Living in Fort Worth, TX

"Dangerous" is too broad a label for any city, but Fort Worth does sit above national averages on crime. The violent crime index is 117 and property crime hits 143 — both past the 100-point U.S. baseline. Plenty of residents live comfortably and safely, but they've usually chosen their neighborhoods carefully. If you're considering a move, visit first, drive around at night, and look up crime stats block by block. Data: FBI Uniform Crime Report.

Housing costs in Fort Worth are reasonable. Median rent sits at $1,412/month with median household income at $76,602/year — a 22.1% rent-to-income ratio. That's well within the comfort zone that most financial advisors recommend. It's not dirt cheap, but most working households can afford rent here without financial strain. Other costs like groceries and utilities will vary, but the rent picture is solid. Census ACS 2023 data.

The average commute in Fort Worth runs 23 minutes, which is moderate. 72.9% of commuters drive solo, contributing to peak-hour congestion. 0.5% use transit, and 12.9% work from home. Rush hour on major corridors will add 10-15 minutes on top of the average, so plan your route before you pick a neighborhood.

Not particularly. The climate risk score is 39/100, which puts Fort Worth in the low-risk tier. Heat Wave, Tornado, and Flood are the most relevant hazards, but none of them are frequent concerns. Standard insurance should have you covered. It's one less thing to worry about if you're comparing this city to higher-risk metros along the coast or in tornado alley. Data from FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA.

Mixed. The city-wide graduation rate is 82.0% and classrooms average 17 students per teacher. Some schools here are legitimately excellent — strong test scores, engaged communities, good resources. Others struggle. The gap between the best and worst is wider than you might expect. Do your homework on individual schools rather than relying on the city-wide number.

About what you'd expect anywhere. The average monthly utility bill in Fort Worth runs around $242 for electricity, gas, water, and sewer combined. The national average is $230, so you're right in line. Your actual bill depends on home size, insulation quality, and how much you run the AC or heater — but no surprises here.

Good, overall. The median AQI sits at 50, which falls within the EPA's "Good" category, and Fort Worth logs 218 clean-air days annually. Ozone is the main pollutant. Occasional spikes happen — wildfire smoke, temperature inversions, or high-ozone days — but they're the exception, not the rule. Check AirNow.gov during allergy season or summer heat waves.

Roughly in the middle of the pack. Fort Worth's combined effective rate is about 10.4%, covering income, property, and sales taxes. The sales tax is 8.3%. You won't be shocked by your first tax bill, but you won't be celebrating either. Cross-state movers should compare their current and future take-home pay before making assumptions.

Everything on this page is built from public government sources: rent and income figures from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023); commute and transportation data from Census ACS tables B08303 and B08006; crime rates from the FBI Uniform Crime Report; climate risk assessments using FEMA disaster declarations and NOAA storm records; air quality measurements from the EPA's Air Quality System database; school data from the National Center for Education Statistics; utility cost estimates from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. We refresh each dataset monthly through an automated pipeline and cross-check for anomalies. No surveys, no user-submitted guesses — just official federal data presented in a way that's actually useful for people researching a move.