Gunbarrelmap2, 2022
Gun Barrel City’s story
57 years in pictures
Census counts: 327 in 1970, 6,190 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 5 maps from 1920 on.
- 1969Gun Barrel City is incorporated
Population
7,133
2025 Census estimate · +15.6% since 2020
Typical home
$250K
−0.8% in a year
Household income
$71K
median
Median age
50.8
years
Jobs based here
2,209
Balanced
TownGrade
C−
#395 of 640 in TX
Is Gun Barrel City a good place to live?
A tough set of grades. Where it falls short is incomes: the median household income is $71K, and 16% of residents live below the poverty line. Overall, Gun Barrel City earns a C−: better than nearly a fifth of U.S. towns, and 395th of 640 in Texas. Homes run about $250K for a typical one, 3.8 times the Athens area’s $65K median household income. Its strongest is schools (B+): its schools rank ahead of 68% of Texas towns. On history, just 12 of Texas’ 1,000 towns do worse. Gun Barrel City's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 96% of U.S. towns. The town’s midpoint age is 50.8 years, against 35.8 years in Texas’ towns and 40.5 years across U.S. towns.
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · home values, Zillow · National Register of Historic Places.
How Gun Barrel City grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Gun Barrel City is from typical.
Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentC−Open →HealthTexas Health Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman 18 miles awayC−Open →SafetyMore crime than in most townsCOpen →SchoolsBetter than most of the towns comparedB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 49% of U.S. communities; cold waves top the listBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.8 of 20; 0.7% of households have no car; 1.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC+Open →Cost of livingNear typical for the towns comparedB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 0% conserved landDOpen →HistoryIncorporated 1969D−Open →Civic life1.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateCold winters, 96° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market79 days on market–Open →Who lives here18% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Gun Barrel City: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gun Barrel City, and how to reach them.
PowerOncorEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterEast Cedar Creek Fwsd Brookshire3 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpRepublic Services of CorsicanaTrash haulerTown site
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 hereHenderson County Early Voting ClerkHenderson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code7515675156 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 Gun Barrel City.
Gun Barrel City has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with Mabank and other neighbors, but it has little public open land.
HealthC−
Health in Gun Barrel City trails 80% of U.S. towns
The share of adults in Gun Barrel City who get no exercise outside work: 30%. This Texas town beats the Texas average on 5 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 18% of adults in Gun Barrel City smoke cigarettes; 16% report frequent physical distress.
20%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Gun Barrel City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 22% | 23% |
31 measures vs. Texas
5 better15 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Gun Barrel City | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 13.6% | 19.1% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 13.4% | 16.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.8% | 5.7% |
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman
18 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
30th
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB+
Gun Barrel City earns a B+ for schools
Its public schools are run by Mabank ISD. Enrollment at Gun Barrel City’s public school: 501 students.
68%of TX districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeview ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 501 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
SafetyC
Gun Barrel City reports more crime per resident than seven in ten U.S. towns
In Gun Barrel City, the level of property crime is 18.4 per 1,000 residents. The town’s level of violent crime is 1.1 per 1,000 residents.
31%of U.S. towns report more crimeCSafety Grade
| Gun Barrel City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 18.4 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.1 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Gun Barrel City1.1
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Gun Barrel City18.4
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
31st
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
36th
percentile among TX towns
8
violent crimes reported in 2025
133
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Climate
Gun Barrel City: four seasons and hot summers
July afternoons average 94.8°, hotter than in 96% of U.S. towns; January nights average 35.8°.
The peak summer temperature for Gun Barrel City comes to 95°F.
96°summer high
| Gun Barrel City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 95°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 37°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter38–59°
Spring55–76°
Summer72–94°
Fall55–79°
Nov 12
typical first frost
Mar 18
typical last frost
+0.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
96°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
About one in nine working residents works right in Gun Barrel City
Gun Barrel City has about as many jobs (2,209) as working residents, but only 217 people both live and work here. Jobs based here grew from 1,678 in 2013 to 2,209.
Commuting out is the norm in Gun Barrel City: just over a tenth of working residents work locally. Employers in Gun Barrel City added 531 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 2,209. The top destinations are Mabank (12%), Dallas (6%) and Athens (5%). For Gun Barrel City, the average commute is 28 minutes.
11%work in town
| Gun Barrel City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Gun Barrel City11%
Mabank12%
Dallas6%
Athens5%
Tyler5%
43 mi
median commute distance
2,209
jobs based in Gun Barrel City
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 44% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade B−
Gun Barrel City earns a B− for cost of living
The typical value, about $250K, is 10% below its August 2022 peak.
Among households in Gun Barrel City, 91% live in a home they own. A typical home here is worth about $250,000, down 0.8% in a year, 16% below the Texas typical home. In Gun Barrel City, the median rent is $960 a month.
$250KZillow home value
| Gun Barrel City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 91% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $960 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Gun Barrel City$250K
Texas$296K
Market temperature
79
days on market
95.4%
sale-to-list price
−0.8%
value change, 1 year
6
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Top of a moderate hazard risk in Gun Barrel City: cold waves
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Gun Barrel City after 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2024. Expected damage from storms and floods is lower here than in just over half of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 39% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to cold waves, and 30% to inland flooding. Also worth knowing: since 2010, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out locally.
49risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingTornadoes
3
paid flood claims since 2010
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsD
In Gun Barrel City, 0.2% of the land is conserved
Just 8 of its 4,227 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in Gun Barrel City itself; its outdoors grade is D.
Trails total 0.3 miles in 2 parks and preserves. The trail network density in Gun Barrel City is 0.1 miles per square mile.
0.2%conserved
| Gun Barrel City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
0.2%
conserved · 8 of 4,227 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tom Finley Park | — | 9 |
| 2. Gun Barrel City Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Gun Barrel City
19pages on Gun Barrel City
The big questions
SchoolsB+Beat 68% of TX districts · 1 schoolSafetyC1.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than TX on 5 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingB−$250K typical home · down 0.8% in a yearWork & commuteC−$71K median household income · 2,209 jobs hereNatural hazardsBFEMA risk higher than 49% of U.S. communities · cold waves
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Gun Barrel City; the nearest are
Trinity Valley Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Athens18.4 mi$2,640 in-state tuitionUniversity of North Texas at DallasUniversity or college · Public · Dallas45.3 mi$9,595 in-state tuitionHill CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hillsboro60.1 mi$3,570 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Gun Barrel City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
About Gun Barrel City
Town in Texas, United States
Gun Barrel City is a town in Henderson County, Texas, United States. Its population was 6,190 at the 2020 census, an increase over the figure of 5,672 tabulated in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 6.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 351 ft
Gun Barrel City’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Gun Barrel City.
MabankSeven PointsGun Barrel City
How the neighbors grade
| Town | TX rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gun Barrel City | #395 | C− | B− | C | B+ | C− |
| Mabank | #122 | B | B− | — | B+ | C |
| Seven Points | — | — | A | C+ | B− | C |
Seven Points has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Mabank reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Gun Barrel City with a neighbor →
Questions about Gun Barrel City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Gun Barrel City, TX a good place to live?
Gun Barrel City grades C− overall, better than 19% of U.S. towns and #395 of 640 in Texas. It grades C− for health, C for safety and B+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.