Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,627, settled in 1892. Public schools that outperform most of Texas.
Archer City’s best subject grades are an A+ for schools, an A for safety, and an A− for walkability; its weakest is a D for incomes. On safety, just 20 of Texas’ 576 towns do better. Archer City’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile, against 0.3 in Texas’ towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Archer County Courthouse and Jail is on the National Register of Historic Places. Archer City has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Archer City beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Archer City El | PK–6 | 278 |
| Archer City H S | 7–12 | 206 |
1,834 counted in 2010 and 1,601 in 2020; an estimated 1,627 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Archer City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 825 in 1910, 1,601 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1891 and 2 maps from 1931 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Archer City, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Archer City.
Its public schools are run by Archer City ISD. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archer City ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 278 | A |
| Archer City H SLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 206 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Archer City’s property crime rate is 1.8 per 1,000 residents, where Texas’ towns sit at 10.7 and U.S. towns at 9.9. The violent crime rate in Archer City is 0.6 per 1,000 residents.
| Archer City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.8 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Archer City’s median rent is $531 a month. Typical home values rose 8% in the year to September 2026. 78% of households own their home in Archer City.
| Archer City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $531 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 69% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Archer City for work: only 7% work in town. Since 2013, Archer City has lost 253 jobs, to 364 in 2023. 14% of Archer City residents live below the poverty line.
| Archer City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 12% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 74% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Archer City beats the Texas average on 7 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 12.
| Archer City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 22% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
| What stands out | Archer City | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 12.8% | 19.1% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 12.4% | 16.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.1% | 5.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Archer City has mild winters and hot summers. July afternoons reach 97°, January nights drop to 31° and about 3 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
2.6 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Burkett Park, at 20 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Burkett Park | — | 20 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Archer City; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Archer City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
Where Archer City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Texas, United States
Archer City is a city in and the county seat of Archer County, Texas, United States. The city lies at the junction of State Highway 79 and State Highway 25. It is located 25 miles (40 km) south of Wichita Falls, and is part of the Wichita Falls metropolitan statistical area. Its population was 1,601 at the 2020 census. Archer City is notable as a filming location for the motion picture The Last Picture Show (1971) and its sequel Texasville (1990), both based upon novels written by Archer City native Larry McMurtry. The city is named for Branch Tanner Archer, a commissioner for the Republic of Texas.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Public schools that outperform most of Texas.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
2 notable people were born here, including Graham B. Purcell, Jr. and J. Jeff Hays.