137 years in pictures
Census counts: 2,364 in 1960, 5,223 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2020 and 5 maps from 1916 on.
- 1889Barrett is founded
Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,273, founded in 1889.
Barrett earns a D, ranked 477th of 640 in Texas, mostly because of health. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 78% of the country. What it does well: its public schools beat 55% of Texas towns on state tests and graduation. 34% of residents live below the poverty line in Barrett, above both the Texas town median (12%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 90% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Riley Chambers Park, at 42 acres.
3,199 counted in 2010 and 5,223 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Barrett is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 2,364 in 1960, 5,223 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2020 and 5 maps from 1916 on.
Barrett is unincorporated, so Harris County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Barrett.
Barrett is healthier than towns with similar incomes, has homes that are cheap against local pay and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
Against the 5,056 U.S. towns with household incomes like Barrett’s, it is healthier than 56%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
23% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Barrett. Barrett beats the Texas average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 28% of adults worry about having enough food in Barrett.
| Barrett | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 20% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 44% | 39% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 12% |
| What stands out | Barrett | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.6% | 6.1% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 76.8% | 74.1% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 24.9% | 16.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by Crosby ISD. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barrett ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 640 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Barrett has 66 jobs for its 1,912 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Barrett for work: only 1% work in town. Barrett’s average trip to work is 31 minutes. Jobs based in Barrett fell to 66 in 2023, 113 fewer than in 2013.
| Barrett | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.7% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
| Barrett | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 1.2% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Riley Chambers Park | 0.8 mi | 42 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
January nights average 43.9°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 92.5°.
Barrett has warm winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. The January low in Barrett is 44°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Barrett | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 44°F | 37°F | 22°F |
| July high | 93°F | 95°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 60% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 2.3 years of the Houston metro’s $82K median household income, the typical home costs less against local pay than in 87% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to its C+ for cost of living.
83% of Barrett households own their home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Barrett. Close and well known come first.
Big draw20 mi Stadium & arenaDaikin Park
Big draw25 mi Stadium & arenaReliant Stadium
8 mi LandmarkSan Jacinto Monument
20 mi Stadium & arenaToyota Center
22 mi MuseumRothko Chapel
20 mi Stadium & arenaShell Energy StadiumDaikin Park: Delaywaves, CC BY 3.0 · Reliant Stadium: User eschipul on Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 · San Jacinto Monument: Tijuana Brass at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Toyota Center: Ed Uthman from Houston, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Rothko Chapel: Unknown, Public domain · Shell Energy Stadium: HDFC PR, CC BY-SA 4.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Barrett
College town 17 of every 100 Barrett residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
Where Barrett’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Census-designated place in Texas, United States
Barrett, also named Barrett Station, is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,223 at the 2020 census. It was founded in 1889 by Harrison Barrett, a formerly enslaved person.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Barrett grades D overall, better than 11% of U.S. towns and #477 of 640 in Texas. It grades C− for health and B for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
The typical home is worth about $190,000, 36% below the Texas typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.