Is East Texas cheaper than Dallas or Houston?

For housing, yes, with one caveat. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 estimates put Tyler's median home value at $235,300. Dallas's is $320,700 and Austin's is $555,300, so those gaps are wide. Houston's is $277,800, which is a much smaller gap. Rents follow the same pattern: Tyler's median gross rent is $1,252, Dallas's is $1,472 and Houston's is $1,361. Jacksonville ($119,800) and Athens ($210,800) come in lower than Tyler.

What's the most affordable city in East Texas?

Of the three towns in this guide, Jacksonville has the lowest Census figures: a $119,800 median home value and a $908 median gross rent (ACS 2020–2024). Athens comes next at $210,800 and $1,112, then Tyler at $235,300 and $1,252. At the county level, Cherokee County's median home value is $169,300, compared with $211,300 in Henderson County and $240,700 in Smith County.

Are property taxes high in East Texas?

Texas has no personal income tax, according to the Texas Comptroller. It also has no state property tax. Local taxing units, such as the county, the city and the school district, set the rates, and each county's appraisal district sets property values. Your bill depends on the exact address, so look up the local rates and the appraisal district before you buy.

What are utility costs like in East Texas?

Tyler, Jacksonville and Athens are in Oncor's delivery area, part of Texas's competitive electricity market, so you choose your retail provider. Compare plans on the state's Power to Choose site. Electric cooperatives and city-owned utilities decide for themselves whether to offer that choice, according to the Public Utility Commission. If a co-op serves your address, ask before you assume you can pick a provider.

How far is Tyler from Dallas?

About 98 miles, mostly on I-20. The OSRM public router estimates about 1 hour 45 minutes from downtown to downtown before traffic.

East Texas Guide

What It Actually Costs to Live in East Texas

East Texas Online · Updated October 2026 · Fact-checked October 1, 2026

The best way to size up East Texas costs is with the same yardstick everywhere. In this guide that yardstick is the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. Its 2020–2024 five-year estimates give a median home value and a median gross rent for every city and county. On those numbers, Tyler, Jacksonville and Athens all come in below the Texas median for home values. The gap with Austin, Dallas and the North Texas suburbs is wide. The gap with Houston is smaller than people expect.

Housing: The Number That Gets Everyone's Attention

Housing is the big one. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 five-year estimates put the median value of an owner-occupied home at $283,800 statewide and $332,700 nationally. Here is how the East Texas towns compare:

Tyler: $235,300 median home value, $1,252 median gross rent.
Athens: $210,800 median home value, $1,112 median gross rent.
Jacksonville: $119,800 median home value, $908 median gross rent.

Tyler is the highest of the three, and it still sits well under the big markets. On the same survey, Dallas's median home value is $320,700, Austin's is $555,300, Plano's is $465,900 and Round Rock's is $418,600. Houston is the exception. Its median of $277,800 is only about $40,000 above Tyler's, and its $1,361 median rent is about $110 a month higher.

The county figures tell the same story. The ACS puts Smith County's median home value at $240,700, Henderson County's at $211,300 and Cherokee County's at $169,300. Medians cover every kind of home, from older small houses to new construction, so treat them as a starting point and not as a price quote.

Property taxes work differently from what newcomers may be used to. The Texas Comptroller notes that Texas has no state property tax. Rates are set by local taxing units, such as the county, the city and the school district, and each county's appraisal district values the property. So your bill depends on exactly where the house sits. Check the appraisal district and the local rates before you make an offer.

Groceries, Utilities, and the Stuff You Buy Every Week

Tyler is home base for Brookshire's. Founder Wood T. Brookshire opened the first store on the courthouse square in downtown Tyler on September 1, 1928, and the company is still headquartered there. For produce straight from the grower, the Rose City Farmers Market sets up in downtown Tyler at 221 S. Broadway Ave. A 2023 profile listed its hours as 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, rain or shine, from spring into November.

Electricity is the line item to shop carefully. Tyler, Jacksonville and Athens sit in Oncor's delivery area, which is part of Texas's competitive retail market. On October 1, 2026, the state's Power to Choose site listed 172 plans for ZIP codes in all three towns. Oncor owns the wires, and you pick a retail electric provider, so compare plans on the state's Power to Choose site before you sign. Homes served by an electric cooperative or a city-owned utility can work differently. The Public Utility Commission says co-ops and municipally owned utilities decide for themselves whether to join the retail market. If a co-op such as Cherokee County Electric Cooperative serves your address, ask whether you can choose a provider. Our city utility pages list each town's electric, gas, water and internet providers.

Healthcare: Better Than You'd Expect

Tyler has two major hospital systems, UT Health East Texas and CHRISTUS Mother Frances. Both have trauma centers on the Texas Department of State Health Services list. UT Health East Texas Tyler Regional Hospital is a Level I (Comprehensive) trauma facility, and CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler is a Level II (Major) facility. Having that level of care in Tyler means fewer trips to Dallas for serious or specialty care.

Jacksonville has two hospitals on the same list: UT Health East Texas Jacksonville Hospital and CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Jacksonville. Athens has UT Health East Texas Athens Hospital. All three of those are Level IV (Basic) trauma facilities. For anything more involved, Tyler is about 45 minutes from Athens on State Highway 31 and about 35 minutes from Jacksonville on US 69.

Transportation: You Need a Car

Plan on owning a vehicle. Tyler is the only city covered here with public transit. In January 2025, Tyler Transit turned its six fixed bus routes into three MicroTransit zones, where riders book a trip by phone or app. It covers the city, not the region.

The drives between the towns are short. Using the OSRM public router, Tyler to Jacksonville is about 27 miles (roughly 35 minutes), mostly on US 69. Tyler to Athens is about 36 miles (roughly 45 minutes), mostly on State Highway 31.

Commuting to Dallas is a different story. Downtown Tyler to downtown Dallas is about 98 miles, mostly on I-20, and the router estimates about 1 hour 45 minutes before traffic. That drive is the main trade-off if your job is in the Metroplex.