Jobs, pay and daily life in Abilene, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 08/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Abilene is a city in Texas with 128,053 residents. The median household earns $62,648 a year and the median rent is $1,157 a month, which is 22.2% of the median household income. It is part of the Abilene, TX metropolitan area, where BLS counts 75,070 jobs.
How Abilene compares. Among the 120 largest places in Texas, Abilene is #28 by population, #3 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #26 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #93 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Taylor County, is #112 of 254 counties for average pay ($55,914).
Abilene has 128,053 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.4% of the population of Texas. It covers 107 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,200 people per square mile. The median age is 32.8, 8% younger than the state median (32.8 against 35.6).
The median gross rent is $1,157 a month (rent plus utilities), 18% below the state median ($1,157 against $1,403). Over a year that is 22.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $183,700, which is 2.9 times the median household income ($62,648); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 56.1% of households own their home, 10% below the state average (56.1% against 62.6%).
The Abilene, TX metropolitan area has 75,070 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $44,340 a year, 13% below the national median ($44,340 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (10,810 jobs, median $40,110); food preparation and serving related (7,780 jobs, median $27,570); sales and related (6,720 jobs, median $33,480). The area is most specialised in educational instruction and library (1.3 times) and office and administrative support (1.3 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($95,480) and educational instruction and library ($51,820). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Taylor County was 3.5%. 57.2% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Taylor County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 78.2% drive alone, 0.4% use public transit, 2.3% walk, 8.4% work from home. 4.6% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 73% below the state average (4.6% against 16.9%).
27.3% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 19% below the state share (27.3% against 33.8%). 7.4% of residents were born outside the United States, 58% below the state share (7.4% against 17.6%). The poverty rate is 16.1%, 17% above the state rate (16.1% against 13.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 84°F (29.0°C), and the coolest is Jan at 43°F (6.2°C). About 678 mm (27 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (90 mm) and Jan the driest (27 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: San Angelo (82 miles, similar rent); Weatherford (116 miles, rent 32% higher); Wichita Falls (122 miles, rent 12% lower); Cleburne (136 miles, rent 14% higher). Rent differences are against Abilene; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Texas (1,539) →State guide: TexasCountry guideTaylor CountyTexas rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,539 federal postings open in Texas (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 2,930 | 1.57 | $26,310 | $21,470 | $30,620 | -16% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2,550 | 2.03 | $36,830 | $29,790 | $53,210 | -18% |
| General and Operations Managers | 2,120 | 1.25 | $86,200 | $43,770 | $210,360 | -19% |
| Retail Salespersons | 2,000 | 1.06 | $29,530 | $22,420 | $44,930 | -17% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,820 | 0.88 | $23,690 | $21,860 | $31,160 | -34% |
| Cashiers | 1,780 | 1.19 | $27,130 | $21,750 | $35,400 | -17% |
| Registered Nurses | 1,680 | 1.03 | $80,240 | $63,890 | $100,710 | -18% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 1,380 | 1.01 | $34,200 | $27,390 | $45,120 | -8% |
| Office Clerks, General | 1,110 | 0.93 | $37,410 | $23,910 | $57,150 | -17% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 1,090 | 1.09 | $54,720 | $38,180 | $77,630 | -7% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 1,080 | 0.99 | $22,520 | $16,290 | $47,280 | -36% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 970 | 1.40 | $60,300 | $38,830 | $89,980 | -13% |
| Medical Secretaries and Administrative Assistants | 940 | 2.03 | $43,790 | $34,980 | $49,790 | -5% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 930 | 0.87 | $30,020 | $22,340 | $41,310 | -19% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers | 900 | 1.52 | $34,700 | $27,980 | $58,270 | -21% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 900 | 1.10 | $39,360 | $27,610 | $58,280 | -17% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 840 | 1.14 | $42,940 | $29,600 | $69,720 | -13% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 830 | 0.58 | $35,810 | $25,860 | $45,110 | -11% |
