring wind and dust events. On March 14, 2025 the airport recorded a 82 mph gust, its highest spring gust on record, and dust cut visibility to a half mile or less. Sign up for LBKAlert and see our weather and safety pages.

Do I need a car in Lubbock?

Most people do. 93.9% of households have a vehicle, 77.3% of workers drive alone and 0.7% ride public transportation, and the average trip to work is 16.3 minutes. Citibus runs fixed routes, and Texas Tech students ride them free with a TTU ID. Census figures are 2020-2024 estimates.

What jobs are there in Lubbock?

BLS counts about 176,300 nonfarm jobs in the Lubbock metro area (August 2026, preliminary). Government is the largest sector at 23.0%, followed by trade, transportation and utilities (19.8%) and education and health services (15.0%). The July 2026 unemployment rate was 4.4%, not seasonally adjusted. Local businesses post openings on our jobs page.

Which part of Lubbock should I live in?

It depends on what matters to you, and on your school district if you have children. Use the picker above: it filters our 47 neighborhood guides by what they are known for, side of town and district. Each match opens a full guide. Districts can split a neighborhood street by street, so confirm by address.

Which school district will I be in?

It depends on your address. Lubbock ISD, Frenship ISD and Lubbock-Cooper ISD are the districts our neighborhood guides list most often. Look up your street on the school district maps Lubbock County Elections posts, then confirm with the district. Texas School Report Cards, from the Texas Education Agency, lets you look up any school.

Where are the hospitals in Lubbock?

University Medical Center is at 602 Indiana Avenue and says it is a Level 1 trauma center. Covenant Medical Center is at 3615 19th St, and Covenant Children’s Hospital says it is the first and only licensed freestanding children’s hospital in Lubbock and the region. The Texas Tech Health Sciences Center has a Lubbock campus.

How far is Lubbock from Dallas and Amarillo, and can I fly out?

In a straight line, Amarillo is about 113 miles from Lubbock, Dallas about 301 and Albuquerque about 292; driving distances are longer. The City says Lubbock Preston Smith International Airport has eight nonstop destinations, and lists American, Southwest and United as its airlines.

Is Lubbock safe?

No single number settles it, and the websites that score it disagree with one another. The City of Lubbock publishes a crime map and the police department posts an annual report, so you can check the blocks you are considering. Sign up for LBKAlert for emergency alerts, and see our safety page.

What do I need to do when I move to Lubbock?

Texas gives you 30 days to register a vehicle and 90 days to swap an out-of-state license. Set up water, power and gas, and sign up for LBKAlert. The deadline to register for the Nov. 3, 2026 election was Oct. 5, 2026, so plan ahead for the next one. The checklist below has each office’s phone number.

What are taxes like in Lubbock?

Texas has no state income tax. The sales tax in Lubbock is 8.25%: 6.25% state, 1.5% city and 0.5% county. Property tax is built from separate rates for the city, county, hospital district, school district and other units. The appraisal district has a tax estimator and says filing a homestead exemption never costs a fee.

Is there Spanish-language help in Lubbock?

Yes. The Census says 36.6% of Lubbock residents are Hispanic or Latino, and 20.0% of people aged five and older speak a language other than English at home. This page is available in Spanish, and our Ayuda en español guide lists Lubbock and Texas services that say they help in Spanish.

Where each fact comes from

Sources

We read each page on Sep 30, 2026. If something has changed, the office has the last word. If we could not confirm a fact in a primary source, we left it out.

Report an error on this page