Name: Killeen, TX
Rating: 0.0

( 55 Ratings )

Living in Killeen, TX

Ranks better than 63% of areas Follow

Population

148,573

Median Age

29.4 Years

Killeen Area Facts

Killeen has a Livability Score of 63_/100, which is considered average
Killeen crime rates are 16% lower than the Texas average
Cost of living in Killeen is 3% lower than the Texas average

What do the locals think about Killeen?

38%

Family friendly

26%

Public transit is accessible

38%

Walkable to grocery stores

36%

Yards are well-kept

50%

Lots of parks

31%

Walkable to restaurants

Friendly neighbors

Safe at night

Pet friendly

Streets have sidewalks

43%

A quiet area

31%

Sense of community

Based on 42 votes from AreaVibes users. Take the poll

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Killeen Reviews

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Where do I start??? 0.5 rating By Anonymous ( Aug 27, 2021) Granted, Killeen is within a manageable driving range for most big cities BUT, UNLESS YOU ARE RETIRED WITH $$ TO TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE CITY, HAVE A JOB WITHIN THE CITY THAT PAYS WORTH A (BLANK)...SO YOU CAN TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE CITY or have a remote job that can be done from anywhere, ...Read More so you can travel OUTSIDE THE CITY...Killeen is GARBAGE!

One the upside, the housing market is good compared to other cities. However, it comes at a cost.
The job market within the city doesn't pay at all but most residents tolerate it because they are retired and just working to keep busy or they are spouses/family of active military personnel that are only stationed here for the time being. For those who live here and want a great paying job while taking advantage of the housing market within the city, be prepared to drive for that paycheck. You will definitely spend majority of your time on the road....which brings me to my next point.

If you are looking for entertainment within the city...YOU WILL NOT FIND IT IN KILLEEN. Don't believe me, Google, "things to do in Killeen", you'll see a couple of parks, restaurants and a trampoline park that I have yet to see open in the years that I've been here. With the base being here and all the money that it brings into the economy (per a 2019 stat from competroller.texas.gov, the base brought in 29.8 billion...BILLION into the economy), you would think that the place would be bustling with entertainment but NOPE. No clue where the money is going but it is not on entertainment or road repairs. Even the soldiers have to travel outside the city for entertainment (most soldiers and civilians die traveling BACK to the city coming FROM entertainment form OTHER cities due to DWIs. If they had entertainment within the city, taking an uber would be cheaper, but that is just my opinion. Also, don't drink and drive). So, if you want a good paying job, entertainment but want to take advantage of the housing market, be prepared to spend most of your life on the road to get it because traffic to other cities are ridiculous.

Crime is high as expected due to lack of entertainment, in my opinion. Nothing to do to keep people out of trouble.

The city finds ways to get money out of people more ways than one. Example, news articles seems to post every 6 months to a yr that a new school has opened up which increases the property taxes. The article below that will say that the schools are short staffed...so, why were my taxes increased?? Don't let the city experience 2 weeks of snow! The unpreparedness as a state, is another topic but a perfect opportunity the increase utilities within the city! The city has increased water bills to "fix the roads". The bills were increased last yr for the same reason and did not see not one road THAT ACTUALLY NEEDED THE WORK DONE, GET DONE.

In all, if you are an introvert or even an extrovert, and you want bare basic entertainment, THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR YOU. Read Less

Not THE worst but still not worth it 1.5 rating By TheGoodLife ( Mar 04, 2021) I can't imagine living in Killeen on my own accord. If you're a Killeen resident you're either in the military, married to someone in the military, a military veteran, or you were born there. Otherwise, there's really no point in living there. Downtown Killeen is rundown and crim ...Read More e infested. There is zero nightlife or attractions so you'll need to make the trek to Austin for any semblance of fun. Shopping and dining options are ok but not amazing. Schools are below average. The whole town overall is just drab with no character. Very boring with few redeeming qualities. If you're forced to live there, I highly recommend looking south of I-14 and east of highway 195 if you want a decent house in a relatively safe area. If you don't absolutely have to live here, look elsewhere! Read Less

The worst place to live. 1 rating By Anonymous ( Apr 18, 2020) The police department only responds to incidents involving police officers and doesn't give a damn about its citizens. Much less issues like ordinance control.

Animal control is a joke.

I garuntee you will have at leat 10 neighbors bumping different noise at any hour of the n ...Read More ight and day.

Noone tales care of their yard, dogs, cars. So property value sucks.

