Moving to Amarillo: Where to Live and How to Choose
An Amarillo address doesn't tell you much. It doesn't tell you the school district, the county, the tax rate, or whether you'll be on city water or a well. This page shows how the area breaks down and how to narrow it to a few places worth visiting.
Who Moves Here, and What They Check First
Most people relocating to Amarillo fall into one of three situations. Each one changes what you should look at first.
Moving for a job
Check first: not the commute. Most drives across town run 15 to 30 minutes, so choose by schools, lot size or price and let the commute follow.
Pantex, the nuclear weapons plant northeast of town, is the largest employer in the Texas Panhandle. It grew from about 3,100 employees in 2014 to more than 4,600 by 2024, and in 2025 it opened a downtown Amarillo campus for more than 400 office staff. Bell builds the V-22 Osprey here and is set to do final assembly of the Army's new MV-75. The two hospital systems, BSA and Northwest Texas Healthcare, the Amarillo VA, Amarillo ISD, Tyson and the City of Amarillo round out the big employers.
Medical employees lean toward the northwest neighborhoods near the hospitals, like The Woodlands, Westcliff and Quail Creek. Each neighborhood page shows the actual drive time to the major employers.
Veterans: the Amarillo VA serves more than 25,000 veterans across the region, and Texas gives 100 percent disabled veterans a full property-tax exemption on their homestead.
Moving with kids
Check first: the school district, not the house. Two houses a block apart can be in different districts.
Four districts serve the area: Amarillo ISD, Canyon ISD, Bushland ISD and Highland Park ISD, and the line between them runs through the middle of southwest Amarillo. The school district page shows which neighborhoods feed which high school.
After the district, look at the drive to school and work, then the yard. Kids Inc. runs the big youth sports leagues, and Amarillo Parks and Recreation runs year-round programs and summer camps.
Want room for a shop? Many neighborhoods allow one, but some don't, so check the deed restrictions. Want horses? That's acreage outside the city limits.
Retiring or downsizing
Check first: how much upkeep you want. If you want a yard you can mow in ten minutes and no stairs, start with [NEIGHBORHOODS TO BE ADDED].
Texas has no state income tax, and homeowners 65 and older get a large break on property taxes: in 2026 the over-65 exemption takes an extra $60,000 off the taxable value for school taxes, on top of the standard $140,000 homestead exemption, and it freezes the school-tax bill at that year's amount for as long as you own the home. You file for it with the county appraisal district.
Healthcare is the other draw. Amarillo is the medical hub for the Panhandle, with two hospital systems, a Texas Tech medical school campus and the VA. The airport has nonstops to Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas and Austin.
Acreage is tempting at these prices, but a well, a septic system and a long gravel driveway are all things you maintain yourself.
Amarillo, Canyon, Bushland or Outside the City
Amarillo is divided into four quadrants, and the same four exist outside the city limits. The area spans Potter and Randall counties, and your school district depends on the street, not the city name. See it on the interactive map or start with northwest, southwest or southeast Amarillo.
In Amarillo
Inside city limits you get city water, sewer and services. Neighborhoods vary widely, so the quadrant and neighborhood pages are the place to compare.
You gain: city utilities and the shortest drives. You trade: smaller lots, and newer neighborhoods often carry an HOA or a PID.
Canyon
A separate city about 15 miles south of Amarillo and home to West Texas A&M University. Homes here are in Canyon ISD.
You gain: a small-town downtown and Canyon ISD. You trade: a longer drive to most Amarillo jobs and shopping.
Bushland
West of Amarillo, mostly acreage homes on well and septic, in Bushland ISD.
You gain: land and Bushland ISD. You trade: a well and septic to maintain, and a longer drive to the store.
Outside the city limits
Homes outside city limits are almost always on a well and septic system instead of city water and sewer.
You gain: bigger lots, space and privacy. You trade: upkeep of your own water and sewer, and longer drives to everything.
Browse northwest, southwest, southeast or northeast of the city »
Neighborhoods by What You Want
Every neighborhood page shows the schools, the tax rate and the drive times, so you can compare any of these side by side.
Newer homes
Heritage Hills, Hillside Terrace, The Vineyards, The Meadows
Mostly built since the late 2000s, with builders still active on some streets. Expect an HOA or a PID in several.
Established streets
Wolflin, Bivins, Puckett, Sleepy Hollow
Homes from the 1930s through the 1990s with mature trees. Ask about the roof, the plumbing and updates.
