Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Gilmer earns a D−, 579th of 640 graded towns in Texas, mostly because of health and incomes. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 95% of the country. The median household income is $44K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. It also has a long history, with 1 places on the National Register. Only 52 of Texas’ 1,000 towns score higher on history. Gilmer’s violent crime rate is 4.3 per 1,000 residents, above both the Texas town median (1.9) and the median of U.S. towns (1.6). The biggest park or preserve is Gilmer City Park, at 32 acres.
Where Gilmer beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Where Gilmer’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Gilmer is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 386 in 1880, 4,843 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1919 and 3 maps from 1960 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gilmer, 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 Gilmer.
Gilmer draws workers from Longview and beyond, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has more 90° days than most of the country, though not than most of Texas.
Against the 3,763 U.S. towns with household incomes like Gilmer’s, it is less healthy than 80%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
29% of Gilmer adults say their health is fair or poor. Gilmer beats the Texas average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 20% of Gilmer adults smoke cigarettes.
| Gilmer | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 24% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 35% | 35% |
| What stands out | Gilmer | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79% | 74.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.5% | 5.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by Gilmer ISD. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Gilmer H S, with 895 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bruce J HLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 419 | B |
| Gilmer H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 895 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
3,822 jobs are based in Gilmer, 1.8 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here grew from 2,477 in 2013 to 3,822.
Most working residents leave Gilmer for work: only 19% work in town. Since 2013, Gilmer has added 1,345 jobs, to 3,822 in 2023. The top destinations are Longview (17%), Tyler (6%) and Dallas (3%).
| Gilmer | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 19% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Gilmer’s property crime rate is 15.1 per 1,000 residents.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities. Since 2025, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Gilmer.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Gilmer 4 Wnw weather station, 6 miles away, records that about 88 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 89% of Texas places with climate records. July afternoons average 93.6°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 76% of Texas places with climate records; January nights average 35.6°.
Gilmer has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Gilmer is 94°F. About 2 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Gilmer | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 94°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The typical Gilmer home is worth about $242,000, up 0.8% in a year, 18% below the Texas typical home. 56% of households own their home in Gilmer.
| Gilmer | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 56% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $986 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0.3 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
| Gilmer | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.2% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gilmer City Park | — | 32 |
| 2. Yamboree Grounds | — | 7 |
| 3. Roosevelt Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Gilmer; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Gilmer residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Texas.
18 notable people were born in Gilmer.
City in Texas, United States
Gilmer is a city in and the county seat of Upshur County, Texas, United States. Its population was 4,843 at the 2020 census. The East Texas Yamboree is an annual event held in Gilmer.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Gilmer grades D− overall, better than 5% of U.S. towns and #579 of 640 in Texas. It grades D for health, C− for safety and C+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 3.6 years of the area's median household income ($66,647 across the Longview, TX 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−.
18 notable people were born here, including Don Henley and Freddie King.
