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Texas Independent Living at a Glance: 145 Communities in 68 Cities
From high-rise apartments in Houston to cottage campuses in the Panhandle, here is the Texas network our veterans and families can choose from, as of October 21, 2026.
What Independent Living Costs in Each Texas Metro, and How Far VA Benefits Go
The statewide average of $3,754 hides a wide range. Austin costs $2,976 a month more than McAllen, according to NIC MAP data published by Where You Live Matters. The last column shows how far the maximum VA Aid & Attendance amount would stretch against each average, for a veteran who also qualifies because of care needs.
| Metro area | Average per month | Against the Texas average | Share covered by the maximum benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | $4,937 | +$1,183 | 78% |
| Houston | $4,086 | +$332 | 94% |
| San Antonio | $4,039 | +$285 | 95% |
| Dallas–Fort Worth area | $3,746 | −$8 | 103% |
| El Paso | $2,831 | −$923 | 136% |
| McAllen | $1,961 | −$1,793 | 196% |
Could Aid & Attendance Help Cover Care in Texas?
Aid & Attendance pays toward care, not rent alone. A Texas veteran or surviving spouse who needs help with daily activities may get up to $3,845 a month. In McAllen that is more than the average rent; in Austin it covers about 78 percent of it.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (844) 757-3047
When Daily Help Is Needed: Texas Care Costs vs. the Nation
Every paid care setting in Texas costs less than the national median. The gap is widest for nursing homes. Assisted living runs $1,912 a month above the independent living average, which is the jump families feel when a parent starts needing daily help.
| Setting | Texas monthly median | U.S. monthly median | Texas vs U.S. | Above Texas independent living |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assisted living | $5,666 | $6,200 | 9% lower | $1,912 more |
| In-home care (non-medical) | $5,720 | $6,673 | 14% lower | $1,966 more |
| Adult day care | $1,950 | $2,058 | 5% lower | — |
| Nursing home, semi-private room | $5,627 | $9,581 | 41% lower | $1,873 more |
| Nursing home, private room | $7,604 | $10,798 | 30% lower | $3,850 more |
Medians from the CareScout (Genworth) Cost of Care Survey 2025.
Serving Texas’s 1,402,357 Veterans and Their Surviving Spouses
Texas is home to 1,402,357 veterans, according to U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts (2020–2024). Bexar County (San Antonio) was home to 170,569 veterans in 2023, more than Harris County (Houston) with 152,982. The ten counties with the most veterans (Bexar, Harris, Tarrant, Dallas, Bell, El Paso, Travis, Denton, Collin, and Williamson) hold 55 percent of the state’s veterans. (Texas Workforce Investment Council, Veterans in Texas · 2025 communities.)
Those counties line up with where our partners are. Houston and San Antonio are our two largest partner cities, and the Dallas–Fort Worth area has the most partners of any region. Patriot Angels works with Texas veterans and surviving spouses to see whether they qualify for VA Pension and Aid & Attendance and to find a partner community near family.
Wartime service, not combat
Many Texas veterans who served stateside during a wartime period still meet the service rule for VA Pension.
Surviving spouses count too
A surviving spouse of a wartime veteran may qualify on their own, including for Aid & Attendance when care is needed.
Our 145 Texas Partner Communities, Region by Region
Find the communities closest to family. Counts come from our current Texas listings, and the last two columns show how many partners in each region also offer a higher level of care on the same campus, so a resident could move within the community later.
| Region | Cities | Partners | Also assisted living | Also memory care |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas–Fort Worth | 25 | 43 | 20 | 10 |
| Houston area | 14 | 37 | 21 | 16 |
| West Texas and the Panhandle | 8 | 15 | 6 | 4 |
| North and East Texas | 8 | 13 | 6 | 6 |
| San Antonio area | 2 | 12 | 7 | 6 |
| Austin area | 4 | 12 | 7 | 2 |
| Coastal Bend | 4 | 7 | 3 | 3 |
| Central Texas | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| All of Texas | 68 | 145 | 73 | 50 |
Featured Texas Communities, From Dallas to the Gulf Coast
Texas Licensing Rules to Know Before You Sign a Lease
Texas Health and Human Services (HHSC) licenses assisted living facilities under Health and Safety Code, Chapter 247. It sorts them into two types based on whether residents can leave the building on their own in an emergency and whether they need staff at night.
Type A license
For residents who can follow directions in an emergency and don’t need routine attendance while they sleep.
Type B license
For residents who need staff help to evacuate and need someone attending to them overnight.
Alzheimer’s certification
HHSC keeps separate Alzheimer’s certification checklists for assisted living, which apply to memory care units.