Everyone drives like an A$$HOLE.

There are too many people for the infrastructure. Of the city and the roads are terrible.

Power goes out constantly.

It's a multi hour drive to anywhere that isn't a cesspool. Read Less

The "armpit" of Texas - DO NOT GO PASS GO! 0.5 rating By Anonymous ( Apr 14, 2020) I moved from Hawaii to Killeen, TX 18yrs ago. Killeen, TX was the introduction to Texas for me. NOT a good introduction to Texas at all. I moved there because my husband was in the military--this was when the "stop loss" was a thing--it was "home" 3days after 9/11 had happened ...Read More . I've NEVER been back there since and I promised myself NEVER TO EVER GO BACK THERE. Horrible environment, horrible area. Rent, utilities--everything about that place is an awful memory. Someone years ago asked me where we were stationed. And that person said, " Killeen...the armpit of Texas". That was the BEST description of that place anyone has said to me. Read Less

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The worst place to live. 1 rating By Anonymous ( Apr 18, 2020) The police department only responds to incidents involving police officers and doesn't give a damn about its citizens. Much less issues like ordinance control.

Animal control is a joke.

I garuntee you will have at leat 10 neighbors bumping different noise at any hour of the n ...Read More ight and day.

Noone tales care of their yard, dogs, cars. So property value sucks.

Everyone drives like an A$$HOLE.

There are too many people for the infrastructure. Of the city and the roads are terrible.

Power goes out constantly.

It's a multi hour drive to anywhere that isn't a cesspool. Read Less

The "armpit" of Texas - DO NOT GO PASS GO! 0.5 rating By Anonymous ( Apr 14, 2020) I moved from Hawaii to Killeen, TX 18yrs ago. Killeen, TX was the introduction to Texas for me. NOT a good introduction to Texas at all. I moved there because my husband was in the military--this was when the "stop loss" was a thing--it was "home" 3days after 9/11 had happened ...Read More . I've NEVER been back there since and I promised myself NEVER TO EVER GO BACK THERE. Horrible environment, horrible area. Rent, utilities--everything about that place is an awful memory. Someone years ago asked me where we were stationed. And that person said, " Killeen...the armpit of Texas". That was the BEST description of that place anyone has said to me. Read Less

getting worse and worse. 0.5 rating By Anonymous ( Dec 05, 2019) I have lived in Killeen for almost 3 years and it has only gone downhill. I have had many things stolen from my yard, my children's swimming pool has been popped and then stolen. Tonight I went to take my dog out only to find my gate open and my children's trampoline smoldering. ...Read More YES! someone came into my yard and lit my children's toy on FIRE! I don't know what's wrong with the people here. I have NEVER had something like this happen to me EVER. I am at a loss for words and so ready to move. Read Less

THIS PLACE IS BORING 1.5 rating By Anonymous ( Jul 10, 2019) Theres nothing to do here , everything there is to do is going out to eat and the movies . heres no form of entertainment and a lot of drug deals going around the neighborhood. it is not safe for a growing child. ...Read More Read Less

County of bell 5 rating By Anonymous ( Jun 13, 2019) This is an excellent opportunity for children and extremely safe all city offices are organized and prompt schools are excellent and virtually no crime at all compared to most major cities ...Read More Read Less

DO NOT MOVE HERE! 0.5 rating By Anonymous ( Jun 11, 2019) Please beware of your surroundings if you happen to move here, because Killeen is a real eye sore and a high crime area filled with thugs, homeless, prostitutes, and absolute garbage! I lived in this hell hole for a year and thanked God I made it out alive and well last year when ...Read More I relocated closer to the Austin area. No joke, the neighbors are shady and will find ways to rob you blind if you're not careful because they know majority of this city is military families or outsiders who are not familiar to the area. If I could give this place ZERO stars, then I would for sure. I don't even recommend this place for elderly folks or retirees unless you're looking for dirt cheap land in the country.

I literally had to get an ADT security alarm for my home, because I did not realize my apartments were located in the middle of the ghetto next to the base, Ft Hood. Do NOT move anywhere near Rancier Avenue or Trimmier Rd, or anywhere near the military base because you will suffer in the long run from a string of crimes. When I first moved here in the summer of 2017, I was lucky I did not get robbed, however, the bowling alley (Bowl-A-Rama) next to my apartments had a shootout when it was getting robbed, and the dollar store (Family Dollar) got robbed back to back during Christmas time!! It's just so sad how these SLUM LORDS at these apartments (Century Plaza Apartments) do not care about their residents, because my apartment was infested with roaches, the maintenance didn't care about the landscaping (TALL GRASS), there were animal feces everywhere, and the pool was GREEN!!

