Rockwall, Texas

What It Is Like to Retire in Rockwall

The state of Texas is seeing an increase in its retiree population, and the town of Rockwall, located on the east shore of Lake Ray Hubbard, is one that has become popular with baby boomers and has seen double digit growth. Rockwall is the seat of Rockwell County, part of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, and is located about 20 miles northeast of Dallas.The town is named for its natural geological formation of rock walls, and has a diverse population of 47,251 (2020 Census). The beautiful and vibrant downtown is the heart of the city as it has experienced a renaissance in recent years featuring outdoor spaces, shops, dining, music and events. The city is also home to the Higher Education Center at which Collin College and Texas A&M University-Commerce offers classes. Photo of Rusk Street courtesy of Wikipedia and Michael Barera; photo of The Rockwall County Courthouse courtesy of Wikipedia and Larry D. Moore; photo of First Methodist Church of Rockwall courtesy of Wikipedia and John Hopper, Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0/

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Where to Retire in Rockwall and Home Prices

Rockwall is made up of several neighborhoods and offers a variety of homes. Zillow reports the median home value in early 2022 was $424,477, up a whopping 32.7% over the past year.

What Is Special about Rockwall

The city of Rockwall is located on the shores of Lake Ray Hubbard and offers a variety of outdoor recreation. There are marinas, a golf club, disc golf, sports complexes, many parks with a variety of activities, and a walkable downtown. Crime rate here is very low.

What Is Not Special about Rockwall

High real estate and sales tax, and high summer temperatures with humidity

Who Will Like Retirement in Rockwall

Retirees who are looking to live in a mid-sized town and not far from Dallas would enjoy Rockwall. The lakeside community features many town events and festivals, a library, hospital, volunteer opportunities, an active senior program, a popular farmers market, and through Collin College

Local Economy Is Driven by

Education, health care, manufacturing and retail are the main drivers of the economy.

Climate and Physical Environment

History has it that In the early 1850s, farmers digging a well discovered a rock wall across the county which was determined to be a natural formation, although there have been many stories about it, with some still trying to figure out the mystery. The History Channel produced a documentary about the underground wall in 2020, called "The Great Wall of Texas". Rockwall County is the smallest county in Texas and its physical environment includes flat and gently rolling prairies. The average January temperature is 44 degrees and July's average is 83 degrees.

Restaurants & Cultural Scene

Downtown Rockwall boasts beautiful and open spaces, shops and several eateries. The town hosts several events during the year including public art projects, free concerts on weekends at the San Jacinto Plaza, a weekly farmers market, and annual events which include the Rib Rub Run and Roll cook-off in October and Holiday Open House in November, along with 4th of July and Halloween celebrations. For cultural events, Dallas is just 30 miles away.

Crime

The crime rate here is low.

Medical facilities

Texas Health Hospital is located here, and is going through an expansion which will make the facility about twice the size.

Transportation

Rockwell is not considered to be a walkable or bikable community. The town has a marina, and a municipal airport. The nearest International airport is the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, about 40 miles away.

Valuable Links

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