The Abilene metro area includes large swaths of land about 180 miles due west from the larger metropolitan of Dallas-Fort Worth and almost directly in the center of the Lone Star State. Although not experiencing the same type of growth as Laredo on the Gulf or Austin, Abilene is slowly growing. The price of a home has risen from $107,600 to $124,800 in the past year.
The region is a major medical and agricultural center, and is also home to Dyess Air Force Base, the area’s single largest employer. Unemployment in the area is low, around 6.5 percent, and living costs are also lower than average. Close to 80 percent of homes are affordable to households earning the area’s median income, a good talking point for real estate agents selling the area to home buyers.
