Metro Life Score

Laredo, TX

Above-median composite Life Score — grade B+, 72nd percentile of the national corpus.

55.2
Life Score / 100
B+
Grade (curved)
#107
of 387 metros
72%
composite percentile
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Data updated August 2026

The verdict

Laredo is above-median composite Life Score — #107 of 387 (55.2/100, grade B+, 72nd percentile). Carried by cost of living at 92/100; held back most by wages at 2/100.

72nd
composite percentile
#107
of 387 peers
91st
cost dimension percentile
2nd
wages dimension percentile

Life Score shape · UPPER · COST-LED · signature wages

Laredo: wage lag defines the peer set

Laredo is a UPPER-band metro where wages sit at only the 2nd percentile (LOW) while cost is FLOOR (91st) and composite #107. Wages at 2/100 is the clearest drag; Cost of Living (92/100) is the offset. According to PlainCompare's federal Life Score corpus ranking, Laredo, TX ranks #107 of 387 metros by composite Life Score (highest = #1) and #33 of 387 by cost-of-living dimension score (highest = #1). Methodology.

BEA RPP 87.0 (rent-RPP 59.7). BLS median salary $53,494, 102,920 jobs (Home Health and Personal Care Aides, Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers, Fast Food and Counter Workers). HUD 2BR FMR $1,161/mo (studio $956).

FBI UCR (TX): 395 violent, 2058 property/100K. NCES: 14.7:1 ratio, 11.4% charter. DOL infant childcare $7,566/yr. EPA: 70 Superfund sites (TX).

Where Laredo sits among all US metros

Composite Life Score vs the national field

55 72nd percentile higher than 72% of 387 US metros

25–30: 1 US metros (0%). Below this entry. 30–35: 7 US metros (2%). Below this entry. 35–40: 34 US metros (9%). Below this entry. 40–45: 66 US metros (17%). Below this entry. 45–50: 91 US metros (24%). Below this entry. 50–55: 77 US metros (20%). Below this entry. 55–60: 60 US metros (16%). This entry sits in this band. 60–65: 44 US metros (11%). Above this entry. 65–70: 6 US metros (2%). Above this entry. 70–75: 1 US metros (0%). Above this entry. This metro 25 75 every US metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source PlainCompare composite of BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, EPA data · August 2026

Dimension detail

How Laredo scores, dimension by dimension

Score Breakdown

Cost of Living Wages Rent Safety Schools Childcare Environment

Dimension Scores

Cost of Living 92/100 (20%)
Wages 2/100 (20%)
Rent 72/100 (15%)
Safety 35/100 (15%)
Schools 44/100 (10%)
Childcare 75/100 (10%)
Environment 87/100 (10%)

Key Data Points

87.0
Cost Index (RPP)
$53,494
Avg Median Salary
$1,161
2BR Fair Market Rent
395
Violent Crime/100K (TX)
14.7:1
Student-Teacher Ratio
$7,566
Infant Childcare/yr (TX)
70
Superfund Sites (TX)
102,920
Total Employment

Geography used: crime, schools, childcare, and environment cards above are TX state-level when metro-specific feeds are unavailable, see the scope key at the top of this page.

Compare Laredo With...

Ranking Context

Laredo outranks 72% of U.S. metros.

Rank Metro Score Grade
#104 Rome, GA 55.4 B+
#105 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN 55.4 B+
#106 Tuscaloosa, AL 55.5 B+
#107 Laredo, TX 55.2 B+
#108 Manhattan, KS 55.2 B+
#109 Roanoke, VA 55.2 B+
#110 Champaign-Urbana, IL 55.0 B+

TX Metro Scores

Read with Laredo

Nearest composite peers and cost poles for Laredo (UPPER · COST-LED · FLOOR/LOW), replacing the fixed Explore/Guides strip.

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Laredo Life Score 55.2/100 · signature wages · retrieved and formatted by PlainCompare