It’s no secret that Texans love their state, and Lubbock natives are no different. There are plenty of reasons to love Lubbock, and here are just a few stats to show why folks are flocking to Lubbock.
Lubbock ranks as one of the top five cities with the Best Traffic, according to a 2018 study by personal finance website WalletHub. The study compared the 100 largest cities, looking at 29 key indicators of driver-friendliness. Those included average gas prices, annual hours spent in traffic per commuter, cost of owning and maintaining a vehicle and auto repair shops per capita. Lubbock ranked in the top 30, with fewer than 10 hours per year spent stuck in traffic. So, if you hate traffic, you’ll love living in Lubbock.
SmartAsset has consistently ranked Lubbock in the top 10 for work-life balance. The “Hub City” came in at #7 in 2019. The study looked at 10 factors including entertainment density, restaurant and bar density, housing costs as a percent of income, average weeks worked per year, average hours worked per week, average commute, and unemployment rate. With an average commute of just 16 minutes—the lowest in their study—folks still have plenty of free time to spend with friends and family enjoying all Lubbock has to offer.
Landing on another top 10 list, Lubbock is also one of the best places to raise a family, according to a 2018 study by housing website Zumper. Beginning with 100 cities, the study considered 10 factors including median income, percentage of income spent on housing, housing costs per additional room, infant care costs, unemployment, commute time, violent crime rate, percentage of population under 45, and the high school dropout rate for teens. Lubbock ranked 10th, with lower-than-average housing costs, a large population under 45, and an incredibly short average daily commute of 16 minutes.
Ranking high on another important list, Lubbock is one of a few cities where prosperity is on the rise, according to studies by Go Banking and Indeed. Go Banking considered median household income, population, and poverty rates. It then compared the 1969-1970 levels to 2016 to determine where prosperity is on the rise the fastest. With a 1969-1970 median household income of $22,915 and 2016 median household income of $45,499, Lubbock’s median household income has doubled over the last 45 years. Yet, it’s still affordable for retirees with low monthly rent, grocery and healthcare costs, making it one of the best places to retire on budget of $1,000 a month. Still, with grocery costs over 5 percent below the national average and healthcare expenses 3 percent under, you’ll still be able to afford necessities on $1,500 a month. Indeed.com ranked Lubbock third in the country for high adjusted salaries, above average opportunities, low unemployment, and high projected growth.
It’s no surprise to us that entrepreneurs have been flocking to Lubbock. According to another study by WalletHub, the “Hub City” is a great place to do business. The study looked at 19 key metrics across 100 cities, from the five-year business survival rate to office space affordability. Lubbock ranked 23rd, with a low cost of doing business and great access to resources. But we already knew that.