Moving to Laredo, Texas: A Comprehensive Relocation Guide

Considering moving to Laredo, Texas? This dynamic border city is America’s number one inland port, offering unique bicultural character, affordable living, and unparalleled international trade opportunities. Here’s your 2025 relocation guide.

Demographic Profile to Consider If Moving to Laredo:

Laredo is Texas’s 11th-largest city with a population of approximately 263,000 residents as of 2025, representing steady growth within the Laredo metropolitan area of 340,000 people. Located in Webb County along the Rio Grande in South Texas, Laredo sits directly across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, creating one of six transborder agglomerations along the U.S.-Mexico border. The city’s demographics are notably homogeneous, with approximately 96% of the population identifying as Hispanic, primarily of Mexican heritage, making Laredo one of the most Hispanic cities in the United States. The median age is remarkably young at 29.7 years, driven by large family sizes and a vibrant youth population. The median household income is approximately $63,000, while the poverty rate stands at 20.8%, reflecting the city’s role as a border community with economic disparities. Spanish is predominantly spoken alongside English, creating a truly bilingual environment where border culture thrives. Laredo’s unique position as the Gateway to Mexico means residents experience authentic bicultural living, with deep connections to Mexican traditions, cuisine, and commerce while maintaining American infrastructure and opportunities.

Cost of Living to Consider If Moving to Laredo:

Laredo offers exceptional affordability, with overall living costs running approximately 9% below the national average. As of 2025, median home prices range from $213,000 to $258,000 depending on neighborhood and property characteristics, making homeownership accessible to working families. The rental market is equally affordable, with median rents around $1,175 monthly, requiring an annual income of approximately $47,000 to maintain the recommended 30% housing cost ratio. Housing options include single-family homes comprising 67% of the housing stock, large apartment complexes, and mobile homes. The cost per square foot averages $140, well below state and national averages. Beyond housing, Laredo residents benefit from below-average costs for groceries, utilities running 9% below typical rates, and transportation expenses 12% lower than national standards. Healthcare costs are 7% below the U.S. average. Texas’s lack of state income tax further enhances affordability, allowing households to stretch their dollars significantly further than in most metropolitan areas. Property taxes average 2.2%, which is typical for Texas municipalities.

Economy and Job Market:

Laredo’s economy revolves around its status as the number one inland port in the United States, handling $340 billion in international trade in 2024 according to U.S. Census Bureau data analyzed by WorldCity. Port Laredo accounts for 62% of all land port trade between Texas and Mexico, with over 47% of U.S.-Mexico trade crossing through Laredo’s border crossings. The Port of Laredo supports an estimated 363,000 jobs statewide and contributes over $52 billion to Texas GDP. Major employers include U.S. Customs and Border Protection employing 1,950 customs field officers and 1,770 Border Patrol agents, making federal government a significant employment sector. The logistics and warehousing industry is booming, with millions of square feet of warehouse space under development to support nearshoring trends. Texas A&M International University employs substantial academic staff, while United Independent School District and Laredo Independent School District provide education sector employment. Healthcare facilities including Doctors Hospital of Laredo and Laredo Medical Center employ thousands. The retail sector thrives on cross-border shoppers, with approximately $2 billion in Border-area retail sales attributed to Mexican nationals, supporting an estimated 40,000 jobs statewide. The transportation, warehousing, logistics, retail trade, healthcare, education, and federal government sectors dominate the local economy, creating diverse employment opportunities for bilingual workers.

Education:

Laredo students are served by two major school districts. United Independent School District is the larger district with 41,203 students in grades PreK-12, consistently rating highly with 48% of students proficient in math and 54% in reading. United ISD operates numerous elementary, middle, and high schools including specialized magnet programs focused on health sciences, business, and early college opportunities. The district spans a land area exceeding Delaware and gains approximately 1,500 students annually. Laredo Independent School District serves 20,592 students across 30 campuses including 20 elementary schools, four middle schools, and four high schools. LISD offers Advanced Placement courses, career and technical education, and early college high schools partnered with local universities. Both districts provide bilingual education reflecting the community’s linguistic needs. For higher education, Texas A&M International University enrolls nearly 8,000 students and awarded 1,974 degrees in 2023, offering bachelor’s and master’s programs in business, education, nursing, criminal justice, and liberal arts. Laredo College, a comprehensive community college, awarded 1,913 degrees in 2023 and provides associate degrees, workforce certificates, and transfer programs. The concentration of educational institutions produces over 4,100 graduates annually, creating a bilingual, educated workforce attractive to international businesses.

