Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,016, settled in 1861. 2.9 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Texas town.
Trash day: look up yoursHamilton gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $224K for a typical one, or 3.8 years of the county’s $58K median household income. It grades C+ overall, ranked 246th of 640 in Texas. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $44K, and 16% of residents live below the poverty line, and residents are less healthy than 84% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, its schools rank ahead of 86% of Texas towns. Hamilton’s average trip to work is 10 minutes, below both Texas’ towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only 4 of Texas’ 791 towns score higher on civic life. Hamilton County Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Hamilton beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Ann Whitney El | PK–5 | 382 |
| Hamilton J H | 6–8 | 194 |
| Hamilton H S | 9–12 | 247 |
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Hamilton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 277 in 1880, 2,895 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 4 maps from 1888 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hamilton, 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 Hamilton.
Hamilton pairs an A for schools with modest home prices, trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
Its A for schools comes with a B+ for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $224K.
Its public schools are run by Hamilton ISD. Its three schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Whitney ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 382 | B |
| Hamilton H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 247 | A |
| Hamilton J HTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 194 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Against the 3,608 U.S. towns with household incomes like Hamilton’s, it is healthier than 54%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
42% of Hamilton adults have high blood pressure. Hamilton beats the Texas average on 5 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 17% of Hamilton adults report frequent physical distress.
| Hamilton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 30% | 25% |
| What stands out | Hamilton | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 13% | 16.4% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 9.1% | 10.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.5% | 5.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 79% of U.S. communities. Since 1983, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hamilton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1.0 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Pecan Creek Park, at 27 acres.
| Hamilton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 4.4% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pecan Creek Park | 0.3 mi | 27 |
| 2. Hamilton Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Shrunk Park | 0.1 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Homes are within reach (about $224K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 27 miles. The typical value, about $224K, is 8% below its July 2022 peak.
The median rent in Hamilton is $888 a month. The typical Hamilton home is worth about $224,000, about the same as a year ago, 25% below the Texas typical home.
| Hamilton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $888 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 69% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
July afternoons average 94.9°, hotter than in 96% of U.S. towns; January nights average 34.5°.
Hamilton has mild winters and hot summers. Hamilton’s July high is 95°F.
| Hamilton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 95°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 35°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 1,263 working residents takes 10.1 minutes, against 26.7 across Texas.
About one in 3 of Hamilton’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Austin (5%), San Antonio (3%) and Waco (2%).
| Hamilton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 38% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Hamilton's reported crime rate is below Texas's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 10 violent crimes were reported in 2023.
| Hamilton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 3.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.3 | 1.8 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2023) | 10.4 per 1,000 residents | 14.8 | 13.1 |
FBI crime data, 2023 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Hamilton; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Hamilton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
City in Texas, United States
Hamilton is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Texas, United States, located in the state's central region. Its population was 2,895 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Hamilton grades C+ overall, better than 40% of U.S. towns and #246 of 640 in Texas. It grades C− for health and A for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Not for the 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+.