Should I Move To
Galveston, Texas comes in at about 53,265 residents. Cost of living comes out moderate — essentially matching the national average. Rent typically lands near $1,200/mo, and the median household income is about $57,453. Overall, 38/100 on our composite score, which works out to a F, putting it at #854 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Cost-of-living index of 100 (with 100 as the US baseline) — that's moderate territory. With median rent at $1,200/mo and median household income at $57,453, housing takes about 25% of gross income — right inside the standard 30%-of-income guideline. Homes typically value around $258,300.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Expect hot-summer weather — summers near 94°F, winters around 46°F. Rain (and snow, in some seasons) totals about 52 inches annually. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life. Air quality reads good (AQI 45).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
Galveston is a tougher sell for families. It earns 50/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Strongest on affordability (66/100); weakest on walkability (2/100).
Galveston is a tougher sell for retirees. It earns 46/100 (grade D) on the retirees profile. Strongest on affordability (66/100); weakest on walkability (2/100).
Galveston is a tougher sell for remote workers. It earns 50/100 (grade D) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on affordability (66/100); weakest on walkability (2/100).
Galveston is a tougher sell for young professionals. It earns 31/100 (grade F) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on affordability (66/100); weakest on walkability (2/100).
Galveston, Texas pulls a 38/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade F), currently ranked #854 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
Galveston's cost-of-living index is 100 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the moderate band — essentially matching the national average. Median rent runs about $1,200/mo.
Hot-summer — summer averages around 94°F, winter averages around 46°F, with about 52 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 2/100. Built around the car — walking isn't really an option for daily life.
Galveston has about 53,265 residents, 32% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 39.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put Galveston head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how Galveston stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare Galveston with other Texas cities scored on UrbRank.
Take the 2-minute UrbRank quiz to get a personalized ranking of US cities based on your priorities — cost, climate, commute, jobs, and more.