Acreage and horses
Bushland, Highland Springs, Timbercreek Canyon, Lake Tanglewood
Well and septic, bigger lots, and a longer drive to the store.
Luxury and custom
The Colonies, Quail Creek, La Paloma, River Falls
Larger lots and custom builds, some on golf courses.
Canyon instead
Canyon, Hunsley Hills, Madison Park
A separate town with its own downtown and WTAMU, about 15 miles south.
Room for a shop
[NEIGHBORHOODS TO BE ADDED]
Check the deed restrictions, since this varies street to street.
Low upkeep, single story
[NEIGHBORHOODS TO BE ADDED]
Smaller yards and fewer stairs.
See them all
Interactive neighborhood map · Browse every neighborhood
Click any area on the map to see homes for sale there.
Get a Shortlist Built for You
Tell us your timeline, your budget and what matters most. Our team will send back three to five areas worth a closer look, with the schools, costs and drive times for each.
Two Things a Listing Won't Tell You
The school district and the yearly cost of owning both change from one street to the next.
Schools
Four districts serve the area. Much of southwest and south Amarillo is in Canyon ISD, and the west side is largely Bushland ISD, so a house with an Amarillo mailing address may not be in Amarillo ISD at all.
Compare the districts and their feeder schools, or look up the schools for one address.
Zones can change. Confirm the schools for a specific address with the district before you buy.
What it costs to own
The list price is only part of it. Two homes at the same price can carry different yearly costs because of the school district, the county, whether the home is inside city limits, and whether there's an HOA or a city Public Improvement District (PID). Outside the city, a well and septic system add their own costs and upkeep.
Each neighborhood page shows what applies there. Compare costs by neighborhood, and see buyer closing costs.
Commutes. Most drives across town run 20 to 30 minutes; the far corners and acreage areas take longer. Each neighborhood page lists drive times to downtown, the medical district, Pantex, the airport, the Soncy Road shopping corridor, WTAMU and the nearest highway on-ramp.
Daily Life in Amarillo
The things newcomers wish someone had told them before they bought.
Weather
Summer highs run in the low 90s and winter highs in the upper 40s, but swings are the real story: a 50-degree drop in 12 hours happens. About 18 inches of snow a year melts in a few days. Rain is scarce, about 20 inches a year, so lawns and trees take work.
Wind
The Panhandle is one of the windiest places in the country, and spring is the worst of it. How a house and its outdoor spaces face the southwest matters more than most newcomers expect.
Hail and your roof
Roof claims are routine after spring storms. Ask how old the roof is and whether the shingles are impact-rated, and read the deductible: many local policies use a percentage of the home's value rather than a flat amount.
Water
In town it's city water. Outside the city limits it's usually a private well, and in Randall County about half of them pull from the deeper Santa Rosa (Dockum) aquifer rather than the Ogallala. Get the well tested and ask when it was drilled.
Internet
Most of the city has fiber from at least one provider, but coverage varies block by block. Outside the city limits it may be fixed wireless or satellite. Check the specific address.
Healthcare
Two large hospital systems, a children's hospital with a Level III NICU, a Texas Tech medical school campus and the VA. Northwest Texas is the region's lead trauma center; the nearest Level I is in Lubbock, about two hours south.
Shopping
The Soncy Road corridor on the west side, around Westgate Mall, has most of the national retail and restaurants. Each neighborhood page shows the drive time to it.
Getting around and flying
You'll drive. Loop 335, I-40 and I-27 move most traffic. Rick Husband International has nonstops to Dallas, Denver, Houston, Las Vegas and Austin.
New Construction, Existing Homes or Acreage
Each choice trades something.
New construction
Builder warranties and fewer repairs, often with an HOA or PID.
Existing homes
Established streets, mature trees and neighbors nearby. Budget for updates.
Acreage
Space and independence, along with a well, septic and a longer drive. Rather build? Start with lots and land.
Before You Pick the House
Rent first or buy?
It depends. Renting for a few months makes sense if you don't know the area yet, haven't settled on schools, or are still selling a home elsewhere. Buying right away can make sense if your job and school district are set, or you've already spent time here. Either way, figure out the area before you pick the house.
What listings don't show
The school zone, the county, whether it's inside city limits, well and septic, HOA and PID, and how the house sits in the wind. We check all of it for you.
Moving From Out of Town Is a Lot to Sort Out
Tell us your timeline, your budget and what matters most, and our team will send back a short list of areas to explore.