Introduction 
City Overview
As of 2009, Abilene's population is 116,219 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of -0.98 percent.
The median home cost in Abilene is $76,030. Home appreciation the last year has been -1.30 percent.
Compared to the rest of the country, Abilene's cost of living is 25.77% Lower than the U.S. average.
Abilene public schools spend $5,118 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $6,058. There are about 13 students per teacher in Abilene.
The unemployment rate in Abilene is 5.00 percent(U.S. avg. is 8.50%). Recent job growth is Positive. Abilene jobs have Increased by 1.20 percent.
Abilene, TX, the defining city of West Texas, where the frontier spirit is still applied to discovery, development and creativity. Some may think the west begins in Fort Worth, but Abilene is where it’s in full gallop. The spirit of the Texas Frontier lives and breathes in Abilene, which in the span of a century transformed itself from tent city to cultural center, cow-town to college town, all without losing the flavors of the past.
Abilene's civic progressiveness has given it a number of cultural and entertainment attractions in excess of what would be expected for a city of 120,000. Abilene serves as a cornerstone for cultural and heritage activities in West Texas. It offers opera, a Philharmonic, Broadway Plays, Ballet, dinner theatres, and the only accredited Zoo between Fort Worth and El Paso. Discover your wild side at the Abilene Zoo and get up close and personal to over 170 species. Feed a giraffe, roar with the lions or cringe in the creepy crawler exhibit.
Thanks to modern technology, it’s possible to relive those early days. At Frontier Texas! visitors meet – at least figuratively – some of the real men, women and children who lived, and died on the Texas Frontier. Stroll through downtown galleries, shops and world class exhibits.
Abilene is not only a great place to visit, but a great place to live and work. Education, retail, Dyess Air Force Base, medical, tourism and the Oil, Gas and Wind Industries all contribute to our diverse economy. The World’s Largest Wind Farm is in the Abilene area.
Visit Abilene, just 150 miles west of Fort Worth, and experience the Friendly Frontiers’ mix of western heritage and contemporary culture. Learn more at http://www.discoveramerica.com/ca/texas/abilene-index.html
Overview