Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Clifton grades B overall, 103rd among Texas's 640 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Crime is low: it reports less per resident than 87% of U.S. towns and natural-hazard risk is low. Its lowest everyday mark is in health: residents are less healthy than 74% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. A typical home there costs about $233K, 3.5 years of the Waco metro’s $66K median household income. 29% of residents are 65 or older in Clifton, above both the Texas town median (14%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Clifton has 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them J. H. Bekken House and Brandhagen Houses. Only 10 of the 488 Texas towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Clifton.
Where Clifton beats most towns.
Wilson HomesiteEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Clifton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 113 in 1880, 3,465 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1939 and 2 maps from 1955 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Clifton, 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 Clifton.
Clifton carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Texas (mostly inland flooding), has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with Waco and other neighbors.
Reported crimes fell from 18 to 7 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
Clifton’s violent crime rate is 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by Clifton ISD. Its three schools are below. The largest public high school is Clifton H S, with 311 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 455 | B− |
| Clifton H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 311 | A− |
| Clifton MiddleTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 235 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 93% of Texas towns, with expected losses of about $366 per resident a year; that rating is what its A for hazard risk is built on.
The FEMA risk score in Clifton is 12 of 100. Since 1989, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Clifton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
People 65 and older are 29% of residents (13% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (24% statewide). 25% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 34% across Texas.
| Clifton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.8 years | 35.8 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 24% | 26% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 23% | 29% |
56% women, 44% men
About 80 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.4 points). Across Texas, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Clifton | TX | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12% | 13.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.9% | 11.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.3% | 9.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 5.6% | 14.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.4% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.3% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14% | 11.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.8% | 8.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.8% | 5.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 18.5% | 14% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.9% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.1% | 20.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.5% | 7.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.5% | 21.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.5% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,500, single groups can be off by several points
42% of adults have high blood pressure in Clifton. Clifton beats the Texas average on 5 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 20% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Clifton.
| Clifton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 35% | 35% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Clifton | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14% | 17% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 14.3% | 16.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.1% | 5.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
61% of Clifton households own their home. The typical Clifton home is worth about $233,000, up 0.7% in a year, 21% below the Texas typical home.
| Clifton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 61% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,055 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
July afternoons average 95.5°, hotter than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 35.5°.
Clifton has mild winters and hot summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Clifton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 96°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Clifton has about as many jobs (1,357) as working residents, but only 392 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 16.4 minutes, against 26.7 across Texas.
About one in 4 of Clifton’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Clifton has added 136 jobs, to 1,357 in 2023. The top destinations are Waco (11%), Fort Worth (4%) and Dallas (3%).
| Clifton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 25% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 9.5% | 12% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
0.2 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is City Park, at 55 acres.
| Clifton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.8% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. City Park | — | 55 |
| 2. Olsen Park | — | 8 |
| 3. Dahl Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Clifton; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Clifton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
9 notable people were born in Clifton.
City in Bosque County, Texas, United States
Clifton is the largest city in Bosque County, Texas, United States. The city's population was 3,465 at the 2020 census. Clifton and the surrounding area were settled by Norwegian settlers in the mid 1800s. Today, this area is in the National Register of Historic Places as the Norse Historic District.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Clifton grades B overall, better than 64% of U.S. towns and #103 of 640 in Texas. It grades C for health, A for safety and B for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
9 notable people were born here, including Dan Campbell and Zach Duke.