Amarillo, TX Homes For Rent

Homes for Rent in Amarillo, TX: What You Need to Know

Amarillo in northern Texas is also called the Bomb City. There’s nothing sinister about the nickname. It refers to Pantex, America’s only nuclear weapons assembly and disassembly facility based in Amarillo.  

Job Opportunities

Amarillo, like other cities in Texas, attracts many businesses because the state doesn’t levy personal state or corporate income tax. Pantex is a major employer with 3,300 employees. It operates the facility under a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy. Other top employers are Tyson Foods (4,400 employees), BSA Health System/Don & Sybil Harrington Cancer Center (3,200 employees), and Northwest Texas Healthcare System (1,860 employees).

Things to Do in Town

The magnificent Palo Duro Canyon never fails to amaze visitors. Take in the spectacular rock formations and cliffs in America’s second-largest canyon after the Grand Canyon. It offers more than 30 miles of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails. Visit the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum to see prehistoric arrowheads and pottery, Old West firearms, and fossils from the Late Triassic Period. The museum’s exhibits highlight the historical and ethnological roots of the Panhandle-Plains region of Texas and areas of the Southwest.

Local History

The city was originally called Oneida upon its establishment in 1887. Its location on a dry lake bed with yellowish-brown soil gave its name Amarillo, meaning yellow in Spanish. Amarillo started as a railroad construction camp, but it grew into one of the world’s largest cattle-shipping centers in the 1890s. The Amarillo Helium Plant produced nearly all of the world’s supply of helium for over a decade prior to World War II. The plant was operated by the U.S. Bureau of Mines, which closed in 1996. The plant is now privately owned and awaits rehabilitation.

Cost of Living

Residents praise Amarillo’s (population: 199,371) slow but steady growth as the key to keeping living standards affordable. The city’s cost of living rate, food, and housing costs are 15.4%, 18.6%, and 34.8% lower than the national average, respectively. The median gross rent in the city is $839. If you’re new to Texas, enjoy your biggest perk – no state income taxes. Texas collects 6.25% to 8.25% in sales tax. 

Know Your Neighborhoods

Downtown Amarillo’s revitalization has made it an attractive place not just for businesses but also for residents who want to combine work, play, and life. Housing options downtown range from loft apartments in renovated historic buildings to high-rise condos and gated apartments. For families who prefer suburbs with topnotch schools, Canyon and Palisades fit the bill. They are small towns known for their quiet and friendly environment.