Abilene vs Big Spring
Abilene, Texas versus Big Spring, Texas: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Abilene and Big Spring score about the same overall (48 vs 50 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Abilene | Big Spring |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $59k | $65k |
| Cost of Living | $47k | $44k |
| Home Value | $162k | $128k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $995 |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.60% | 1.26% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.20% | 8.20% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 7.06% | 5.17% |
| Unemployment | 2.8% | 6.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 46°F | 45°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 84°F | 84°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 24.4 in | 19.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 3.7 in | 2.0 in |
| Sunny Days | 262 days | 301 days |
| Summer Humidity | 66°F | 60°F |
| Comfortable Days | 79 days | 74 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 31.2 | 44.9 |
| Air Quality | — | 41 AQI |
| School Quality | 46.8 | 38.5 |
| Violent Crime | 2446/100k | 2708/100k |
| Property Crime | 2011/100k | 2162/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 126,356 | 25,949 |
| Median Age | 32.2 | 36.9 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.51 | 0.48 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 1.05 | 1.34 |
| Political Leaning | R+46 | R+59 |
| White (%) | 56.9% | 39.8% |
| Black (%) | 9.9% | 6.9% |
| Hispanic (%) | 27.6% | 49.5% |
| Asian (%) | 2.2% | 1.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.3% | 2.6% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 15 min | 20 min |
| Walkability | 7.1/20 | 8.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 160 mi | 258 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 88.8% | 86.2% |
| Amenities Nearby | 8.47 | 9.63 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Limited |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Abilene or Big Spring more affordable?
- Big Spring has the lower cost of living: its index is $44k, compared with Abilene's $47k and Big Spring's $44k. Median rent is $1k in Abilene versus $995 in Big Spring.
- Is Abilene or Big Spring safer?
- Abilene has the lower violent crime rate. Abilene reports 2446/100k and Big Spring reports 2708/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Abilene or Big Spring?
- The median home value is $162k in Abilene and $128k in Big Spring, so homes are more affordable in Big Spring.