Downtown DeKalb Wiki, 2021
De Kalb’s story
187 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1839De Kalb is settled
De KalbTX
Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,455
2025 Census estimate · −6.1% since 2020
Typical home
$184K
+0.9% in a year
Household income
$50K
median
Median age
28.8
years
Jobs based here
441
Balanced
Is De Kalb a good place to live?
De Kalb’s best subject grade is a B+ for cost of living; its weakest is a D for incomes. On the outdoors, just 59 of Texas’ 1,000 towns do worse. De Kalb has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes De Kalb stand out
Where De Kalb beats most towns.
Small town
1,455 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How De Kalb grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far De Kalb is from typical.
Jobs & incomeDOpen →HealthMccurtain Memorial Hospital 28.2 miles awayCOpen →Cost of livingB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.6 of 20; 12.3% of households have no car; 0.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →SchoolsBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 47% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →History2 notable people born hereB−Open →Civic life1.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to De Kalb: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in De Kalb, and how to reach them.
PowerSWEPCO12.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Dekalb water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have De Kalb’s trash rules yet
Register to voteIn personTexas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBowie County Early Voting ClerkBowie County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code7555975559 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in De Kalb.
HousingCost of living grade B+
A home in De Kalb is worth about $184K, on Zillow’s estimate
In De Kalb, 45% of households live in a home they own, against 69% in Texas’ towns and 73% across U.S. towns. De Kalb’s midpoint rent stands at $891 a month.
$184KZillow home value
| De Kalb | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 45% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $891 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
De Kalb$184K
Texas$296K
+0.9%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsB
De Kalb’s public schools outperform 59% of Texas districts
Below: Two of its 3 schools, each with why it was picked. Public schools: Dekalb ISD. 3 public schools serve De Kalb, with 898 students in all.
59%of TX districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dekalb ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 351 | B+ |
| Dekalb H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 277 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
HealthC
Residents of De Kalb are less healthy than 73% of U.S. towns
The share of adults in De Kalb who sleep under 7 hours: 41%. The town does better than the Texas average on 4 of 31 CDC measures and worse on 11. In De Kalb, 43% of adults have high blood pressure, where Texas’ towns sit at 35% and U.S. towns at 35%. Two figures for adults in the town: 16% have diabetes, 14% binge drink.
27%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| De Kalb | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 39% | 36% |
31 measures vs. Texas
4 better16 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | De Kalb | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 13.5% | 19.1% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.7% | 74.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 20% | 12.5% |
Mccurtain Memorial Hospital
28.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers: that is De Kalb’s year
Expect July afternoons of 93° and January nights of 34°, with about 3 inches of snow a winter.
3″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–57°
Spring52–74°
Summer70–92°
Fall53–76°
Nov 6
typical first frost
Mar 26
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
About one in six working residents works right in De Kalb
For residents in De Kalb, the share who live below the poverty line is 19%. Only 16% of working residents stay in De Kalb for work; the rest commute out. Jobs in the town fell by 233 from 2013 to 2023, to 441. Its median household income is $50,000.
16%work in town
| De Kalb | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In De Kalb16%
Texarkana12%
New Boston6%
Mount Pleasant4%
Texarkana3%
32 mi
median commute distance
441
jobs based in De Kalb
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 39% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Crime reported in De Kalb
Its level of property crime stands at 3.6 per 1,000 residents. De Kalb's reported crime rate is well below Texas's. Most reported incidents are property crimes. Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025.
| De Kalb | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.6 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
De Kalb1.4
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
De Kalb3.6
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
2
violent crimes reported in 2025
5
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Moderate risk in De Kalb, with inland flooding at the top
FEMA puts 29% of De Kalb’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 25% to tornadoes. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 53% of U.S. communities. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
47risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHail
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about De Kalb
19pages on De Kalb
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 59% of TX districts · 3 schoolsSafety1.4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthCBetter than TX on 4 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingB+$184K typical home · up 0.9% in a yearWork & commuteD$50K median household income · 441 jobs hereNatural hazardsB−FEMA risk higher than 47% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of De Kalb; the nearest are
Texas A&M University-TexarkanaUniversity or college · Public · Texarkana29.6 mi$8,349 in-state tuitionTexarkana CollegeCommunity college · Public · Texarkana31.4 mi$2,476 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 De Kalb residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Texas.
A shrinking town
De Kalb has shrunk 16% since 2010
1,699 counted in 2010 and 1,527 in 2020; an estimated 1,455 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
About De Kalb
City in Texas, United States
De Kalb ( di KAB) is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States; it is part of the Texarkana metropolitan statistical area. Its two area codes are 430 and 903. Its ZIP code is 75559. It is in the Central Time Zone, and its population was 1,527 at the 2020 United States census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 410 ft
- ZIP code
- 75559
- Area code
- 903
Questions about De Kalb
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is De Kalb, TX expensive?
Not for the area. That is 3.3 years of the area's median household income ($55,646 across the Texarkana, TX-AR metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.
What is De Kalb, TX known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Dan Blocker and Al Perkins.