I was too glad to happily break my lease contract and pay out the last two months earlier once I found a new place closer to the Austin area, and I couldn't be happier! There are no attractions worth looking at unless you've never been on a military base, the local community sucks because they don't care about security or neighborhood watch, nightlife is whack (hole in the wall clubs and dirty strip clubs) dining is SUB PAR (lots of chain restaurants) and shopping is SUB PAR (Killeen Mall is all they have for most shopping, unless you travel elsewhere).

The guys and gals here appear to really OFF and strung out on DOPE majority of time so beware of that too. All I've met here in the past year were JAILBIRDS!! I don't know what's in the water here, but everyone here seems to have a jail record or a whole bunch of kids on welfare, and that's a red flag right there. This place reminds me of inner city Chicago, because most of town is predominately black, poor, and trashy. For this city to be a "military-friendly" town is a real JOKE! There is absolutely nothing friendly about Killeen, so please do your research and move to a place where the jobs and economy are booming, like Austin, Dallas, or San Antonio area. There are no REAL job opportunities here unless you decided to be an idiot and sign a military contract into Ft Hood and deploy nearly 4 to 5 times out of your military career! (P.S. Ft Hood is also known as "Ft No Good" because it's a real CAREER ENDER)

I've never met so many divorced military guys and gals in my life until I moved here, so that right there should tell you something about the local community of Killeen. Read Less

Killeen problems stem from the local government 0.5 rating By Blaze izzim ( Dec 13, 2017) Killeen has something called surcharges that they impose on top of fun e s from the courts. They blame drugs as the reason it is the way it is. The biggest drug dealers have badges. They are a city that manipulate the citizens and tear down rather than uplift their communities. T ...Read More he court system is a joke they give court dates out over the phone versus at the time of incidents. There are a lot of abandoned homes and apartments that prove to be eye sores. Last I checked extortion was a crime but if you have a badge here you can do whatever you want. Jwc is a company that has a monopoly on rentals. The police captain was talking about ridding the city of crime but why send your same police force to commit crimes. In an effort to stop rings that they organize. The bus system is treacherous two buses stop at 6:15 while the others stop at 5 something. The only good thing is that it is perfect for an investor that doesn't mind being able to practice being a slum lord. This city is filled with mhmr(people with mental sicknesses) all in all if the local government really cared about the community then you wouldn't be out in the streets doing the illegal things kpd does. They have all these courthouses for a city that is looks halfway abandoned. The city imposes ridiculous fees and fines on the military and show that without their presence the existence of the city would be no more. The vast number of churches show that many know there's a problem but think that is going to be the solution but if the city stopped tearing down its own community down it would thrive and they would see the crime rate decrease. Not a very promising area if you're not going to fix up one of these be condemned boarded up houses or apartments. The disease rate is high because due to the small population no matter what circle of life you're in someone will always know someone in another one so everyone is sleeping with damn near the whole city. Remember the tree that they taught in health class when you sleep with this person you sleep with everyone that they sleep with. Well all in all the city is a direct reflection of its so called representatives and leaders of the community. Smh, killeen all in all gets 2 thumbs down on the horrible infrastructure that is implemented in this god forsaken city. Making bell county a not so prosperous county. How can you solve a problem in a county that is so full of hypocrisy. Read Less

Killeen Tx Home of Fort Hood 1.5 rating By Anonymous ( Dec 19, 2014) I have lived in Killeen for a few years, I can honestly say it has its good points and bad points like anywhere else. There are tons of people that hate it most of them are military families. When you move from place to place it is hard to make friends and your neighbors don't wa ...Read More nt to get to know you because they know you will be moving soon. They may seem a little standoffish. The best places to live in Killeen are near Trimmier Rd and Stan Schlueter loop. Copperas Cove and Harker Heights are good neighborhoods, though they can be a bit of a drive in traffic. Harker Heights has a lot of nightclubs and bars, as well as the shopping mall and a movie theater.

Killeen is horrible for crime, especially any neighborhood that is close to where Fort Hood and the Rancier/Veterans Memorial areas. You also don't want to be downtown after dark. I would avoid any house on a low numbered street, these are the bad neighborhoods. They just built a water park on Stan Schlueter loop. Close to the Mall is a nice area, south of Killeen is nice because it is all new housing, also south of Bacon Ranch road is fairly safe as well.

