Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The median household income is $46K, and 14% of residents live below the poverty line. Overall it grades C+, 241st of 640 graded towns in Texas. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 82% of U.S. towns. Its weakest subject is health: residents are less healthy than 76% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. 42% of working residents work locally in Brady, where Texas’ towns sit at 8.3% and U.S. towns at 8%. Brady has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them McCulloch County Courthouse and Old McCulloch County Jail.
Where Brady beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Brady is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 115 in 1880, 5,118 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1917 and 2 maps from 1960 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brady, 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 Brady.
Brady fares better on crime within Texas than nationally, has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
At 2.2 years of the county’s $54K median household income, the typical home (about $120K) costs less against local pay than in 89% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living. The typical value, about $120K, is 20% below its September 2022 peak.
The typical Brady home is worth about $120,000, up 1.8% in a year, 60% below the Texas typical home. Brady’s median rent is $776 a month.
| Brady | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 55% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $776 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by Brady ISD. Its three schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brady ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 458 | B− |
| Brady H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 271 | A |
| Brady MiddleTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 206 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Against the 4,422 U.S. towns with household incomes like Brady’s, it is healthier than 65%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
20% of Brady adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance. Brady beats the Texas average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 16% of Brady adults have diabetes.
| Brady | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 30% | 25% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Brady | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.5% | 74.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 22.1% | 12.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Brady weather station records that about 107 days a year reach 90°, more than in 96% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 94.5°, hotter than in 95% of U.S. towns; January nights average 34.6°.
Brady has mild winters and hot summers. The July high in Brady is 95°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Brady | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 95°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 35°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here fell from 2,984 in 2013 to 1,752. The average commute for its 1,941 working residents takes 18 minutes, against 26.7 across Texas.
Jobs based in Brady fell to 1,752 in 2023, 1,232 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are San Angelo (4%), Mason (3%) and Lubbock (3%). Half commute less than 23 miles.
| Brady | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $46,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1.9 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Rollie G White Complex, at 53 acres.
| Brady | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.3% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. E. O. Martin Memorial Park | 0.4 mi | 9 |
| 2. Rollie G White Complex | — | 53 |
| 3. Willie Washington Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Brady since 2025.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 15.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 71% of Texas’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 6 reported in 2025, 1.2 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Brady; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Brady residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
2 places in Brady on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Brady.
City in Texas, United States
Brady is a city in McCulloch County, Texas, United States. Brady refers to itself as the "Heart of Texas", as it is the city closest to the geographical center of the state, which is about 15 miles northeast of Brady. Its population was 5,118 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of McCulloch County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Brady grades C+ overall, better than 41% of U.S. towns and #241 of 640 in Texas. It grades C− for health, B for safety and B+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 2.2 years of the area's median household income ($54,043 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
4 notable people were born here, including Alton Terry and Scott Appleton.
