Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Brenham’s weakest subject is safety: it reports more crime per resident than 78% of U.S. towns, including 65 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Walkability is its strong suit: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 78% of U.S. towns. At about $324K, a typical home costs 4.2 years of the Brenham area’s $78K median household income. Overall, that makes a C−, good for 352nd of 640 in Texas. Set against the rest, it does better than 24% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Washington County Courthouse and Giddings-Stone Mansion. 36% of working residents work locally in the town, above both the Texas town median (8.3%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). The town’s density of trails is 1.2 miles per square mile, where Texas’ towns sit at 0.3 and U.S. towns at 0.4.
Figures: FBI crime data, 2025 · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places · Census LEHD, 2023 · OpenStreetMap.
Where Brenham beats most towns.
Pampell-Day House
Census counts: 920 in 1860, 17,369 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1861 and 4 maps from 1930 on.
34 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Brenham is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brenham, 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 Brenham.
Brenham draws workers from Houston and beyond, has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
16 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Hohlt Park, 86 acres with 2.1 miles of trail. Parks and preserves in Brenham: 7, covering 184 acres.
| Brenham | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.9% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hohlt Park | 2.1 mi | 86 |
| 2. Fireman's Park | 0.9 mi | 18 |
| 3. Jackson Street Park | 0.7 mi | 22 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Of its 11 schools, two are listed below, each with the reason. Its public schools are run by Brenham ISD. 4 public schools serve Brenham, with 2,383 students in all.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brenham J HLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 756 | A− |
| Brenham H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,544 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
12,718 jobs are based in Brenham, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 17.6 minutes, against 26.7 across Texas.
The top destinations are Houston (13%), Austin (7%) and Bryan (2%). Brenham’s mean commuting time is 18 minutes. For half of commuters, work is under 34 miles away. Nearly a fifth of Brenham residents live below the poverty line.
| Brenham | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 36% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 8.4% | 9.7% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Brenham’s level of property crime stands at 17.3 per 1,000 residents. Its violent crime rate is 3.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Brenham | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 17.3 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.2 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Since 1979, Brenham has seen 28 flood insurance claims paid out. FEMA expects less storm and flood damage in the town than in 73% of U.S. communities. 45% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 18%. Federal aid has come to Brenham households in 7 declared disasters; the latest was in 2024.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
33% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Brenham. The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Brenham at 19,957 residents, up 15% since 2020. The town’s median age comes in at 33.8 years.
| Brenham | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.8 years | 35.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 20% | 14% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 23% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 22% | 26% | 22% |
52% women, 48% men
About 93 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.6 points). Across Texas, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Brenham | TX | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.4% | 13.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.5% | 11.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 18.4% | 9.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11% | 14.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.5% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.8% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9% | 11.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.3% | 8.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.9% | 5.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.9% | 14% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.4% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.9% | 20.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.4% | 7.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.5% | 21.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The Bellville 6nne weather station, 14 miles away, records that about 108 days a year reach 90°, more than in 97% of U.S. towns. January nights average 40.8°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 94.5°.
Snow is a rarity. Also worth knowing: in Brenham, the peak summer temperature is 95°F.
| Brenham | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 41°F | 37°F | 22°F |
| July high | 95°F | 95°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 9,949 U.S. towns with household incomes like Brenham’s, it is healthier than 60%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
The share of adults in Brenham who have high blood pressure: 37%. Of 31 CDC measures, Brenham beats the Texas average on 3 and trails it on 6.
| Brenham | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 74% | 79% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 24% | 19% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Brenham | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 15.2% | 19.1% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 63.5% | 57.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16% | 12.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Homes in Brenham are typically worth about $324,000, down 1.4% in a year, 9% above the Texas typical home. For households in the town, the share who are owner-occupiers is 51%. On the market in the town: a median 84 days to sell.
| Brenham | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 51% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,157 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Brenham. Close and well known come first.
Big draw31 mi Stadium & arenaKyle Field
30 mi MuseumGeorge Bush Presidential Library
18 mi State parkWashington-on-the-Brazos
34 mi MuseumMonument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites
in town MuseumBrenham Heritage Museum
18 mi MuseumStar of the Republic MuseumKyle Field: Janreagan at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · George Bush Presidential Library: Jujutacular, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Washington-on-the-Brazos: WhisperToMe, Public domain · Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · Brenham Heritage Museum: Renelibrary, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Star of the Republic Museum: WhisperToMe, Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Brenham
About 11 of every 100 Brenham residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
34 places in Brenham on the National Register of Historic Places.
29 notable people were born in Brenham.
City in Texas, United States
Brenham ( BREH-nəm) is a city in east-central Texas, United States, and the county seat of Washington County, with a population of 17,369 according to the 2020 U.S. census. Brenham is also known for its annual German heritage festival that takes place each May called Maifest, similar to Volksfest. Numerous German immigrants settled here in the mid-19th century, following the revolutions in German states in 1848.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Brenham grades C− overall, better than 24% of U.S. towns and #352 of 640 in Texas. It grades C+ for health, C− for safety and B− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
29 notable people were born here, including Frank Malina and Courtland Sutton.