| Nursing Assistants | 800 | 1.15 | $37,460 | $28,870 | $43,050 | -11% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 750 | 1.10 | $28,700 | $22,130 | $37,490 | -22% |
These figures are for the whole Abilene, TX metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $44,340 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.5% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 29.6% |
| Retail trade | 13.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 9.1% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 8.1% |
| Construction | 7.0% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.4% |
| Other services | 6.1% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 5.4% |
| Manufacturing | 5.4% |
| Public administration | 5.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.7% |
| Information | 1.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.2% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county (the first of several) where Abilene lies and cover the whole county, not only the city. The city also extends into Jones County.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taylor County | 145,863 | $9,866 million | $67,636 | 68,255 | 3,886 | $55,914 | +1.4% | 3.5% | 75,614 |
| Jones County | 20,304 | $600 million | $29,528 | 3,056 | 338 | $50,611 | +3.5% | 3.5% | 7,560 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 12,208 | 21.3% | $67,020 | 1.25 |
| Retail trade | 8,322 | 14.5% | $40,641 | 1.22 |
| Accommodation and food services | 7,321 | 12.8% | $22,641 | 1.18 |
| Administrative and waste services | 3,338 | 5.8% | $56,761 | 0.83 |
| Construction | 3,256 | 5.7% | $65,119 | 0.91 |
| Wholesale trade | 3,099 | 5.4% | $77,093 | 1.15 |
| Finance and insurance | 3,064 | 5.3% | $71,277 | 1.11 |
| Manufacturing | 2,961 | 5.2% | $54,876 | 0.53 |
| Educational services | 2,945 | 5.1% | $48,937 | 2.09 |
| Professional and technical services | 2,527 | 4.4% | $78,968 | 0.53 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 2,074 | 3.6% | $42,991 | 1.01 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,498 | 2.6% | $64,726 | 0.52 |
| Real estate and rental | 1,073 | 1.9% | $55,657 | 1.01 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 1,043 | 1.8% | $91,952 | 4.04 |
| Information | 822 | 1.4% | $70,469 | 0.64 |
| Utilities | 720 | 1.3% | $92,237 | 2.77 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 696 | 1.2% | $25,702 | 0.61 |
| Management of companies | 231 | 0.4% | $94,605 | 0.20 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 100 | 0.2% | $57,004 | 0.18 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 78.2% |
| Public transit | 0.4% |
| Walk | 2.3% |
| Work from home | 8.4% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 4.6% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $62,648 |
| Income per person | $31,321 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,157 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 22.2% |
| Median home value | $183,700 |
| Homeowners | 56.1% |
| Poverty rate | 16.1% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 90.4 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $44,340 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 32.8 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 87.7% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 27.3% |
| Born abroad | 7.4% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 57.2% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.2 | 43 | 27 |
| Feb | 8.2 | 47 | 33 |
| Mar | 13.7 | 57 | 50 |
| Apr | 18.6 | 65 | 51 |
| May | 23.2 | 74 | 90 |
| Jun | 27.4 | 81 | 81 |
| Jul | 29.0 | 84 | 62 |
| Aug | 28.8 | 84 | 68 |
| Sep | 24.4 | 76 | 80 |
| Oct | 18.3 | 65 | 69 |
| Nov | 12.0 | 54 | 39 |
| Dec | 6.8 | 44 | 28 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Angelo | TX | 82 mi | 99,674 | $65,864 | $1,153 |
| Weatherford | TX | 116 mi | 35,788 | $81,516 | $1,527 |
| Wichita Falls | TX | 122 mi | 102,581 | $60,177 | $1,022 |
| Cleburne | TX | 136 mi | 34,344 | $70,656 | $1,322 |
| Burleson | TX | 141 mi | 52,918 | $93,928 | $1,685 |
| Fort Worth | TX | 141 mi | 963,194 | $79,507 | $1,509 |
| Copperas Cove | TX | 141 mi | 37,947 | $71,225 | $1,043 |
| Midland | TX | 142 mi | 136,640 | $89,585 | $1,434 |
| Haltom City | TX | 146 mi | 45,767 | $59,057 | $1,415 |
| Lubbock | TX | 146 mi | 264,814 | $60,895 | $1,182 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
128,053 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,157 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 22.2% of the median household income.
$62,648 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.5% (BLS county, Taylor County (latest month 2026M09)).
Texas. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.