Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety13#808/924
Economy39#563/925
Housing24#705/925
Health46#503/925
Healthcare43#527/923
Environment68#296/917
Education59#384/925
Infrastructure64#338/925
Community32#630/925
Leisure & amenities42#539/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Lubbock, TX metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Distance to an emergency room · low3.7 mi
95/100Texas 5.5 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesAggregated from counties
Distance to an airport · low12 mi
95/100Texas 33 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Median Air Quality Index · low24
94/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Average commute time · low17.8 min
91/100Texas 26.7 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
New homes permitted · high6.8 /1k
87/100Texas 6.3 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Comfortable days · high30.7%
83/100Texas 30.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Distance to an Amtrak station · high232 mi
2/100Texas 43 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Violent crime rate · high587 /100k
6/100Texas 345 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Hot days · high96 days
9/100Texas 111 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Effective property tax rate · high1.45%
10/100Texas 1.40%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Severe housing problems · high18.8%
10/100Texas 17.5%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Property crime rate · high2,043 /100k
10/100Texas 1,786 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
55% (2021) → 77% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+22 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
79.5% (2015-2019) → 88.8% (2020-2024)
+9.3 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
New business applicationsImproving
8.7 /1k (2020) → 12.8 /1k (2025)
+47%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
1.0 /10k (2020) → 1.4 /10k (2025)
+45%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Property crime rateImproving
3,578 /100k (2020) → 2,043 /100k (2025)
−43%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k
Violent crime rateImproving
910 /100k (2020) → 587 /100k (2025)
−36%5 yearsUS 389 /100k → 328 /100k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Lubbock, TX metro area improved on 16 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 4 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved16

Grocery stores+22%0.9 /10k → 1.1 /10k
Gyms+45%1.0 /10k → 1.4 /10k
Violent crime−36%910 /100k → 587 /100k
Poverty−2 points18.9% → 16.9%
Firearm deaths−16%19.1 /100k → 16.0 /100k

Declined6

Overdose deaths+22%9.2 /100k → 11.2 /100k
Uninsured+1.5 points15.0% → 16.5%
Restaurants−7.7%7.4 /10k → 6.8 /10k
Traffic deaths+23%15.7 /100k → 19.4 /100k
Price / income+0.5×2.6× → 3.2×

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Lubbock, TX metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.4 /10k2020	3.7 /10k2025	+10%	Improved	54%
Average commute time	17.4 min2015-2019	17.8 min2020-2024	+0.4 min	Within the margin of error	50%
Bachelor's degree or higher	29.5%2015-2019	31.6%2020-2024	+2.1 points	Improved	32%
Broadband subscriptions	79.5%2015-2019	88.8%2020-2024	+9.3 points	Improved	54%
Child poverty rate	21.5%2015-2019	18.2%2020-2024	−3.3 points	Improved	60%
Distance to an airport	13 mi2020	12 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	95%
Drug overdose deaths	9.2 /100k2020	11.2 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+22%	Declined	16%
Effective property tax rate	1.74%2015-2019	1.45%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	89%
Firearm deaths	19.1 /100k2020	16.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−16%	Improved	76%
Grocery stores	0.9 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	+22%	Improved	90%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.0 /10k2020	1.4 /10k2025	+45%	Improved	86%
High school diploma or higher	85.8%2015-2019	88.1%2020-2024	+2.3 points	Improved	66%
Home price to income ratio	2.6×2015-2019	3.2×2020-2024	+0.5×	Declined	39%
Homicide rate	9.2 /100k2020	6.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−35%	Improved	62%
Income adjusted for local prices	$48,2912019	$60,8132024	+26%	Improved	12%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4792015-2019	0.4812020-2024	+0.002	Within the margin of error	49%
Median household income	$51,9422015-2019	$63,6292020-2024	+23%	Improved	25%
New business applications	8.7 /1k2020	12.8 /1k2025	+47%	Improved	51%
Pharmacies	1.8 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	−6%	Declined	56%
Poverty rate	18.9%2015-2019	16.9%2020-2024	−2 points	Improved	73%
Property crime rate	3,578 /100k2020	2,043 /100k2025	−43%	Improved	71%
Public libraries	0.5 /10k2019	0.4 /10k2024	−2.7%	Little change	41%
Public transit commuters	0.8%2015-2019	0.5%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	53%
Rent as share of income	32.4%2015-2019	32.0%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	65%
Rent-burdened households	54.6%2015-2019	53.5%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	68%
Restaurants and bars	7.4 /10k2020	6.8 /10k2025	−7.7%	Declined	17%
Suicide rate	19.2 /100k2020	18.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−2.7%	Little change	66%
Traffic deaths	15.7 /100k2015-2019	19.4 /100k2020-2024	+23%	Declined	25%
Unemployment rate	6.1%2020	3.5%2025	−2.6 points	Improved	37%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	15.0%2015-2019	16.5%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Declined	13%
Violent crime rate	910 /100k2020	587 /100k2025	−36%	Improved	82%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Lubbock, TX metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Lubbock, TX metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Lubbock, TX metro area itself moved +0.7 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