Killeen has a Walmart, K-mart, Super Target, Bath and Body Works, Kohl's, and Jcpenney. There is plenty of shopping to be found in the mall. The Mark Restaurant is the best Steakhouse in town. The best meat market in town is Cospers over on the East Elm Road. Plus there's some really nice public parks too. Killeen also has the Central Texas State fair Labor day weekend as well as stock car races at Texas Thunder Speedway.
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Targets Military 0.5 rating By wolfhawk22001 ( Oct 09, 2013) City of Killeen targets the military and behind closed doors allows businesses within the city limits to target primarily military personnel. I lived between Washington DC and Baltimore, and have noticed Killeen's, cost of consumer items and services are almost identical to the M ...Read More aryland area. The only upside is houses of equal construction and size are roughly half the price of the Maryland area. Crime is significantly high. Schools in general, are sub-par for similar sized towns. City of Killeen forces there will similar to a Home Owners Association. And the residents of Killeen treat most military personnel as outsiders. Hiring practices are restrictive to military, day to day business do not cater to military. For example, day care cost almost the same as in Maryland, hours of operation are more restrictive, and on and on. Harker Heights is slightly better, and Coppers Cove even better. The Maryland area did not cater to the military on any way but all places where more military friendly. I would also include Austin, Houston, San Antonio and a significant number of other Texas towns more military friendly then Killeen. Read Less

Look elsewhere 0.5 rating By Hegs ( Jun 07, 2012) I don't have a problem with mixed feelings when it comes to Killeen. I have had nothing but bad experiences with this town since the moment I moved in. I have gotten my home broken into 2 times in 4 months, the people are mostly rude, and the drivers are ridiculous. The crime rat ...Read More e is through the roof. I have met ONE neighbor that even says hello and I'm pretty sure that "merging" or "going the speed limit" is not in the vocabulary of anyone in this forsaken city. It's just pretty much one big ghetto as far as I'm concerned and I grew up in the L.A. area in California and have seen my share of unsavory places.
There is nothing to do and it is located right smack dab in the middle of nowhere, you have to drive to Austin or Dallas to find anything suitable to do if you are not 19, single and an alcoholic. Considering I don't have a choice where I live since my husband is military, Killeen was the only real option to live. I did NOT do my research before moving here and that was a mistake I will NEVER make again. Had I known what a true dump this place was I would have chosen to move a little further from Fort Hood such as Harker Heights which is right next to Killeen. My husband is getting moved to Kentucky in a few months and I could not be happier to get out of this place. If I never hear the word "Killeen" again it will be too soon. If it is any indication, I recently looked up Killeen on Youtube and the most popular video was of a fight between males AND females in front of a car wash and Bush's Chicken with weaves flying all over the place. I think at one point a guy hit a girl. That pretty much sums it up here. Read Less

Killeen - mixed feelings 1 rating By Susan86 ( Jul 19, 2011) Before I start my review, let me tell you what everybody says about this place: you either hate it or love it. It really depends on what kind of background you have, what type of personality you have, where you are from and whether you are single or married with kids.

I live he ...Read More re, I didn't come here for only one weekend and I definitely see this place from a completely different point of view than the previous poster. Killeen is located right next to Ft. Hood and it therefore serves the needs of the military. It's a real military town with no real economy; it is kind of like an extension of the base, it is like a big off-post housing area. If you are single and outgoing, you might like Killeen because it has excellent restaurants and you don't have to drive far to get anything basic for living. If you have kids, however, your entertainment is very limited (non-existent is a better word). No zoo, no museums, no nice parks. Fortunately, they have a bunch of nice pools on the base which really help out in the heat but if you are not in the military or not related to the military, I cannot see why you would want to live here. Killeen is a real armpit with high violent and property crime rates concentrated in the downtown and Northern areas. Yeah, this is something you don't figure out about this place on a weekend trip if you are lucky. In addition, the drivers are horrible. I have been living here for a few months only and I already had a major accident (not at my fault) and more close calls than at any other places in my entire life. Most people are rude. If you move here, don't be surprised if you say hi to your neighbors and there is an awkward silence following. 99% of the people will not say hi, will not try to approach you and if you want to be friendly, they are like "what the hell?" This is because of the transient nature of the area. People move in and out all the time. You don't know your neighbors and they don't even want you to know them because they know you are going to move out in a year or two. It is very hard to make friends if you don't know anyone here (I have lived at other military places as a military spouse, I can only say good about those other places, Killeen is very hostile compared to those and I have had very bad experiences here in many aspects). Due to the large population (especially of the dependents), there are no jobs if you are not in the military unless you want to be a waitress in a restaurant or work for a tiny company with a Master's degree for minimum wage. The weather is hot (summertime is miserable according to many people, I personally don't have a problem with it but I don't love it either) and you might like this climate if you hate the cold. Properties are cheap and they do have several nice new housing developments (with a high burglary rate though). Unlike on the East Coast and in many other states, most houses are brand new in the Killeen area. It is a rapidly developing area regarding housing and infrastructure but there is nothing else here other than the military. If Ft. Hood ceased to exist, so would Killeen.

