Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 5,871, founded in 1907.
Crystal City grades D− overall, ranked 630th of 640 in Texas, mostly because of health and incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 96% of the country. The median household income is $36K, and 38% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: it is more walkable than 63% of U.S. towns. 38% of residents live below the poverty line in Crystal City, against 12% in Texas’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Crystal City's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 98% of U.S. towns. Only 3 of the 613 Texas towns we compare have a lower median rent than Crystal City.
7,138 counted in 2010 and 6,354 in 2020; an estimated 5,871 in 2025.
The decline has continued: down 7.7% since 2020, after 11% in the decade before.
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 Crystal City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 6,609 in 1930, a peak of 9,101 in 1960, 6,354 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1880 and 2 maps from 1939 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Crystal 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 Crystal City.
Crystal City has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has homes that are cheap against local pay.
At 2.4 years of the county’s $37K median household income, the typical home (about $90K) costs less against local pay than in 84% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to its C for cost of living. Values rose 16.9% in the past year while the Texas typical home fell 1.5%.
The typical Crystal City home is worth about $90,000, 70% below the Texas typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by Crystal City ISD. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Crystal City H S, with 505 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sterling H Fly Jr. H SLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 355 | D |
| Crystal City H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 505 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Against the 1,480 U.S. towns with household incomes like Crystal City’s, it is less healthy than 72%, so its D− isn’t only a matter of income.
43% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Crystal City. Among 641 Texas towns, just 7 have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Crystal City. 19% of adults report frequent mental distress in Crystal City.
| Crystal City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 24% | 19% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 37% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Crystal City | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.7% | 17% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.1% | 6.1% |
| More uninsured adults | 42.1% | 19.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The average commute for its 2,609 working residents takes 17 minutes, against 26.7 across Texas.
About one in 4 of Crystal City’s working residents works in town. The average trip to work in Crystal City is 17 minutes. Since 2013, Crystal City has added 272 jobs, to 1,813 in 2023.
| Crystal City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 28% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $36,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Crystal City weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 307 days, longer than in 95% of U.S. towns. The Crystal City weather station records that about 154 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns.
Crystal City’s July high is 99°F. Crystal City has warm winters and hot summers, with very little rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Crystal City's reported crime rate is well below Texas's. 16 violent crimes were reported in 2023.
| Crystal City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 5.8 per 1,000 residents | 14.8 | 13.1 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 2.6 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.8 |
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 58% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 26 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Crystal City.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0.3 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is Juan Garcia Park, at 32 acres.
| Crystal City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.8% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Juan Garcia Park | 0.1 mi | 32 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Crystal City; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Crystal City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
City in Texas, United States
Crystal City is a city in and the county seat of Zavala County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,354 as of the 2020 census, and was estimated at 6,009 in 2024. It was settled as a farming and ranching community and was a major railroad stop being 110 miles (180 km) from San Antonio. Spinach became a major crop and the city has promoted itself as "Spinach Capital of the World." During World War II, a large internment camp was located here. The town is also noteworthy in the history of Mexican American political self-determination for the founding of the La Raza Unida Party.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Crystal City grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #630 of 640 in Texas. It grades D− for health and D for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D−.
That is 2.4 years of the area's median household income ($36,749 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 C.