More historic than 2% of U.S. towns · #615 of 642 in Texas. What drives it
Most of Glenn Heights was built recently: 0.3% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2004. Below: maps from 1959 on and the census since 1970.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Glenn Heights’ History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Glenn Heights is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns, #615 of 642 in Texas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its age pulls it down.
D−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Glenn Heights’ overall grade.
Few Texas towns list much on the Register (a typical Texas town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Glenn Heights’ 0.0 sits below most of its state (34% of Texas towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D− to D. The pre-1940 share (±0.5 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1969.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Glenn Heights’ past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Development of the community dates back to the late 1960s. N.L. 'Moe' Craddock, a Dallas firefighter, opened a 30-acre (120,000 m2) mobile home park in the area. He helped push for the incorporation of Glenn Heights to prevent his business from being annexed by the city of DeSoto. The town was officially incorporated on September 16, 1969. Mr. Craddock remained active in Glenn Heights politics, serving on the city council during the 1970s and 1980s. He was appointed mayor in 1985 and was elected to that office in 1988, 1990, and 1992.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Glenn Heights. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1959Lancaster sheet · 1:24,000
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Glenn Heights.
People over time
Glenn Heights, census by census
Grew from 257 people in 1970 to 15,819 in 2020, more than tenfold.
6 censuses, 1970–2020.
U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Glenn Heights’ Wikipedia page.
Famous people
Famous people close to Glenn Heights
Nobody well known was born in Glenn Heights itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.
In 1969, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1970 counted 257 people here.
How does Glenn Heights rank for history?
Glenn Heights is more historic than 2% of U.S. towns, #615 of 642 in Texas. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Glenn Heights?
0.3% of Glenn Heights’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 2004.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
