Longview vs Marshall

Which is the better fit for you?

Longview, TX
58
Area Score
Bottom 47% nationally
Marshall, TX
55
Area Score
Bottom 37% nationally

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Longview receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Longview to Marshall

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Everyday prices
About the same
Regional price level 89.0 against 89.0 (US = 100). Both places sit in the same price region, so the index cannot tell them apart.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
+$61 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,260 in Marshall against $1,199 in Longview.
The median home
30% less
$141,400 in Marshall against $202,600 in Longview.
The weather you would swap
Winters 1°F colder
Normal January lows are 36°F in Marshall against 37°F in Longview; July highs are 93°F against 94°F (summers 1°F cooler).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Longview
Marshall
Opportunity: Longview is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 26%
vs
42 · Bottom 20%
Growth: Marshall is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
38 · Bottom 26%
vs
54 · Top 42%
Climate: Marshall is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
70 · Bottom 47%
vs
75 · Top 28%
Physical resilience: Longview is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
70 · Top 36%
vs
68 · Top 39%
Housing affordability
71 · Top 36%
vs
71 · Top 38%
Schools: Longview is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
49 · Bottom 49%
vs
22 · Bottom 15%
Access: Longview is the more favorable of the two.
Access
98 · Top 21%
vs
88 · Bottom 36%
Economic stability: Longview is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
39 · Bottom 20%
vs
26 · Bottom 6%

Measured values

MetricLongviewMarshallSource period
Population82,92323,8252024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income — the two are too close to separate$63,340 ±$3,530$55,089 ±$9,3002024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$33,995 — more favorable$28,0782024 ACS 5-Year
Population density1,475/sq mi801/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$202,600$141,4002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$1,101$949 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,199 — more favorable$1,260FY2026
Cost of living index89.089.02023
Homeownership rate54.7%59.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate5.2%5.2%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−0.1%0.0% — more favorableJuly 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher23.7% — more favorable20.0%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate16.4% — more favorable21.8%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)1284312 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents1.51.8 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−24.3%+104.8%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high94°F93°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low37°F36°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation45.3"50.3"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport10 mi — more favorable23 miNASR current cycle
Average commute21.4 min19.1 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age35.332.52024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools27112024-25 school year
Students per teacher14.0 — more favorable15.12024-25 school year
Math proficiency48.7% — more favorable36.5%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency45.3% — more favorable38.4%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility70.8%78.5%2024-25 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

One row above shows both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Longview

Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hail.

Marshall

Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, hail.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Longview
—
Longview: Your Score
58
Area Score
Marshall
—
Marshall: Your Score
55
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Longview, TX · Marshall, TX · How this is calculated: methodology