358,708 residents (±210)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

140,553 households (±1,006)

Lubbock, TX metro area
United States share

Under $25k19%26,892
$25k–50k21%29,979
$50k–75k16%22,649

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

140,553 households (±1,006)

Lubbock, TX metro area
United States share

Own57%80,347
Rent43%60,206

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+1.4 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

172,465 workers (±2,269)

Lubbock, TX metro area
United States share

Drive alone78%134,644
Carpool11%18,820
Public transit0.5%928

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Lubbock, TX employ 45,490 people. 10 pay a median below the US median.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Lubbock, TX by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Fast Food and Counter Workers7,930 jobs	7,930	$25,250US $31,200	−19%	1.92×
Office Clerks, General5,440 jobs	5,440

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Lubbock, TX has 8,844 employer establishments, 245 for every 10,000 residents (0.99× the US rate of 248), with 133,311 paid employees at an average annual pay of $48,491. The Census Bureau also counts 31,491 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 8,844; 31,491 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 245; US 248
Paid employees: 133,311
Average annual pay: $48,491; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Lubbock, TX by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	717	19.9	0.95×About typical	9,799	$63,300	1,322
Restaurants and other eating places	671	18.6	1.01×About typical	17,025	$19,583	128
Specialty trade contractors	594	16.5	1.06×About typical	5,351	$58,188	2,935
Lessors of real estate	473	13.1	1.06×About typical	1,758	$48,667	3,298
Limited-service restaurants	330	9.2	1.14×About typical	8,554	$19,058	47
Offices of physicians	280	7.8	1.20×About typical	3,856	$90,609	334
Building equipment contractors	272	7.5	1.25×More than typical	2,967	$57,981	488
Construction of buildings	254	7	0.93×About typical	1,717	$72,857	1,048
Religious organizations	233	6.5	1.16×About typical	2,492	$23,509	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	232	6.4	1.46×More than typical	1,111	$66,582	648
Full-service restaurants	226	6.3	0.82×About typical	6,852	$21,145	42
Automotive repair and maintenance	225	6.2	1.24×About typical	1,905	$44,562	557

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 360,619 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $21.3M on contracts performed in Lubbock, TX metro area: $57.73 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $21.3M; +11% vs FY2025
Per resident: $57.73; US $1,994
Sole-source: 2.6%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.7%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Departmental Offices$9.2M43%
National Aeronautics and Space Administration$2.7M13%
Federal Aviation Administration$2.5M12%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$2M9.2%
Agricultural Research Service$1.1M5.0%
Public Buildings Service$962.2K4.5%
Agricultural Marketing Service$616.2K2.9%
Department of Veterans Affairs$576.5K2.7%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

67.6MFY2017
48.4MFY2018
42.6MFY2019
84.4MFY2020
69.8MFY2021
22.6MFY2022
57.4MFY2023
29.4M

Top industries (NAICS)

Support activities for forestry · 1153$9.2M43%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$3.2M15%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$2.2M11%
Other residential care facilities · 6239$2M9.2%
Building equipment contractors · 2382$791K3.7%
Other food manufacturing · 3119

Part of this section could not be loaded in time.

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $2.2B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Lubbock, TX metro area: $5,864 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $2.2B; +2.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,864; US $12,955
Loan face value: $177.1M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 8.8%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$1.1B50%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$184.4M8.5%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$130.3M6.0%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$118.4M5.5%
20.279 · National Highway Performance Program (NHPP)$109.9M5.1%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$107.2M5.0%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$103.3M4.8%
10.990 · Farmer Bridge Assistance Program$73.1M3.4%

Top recipients (organizations)

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$223M10%
AUSTIN, TX
AMERICAN AGRI-BUSINESS INSURANCE CO.$25.3M1.2%
LUBBOCK, TX
SOUTH PLAINS COLLEGE$21.8M1.0%
LEVELLAND, TX
SOUTH PLAINS COMMUNITY ACTION ASSOCIATION INC$16M0.7%
LEVELLAND, TX
TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$1.4B63%
Federal Highway Administration$223M10%
Department of Transportation
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$214M9.9%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Farm Service Agency$181M8.4%
Department of Agriculture
Department of Education$32M

Assistance by fiscal year

2BFY2021
2.1BFY2022
2BFY2023
1.8BFY2024
2.1BFY2025
2.2BFY2026

County aggregates

75%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Lubbock, TX

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

LubbockPrincipal city264,814

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Texas

Areas based in Texas, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M31180

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved16

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like Lubbock, TX metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Lubbock, TX

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Texas

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved16

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

What was bought