Independent living
A building that offers homes, meals, and activities but no personal care is not an assisted living facility, so HHSC does not license or inspect it.
What this means for your family: at an independent-only community, nobody from the state checks staffing or care, so the lease is the main protection. If the campus also has assisted living, ask which license type it holds, because a Type A building may not be able to keep a resident whose needs grow. 73 of our 145 Texas partners have that on-site option.
Texas Tax Rules That Help Fund a Move
Texas has no state income tax and a larger school-tax homestead exemption for owners 65 and older. Here is how each one affects savings and home equity when a parent moves.
No state income tax
Texas does not tax personal income, so pensions, Social Security, IRA withdrawals, and VA benefits reach the household in full.
Over-65 homestead exemption
School districts must exempt $140,000 of a homestead’s value, plus another $60,000 for owners 65 or older or disabled, per the Texas Comptroller. It only applies while you live there.
Surviving spouses
A surviving spouse 55 or older may keep the deceased spouse’s over-65 exemption if they still live in the home, which can make keeping the house a real option.
Timing a home sale
Selling frees equity for entrance fees and monthly rent but ends the homestead exemption. Line the closing date up with the move-in date so there is no double cost.
Choosing Where to Live in Texas: Storms, Heat, and Distance from Family
Gulf Coast storms
Our Houston-area and Coastal Bend partners sit in hurricane country. Ask how the building handles evacuation, backup power, and medications if roads close.
Summer heat
Long, hot summers make indoor walking areas, covered parking, and air-conditioned transport worth asking about, along with the generator plan for power outages.
Metro or small city
104 of our 145 partners are in the four largest metro areas. The other 41 are spread across 23 smaller cities, where costs are often lower but hospitals and specialists can be farther away.
Distance from family
Texas is big. A move from El Paso to Houston is over 700 miles, so many families choose a community near the adult child who visits most.
Find Independent Living in Your Texas City
Start with our largest Texas cities. Tiles show the average monthly cost where NIC MAP data is published.
15 partner communities
Avg. $4,086/moSan Antonio
10 partner communities
Avg. $4,039/moAustin
7 partner communities
Avg. $4,937/moArlington
5 partner communitiesDallas
4 partner communities
Avg. $3,746 (area)/moPlano
4 partner communities
Avg. $3,746 (area)/moSugar Land
4 partner communitiesAmarillo
3 partner communities
All 68 Texas cities
Numbers show partner communities.
Veteran Families We’ve Helped
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Straight Answers for Texas Veterans and Families
Is independent living cheaper in Texas than in the rest of the country?
Slightly. Texas averages $3,754 a month against about $3,800 nationally. The spread inside the state is much bigger than that gap: Austin runs $4,937 and McAllen $1,961.
How do I know if a Texas community is licensed?
If it gives personal care, it must hold a Texas HHSC assisted living license as Type A or Type B. If it only rents homes and offers meals and activities, there is no license to check, so read the lease closely.
What is the difference between Type A and Type B?
Type A residents can leave the building on their own in an emergency and do not need staff awake with them at night. Type B residents need staff help to evacuate and need someone attending to them overnight.
Will the state tax a VA pension or Aid and Attendance?
Texas has no state personal income tax, and Aid and Attendance is tax-free at the federal level too, so the full monthly amount stays available for care.
What happens to my over-65 property tax exemption if I move?
It applies only to the home you live in as your principal residence. If you sell or stop living there, check how and when it ends before you set a move-in date.
Do Gulf Coast communities plan for hurricanes?
Texas requires licensed assisted living to keep emergency plans. Independent-only buildings are not inspected the same way, so ask any coastal community how it handles evacuation and power loss.
Are there partner communities outside the big Texas metros?
Yes. 41 of our 145 Texas partners are in 23 cities outside the four largest metro areas, from Amarillo and Lubbock to Tyler and Corpus Christi.
New to Independent Living? Start With the Basics
The general guide covers how independent living works anywhere in the country. Start there for the basics, then come back here for Texas costs and communities.
GuideWhat independent living includesPrivate homes with dining, activities, and upkeep handled, but no personal care. 72 of our Texas partners run this way only.Read on the national page →
GuideAmenities to compareDining plans, transportation, fitness, and on-site staffing differ a lot from one building to the next.Read on the national page →
GuideQuestions for a tourA full checklist for contract terms, daily life, and what happens if care needs change.Read on the national page →
GuideFour care types side by sideIndependent living, assisted living, memory care, and in-home care compared on care, cost, and VA help.Read on the national page →