Recreation and Lifestyle:

Laredo offers diverse recreational opportunities centered on its unique border location and natural surroundings. Lake Casa Blanca International State Park spans 525 acres featuring a 1,680-acre lake popular for boating, water skiing, swimming, fishing for largemouth bass and catfish, camping, hiking, and mountain biking across four trails. The park offers basketball courts, baseball fields, volleyball courts, tennis courts, playgrounds, and an 18-hole golf course nearby. Entry fees are $4-5 for adults with children under 12 free. The city’s rich cultural heritage is celebrated through festivals, authentic Mexican restaurants, and traditional markets. Downtown Laredo features the historic San Agustin Plaza, San Agustin Catholic Cathedral built in 1872, and the Republic of the Rio Grande Museum housed in an 1830s building. The Imaginarium of South Texas provides hands-on science exhibits for children, while TAMIU Planetarium offers astronomy programs. Uni-Trade Stadium hosts minor league baseball with the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos, the only professional team playing home games in both the United States and Mexico. Residents enjoy easy access to Nuevo Laredo for authentic Mexican dining, shopping, and entertainment. The bicultural lifestyle means celebrating both American and Mexican holidays, with particularly elaborate observances of Día de los Muertos, Mexican Independence Day, and traditional American holidays.

Healthcare and Services:

Laredo is served by two major hospital systems providing comprehensive medical care. Doctors Hospital of Laredo is a 183-bed acute care facility operated by Universal Health Services, offering 24-hour emergency care including a Level III Trauma Center, Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, comprehensive women’s health services, cardiovascular care through the Heart and Vascular Center, cancer treatment services, neuroscience program, wound care and hyperbaric medicine, and bariatric surgery. The hospital is recognized as an Advanced Primary Stroke Center certified by The Joint Commission and has received American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines awards. Doctors Hospital operates five satellite clinics throughout strategic areas including north central, south, northwest locations, and a maternity clinic, plus freestanding emergency departments. Laredo Medical Center is located at 1700 East Saunders Street and has been awarded Labor and Delivery Excellence and Obstetrics and Gynecology Excellence recognition from Healthgrades. The facility provides full-service acute care, emergency services, maternity care, and specialty medical services. Both hospitals employ bilingual staff essential for serving the predominantly Spanish-speaking population. Additional healthcare infrastructure includes numerous urgent care centers, specialty clinics, and physician practices throughout the city ensuring residents have access to quality medical care.

Transportation:

Laredo’s strategic location makes it the Gateway to Mexico with exceptional transportation infrastructure. Interstate 35 runs directly through Laredo, providing the primary north-south corridor connecting Mexico to Canada through the heart of the United States. U.S. Highway 83 offers additional connectivity, while Loop 20 facilitates efficient movement around the city. Laredo is connected to Mexico via four international bridges: World Trade Bridge handling primarily commercial traffic with approximately 40% of all northbound trucks, Laredo-Colombia Solidarity International Bridge serving commercial and passenger traffic, Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge in downtown serving all traffic types, and Gateway to the Americas International Bridge. In 2024, Port Laredo handled over 9.9 million personal vehicle passengers, and approximately 2.8 million cargo trucks crossed from Mexico into the United States through Laredo. El Metro Transit operates 23 fixed bus routes in a hub-and-spoke system with all routes terminating at the downtown Transit Center at 1301 Farragut Street. The system serves over 15,000 riders daily with fares of $2 for adults, $1.50 for students, and reduced rates for seniors and disabled passengers. El Lift provides paratransit services for disabled residents. Laredo International Airport offers daily commercial flights to Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Orlando, and Las Vegas, plus serves as a major air cargo gateway with over 798 million pounds of cargo handled in 2024. The airport features unique dual U.S.-Mexico customs facilities streamlining international shipments. Rail service includes BNSF Railway and Kansas City Southern providing freight connections.

Conclusion:

Moving to Laredo in 2025 offers a distinctive lifestyle unavailable anywhere else in America—authentic bicultural living, exceptional affordability, and direct participation in North America’s most dynamic international trade corridor. Whether you’re seeking logistics career opportunities, bilingual education for your children, or the cultural richness of living on the border, Laredo provides a welcoming community where Mexican and American cultures blend seamlessly, creating opportunities unavailable in typical American cities.