Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Denton is a city of 169,431, and it grades C overall, 284th among Texas's 640 graded towns. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 90% of U.S. towns. The trade-off: homes are expensive, about $343K for a typical one and 3.8 times the Dallas metro’s $90K median household income. 28% of working residents work locally in Denton, where Texas’ towns sit at 8.3% and U.S. towns at 8%. Denton is home to University of North Texas.
Where Denton beats most towns.
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| University of North Texas | 41,430 |
| Texas Woman's University | 9,671 |
113,383 counted in 2010 and 139,869 in 2020; an estimated 169,431 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 21.1% since 2020, after 23.4% 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 Denton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 361 in 1870, 139,869 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1938 and 2 maps from 1960 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Denton, 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 Denton.
Denton has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with Dallas and other neighbors, but it reports more crime than Northlake and its other graded neighbors.
38 miles of trail in 49 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is North Lakes Park, 409 acres with 4.9 miles of trail.
| Denton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 6.4% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ray Roberts Lake State Park - Greenbelt Corridor | 9.3 mi | 1,458 |
| 2. North Lakes Park | 4.9 mi | 409 |
| 3. Lake Forest Park | 0.9 mi | 83 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by Denton ISD. Three of its 49 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strickland MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 956 | C+ |
| Guyer H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,577 | A |
| Ryan ElTop results in townGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 551 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Adults 18 to 34 are 38% of residents (24% statewide); children under 18 are 18% of residents (25% statewide). 42% of Denton adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Denton has grown 21% since 2020, to 169,431 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Denton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 18% | 26% | 22% |
| Median age | 31.4 years | 35.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 42% | 23% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 13% | 14% | 18% |
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1 point). Across Texas, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 31.3, men 31.4.
| Denton | TX | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10% | 13.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.2% | 11.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 20% | 9.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 17.9% | 14.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.4% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.4% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.6% | 11.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7% | 8.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.5% | 5.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 8.4% | 14% | 10.4% |
| High school | 19.8% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.9% | 20.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.2% | 7.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.3% | 21.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.4% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Each of the 3 graded towns on its borders reports less crime per resident, from Northlake (B−) to Argyle (A−). Reported crimes fell from 3,779 to 3,319 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Denton’s property crime rate is 17.2 per 1,000 residents.
| Denton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 17.2 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
July afternoons average 95.5°, hotter than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 34.3°.
Denton has mild winters and hot summers. The July high in Denton is 96°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Denton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 96°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 34°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Denton beats the Texas average on 10 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 72% of adults had a checkup this year in Denton.
| Denton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 74% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 9.5% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| What stands out | Denton | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 9.5% | 12.7% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 14.9% | 19.1% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 19.4% | 16.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Denton has about as many jobs (70,198) as working residents, but only 19,705 people both live and work here. Jobs based here grew from 50,322 in 2013 to 70,198.
About one in 4 of Denton’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Denton grew to 70,198 in 2023, 19,876 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Dallas (11%), Fort Worth (5%) and Plano (4%).
| Denton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 14% | 9.6% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical value, about $343K, is 11% below its August 2022 peak.
The typical Denton home is worth about $343,000, down 3.1% in a year, 16% above the Texas typical home.
| Denton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 50% | 69% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 61% | 50% | 48% |
| Median rent | $1,420 a month | $1,206 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 107 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Denton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Denton. Close and well known come first.
Big draw33 mi Stadium & arenaAT&T Stadium
Big draw38 mi Stadium & arenaCotton Bowl
Big draw33 mi Stadium & arenaGlobe Life Field
Big draw29 mi Stadium & arenaTexas Stadium
32 mi Theme parkSix Flags Over Texas
18 mi Theme parkUniversal Kids ResortAT&T Stadium: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Cotton Bowl: Robbiewest88, Public domain · Globe Life Field: Drone To Fly, CC BY 3.0 · Texas Stadium: Allspamme, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Six Flags Over Texas: Chris Hagerman from New Port Richey, FL, US, CC BY 2.0 · Universal Kids Resort: CANthony0125, CC0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Denton
College town 18 of every 100 Denton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
2 colleges in town.
5 places in Denton on the National Register of Historic Places.
39 notable people were born in Denton.
City in Texas, United States
Denton is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Denton County. With a population of 139,869 as of 2020, it is the 20th-most populous city in Texas, the 177th-most populous city in the United States, and the 10th-most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. A Texas land grant led to the formation of Denton County in 1846, and the city was incorporated in 1866. Both were named after pioneer and Texas militia captain John B. Denton. The arrival of a railroad line in the city in 1881 spurred population, and the establishment of the University of North Texas in 1890 and Texas Woman's University in 1901 distinguished the city from neighboring regions. After the constr…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Denton.
All 5 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C; Krum (B) is closest.
| Town | TX rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denton | #284 | C | D | C | B | B |
| Corinth | #75 | B+ | D | A− | B | A− |
| Argyle | #4 | A | D | A− | A+ | A |
| Shady Shores | #130 | B | C | — | B | A− |
| Northlake | #98 | B+ | D | B− | B+ | A |
| Krum | #141 | B | C− | — | B | B+ |
Shady Shores and Krum report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Denton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Denton grades C overall, better than 34% of U.S. towns and #284 of 640 in Texas. It grades B for health, C for safety and B for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
39 notable people were born here, including Ann Sheridan and Sly Stone.
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