People who tend to like this place are usually young, single soldiers, families from TX (who are used to this area and the weather, probably have relatives around), families from other states with very harsh winters. Most people do not like to live here because they have been to far better places (it is not hard to find one for sure). Read Less

Killeen, Texas: A Great Time! 4.5 rating By Anonymous ( Jul 07, 2010) I had the opportunity to stay a weekend in the city of Killeen, Texas last April on a visit to see my nephew. Since he was living there and attending Texas A and M University - Central Texas, he knew all the local spots and attractions that Killeen is famous for. It ended up bein ...Read More g an action packed and fun filled weekend.

Killeen is the home of Fort Hood, which is responsible for adding many citizens to its population of nearly eighty-six thousand residents. I was amazed at the size of the fort and all of its surrounding land. I also learned that Fort Hood had donated much of its acreage to develop the University grounds.

We enjoyed some racing action at the Texas Thunder Speedway, played eighteen holes of golf at the beautifully kept Municipal Golf Course and took in a performance at the Vive Les Arts Community Center. This theatre provides a number of famous shows during each season and also conducts children's theatre workshops every year.

As it happened, my visit coincided with Killeen's annual Festival of the Flags, which is held the last weekend in April. This is a unique festival that includes free concerts, a huge car show and many food vendors located throughout the city.

I chose to stay at the Shilo Inn Suites Hotel and the rooms were great! On my last night, we went to eat at the Caribbean American Choice Restaurant, which serves wonderful food. They have a wide variety on their menu and enormous portions for the price. It was a wonderful weekend, thanks to all Killeen has to offer. Read Less

Compare Killeen, TX Livability

Killeen, TX

Killeen, Texas is a military town located in Central Texas, Bell County. It is a large city with a small-town feel, so if you're moving from a small town, this will feel like a home away from home. The city is home to Fort Hood army base, hence a high possibility of having an active military, ex-military, or even a retired military as a neighbor.

You will be amazed by the cultural diversity in Killeen. The town has many restaurants where you can try out a variety of cuisines without flying out. For example, you can have all kinds of native African food at Bella African Market and enjoy Caribbean delicacies at the Costa Caribe Seafood and Grill house.

Besides the food in Killeen, there is a range of fun activities that you can do while in the city. For starters, you can visit The Gun Range and try out firing a gun at an indoor fully equipped gun range that is open all week. Killeen is home to numerous lakes such as Belton Lake-Cedar Ridge Park, Lake Georgetown, and Belton Lake that are excellent fishing grounds and for other water-based activities like swimming. During the weekend, you can catch a musical or play at the Vive Les Arts Theatre or visit the Mayborn Science Theater and explore the stars.

The town has a low unemployment rate because of the Fort Hood Military base in the city. The station has created many job opportunities for the residents in the exchange department. Other top employers in the city include Killeen Independent School District, MetroPlex Hospital, and one can find a job in no time.

The cost of living in Killeen is quite low compared to the national average. The housing costs, rental charges, and utility costs are already way below the average value in an American City, and the cost of housing varies depending on the location of the unit. This means you can comfortably raise a large family.

Transport and movement in this Killeen city are easily accessible to everyone. You do not necessarily need to own a private car to move around the city. The town has a public transportation system that is operated by the Central Texas HOP. This system works regionally and connects Killeen residents to nearby communities such as Harker Heights and Copperas Cove. The Central Texas HOP also offers favorable para-transit services to the elderly and physically challenged. There is also a local airport that can aid quick regional traveling via the Killeen Fort Hood Regional Airport.

Killeen, TX, has all your education needs covered, regardless of age or education level. Once you are done with your freshman and sophomore coursework elsewhere, you can enroll at Texas A&M University for a bachelor course. If you’re relocating with your children, they can join in the Killeen Independent School District for elementary education.