Keene Adventist Elementary School, 2007
Keene’s story
132 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,532 in 1960, 6,387 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 2 maps from 1960 on.
- 1894Keene is settled
Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
7,109
2025 Census estimate · +10.6% since 2020
Typical home
$253K
−1.3% in a year
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
33.7
years
Jobs based here
1,293
A commuter town
TownGrade
B
#138 of 640 in TX
Is Keene a good place to live?
Keene gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $252K for a typical one, or 2.8 years of the Dallas metro’s $90K median household income. It grades B overall, 138th of 640 graded towns in Texas. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. Keene is home to Southwestern Adventist University. Keene's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 92% of U.S. towns. 51% of households own their home in Keene, below both the Texas town median (69%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%).
StrongestA−Hazard risk
What makes Keene stand out
Where Keene beats most towns.
Natural hazardsA−
Low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Keene1.1
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
SafetyB+
69% less violent crime than TX
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
The college
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| Southwestern Adventist University | 675 |
A college in town
675 college students
at Southwestern Adventist University
Students are 11% of residents.
College town
11% of Keene is in college
College Scorecard · IPEDS
How Keene grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Keene is from typical.
Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 28% of U.S. communities; tornadoes tops the listA−Open →SafetyB+Open →HealthTexas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne 3.5 miles awayC+Open →Jobs & incomeC+Open →SchoolsBOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.6 of 20; 4.1% of households have no car; 2.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trailsC+Open →HistoryDOpen →Civic life2.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 95° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market51 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 33.7; 23% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Keene: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Keene, and how to reach them.
PowerOncorEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Keene water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet11 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressTown’s hauler · day by addressTown 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 hereJohnson County Early Voting ClerkJohnson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes76059, 76031, 7600976059 76% · 76031 23% · 76009 1%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 Keene.
Keene trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, fares better on crime within Texas than nationally and has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns.
OutdoorsC+
Keene has set aside 2% of its land for conservation
The biggest park or preserve is Callicott Student Park, at 50 acres.
#233for trails in TX
| Keene | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 2% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
2%
conserved · 67 of 3,385 acres
2.0 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Elisa Carver Park | 0.9 mi | 16 |
| 2. Callicott Student Park | 0.6 mi | 50 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsB
Keene’s public schools outperform 62% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by Keene ISD. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Keene H S, with 373 students.
62%of TX districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keene ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 274 | B |
| Keene H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 373 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Keene has 0.4 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Keene for work: only 4% work in town. Jobs based in Keene grew to 1,293 in 2023, 197 more than in 2013. The median household income in Keene is $52,000.
4%work in town
| Keene | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $52,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.2% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Keene4%
Fort Worth17%
Cleburne15%
Dallas6%
Burleson5%
23 mi
median commute distance
1,293
jobs based in Keene
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 49% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SafetyB+
Less crime per resident in Keene than in 70% of U.S. towns
At 11.5 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 83% of Texas’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 8 reported in 2025, 1.1 per 1,000 residents.
Keene’s property crime rate is 5 per 1,000 residents.
70%of U.S. towns report more crimeB+Safety Grade
| Keene | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5 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
Keene1.1
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Keene5
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
70th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
83rd
percentile among TX towns
8
violent crimes reported in 2025
35
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Low risk in Keene, with tornadoes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities. Since 2006, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Keene.
28risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TornadoesInland floodingCold waves
2
paid flood claims since 2006
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Keene has mild winters and hot summers
The Cleburne weather station, 7 miles away, records that about 105 days a year reach 90°, more than in 96% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 95°, hotter than in 96% of U.S. towns; January nights average 35.7°.
Keene has mild winters and hot summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
95°summer high
| Keene | 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°
Summer73–94°
Fall56–78°
Nov 12
typical first frost
Mar 17
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
95°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
On CDC estimates, Keene is less healthy than 65% of U.S. towns
Against the 6,357 U.S. towns with household incomes like Keene’s, it is healthier than 70%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Keene beats the Texas average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 19% of Keene adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance.
35%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Keene | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 39% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 24% | 19% |
31 measures vs. Texas
0 better25 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Keene | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.9% | 12.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 7% | 5.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 6.4% | 5.6% |
Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne
3.5 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
50th
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade B
Keene’s grade for cost of living is a B
Homes are within reach (about $253K for the typical one, B for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 23 miles. At 2.8 years of the Dallas metro’s $90K median household income, the typical home (about $253K) costs less against local pay than in 75% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living.
The typical Keene home is worth about $253,000, down 1.3% in a year, 15% below the Texas typical home.
$253KZillow home value
Typical home value
Keene$253K
Texas$296K
Market temperature
51
days on market
95.9%
sale-to-list price
−1.3%
value change, 1 year
6
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Keene
19pages on Keene
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 62% of TX districts · 7 schoolsSafetyB+1.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC+Better than TX on 0 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingB$253K typical home · down 1.3% in a yearWork & commuteC+$52K median household income · 1,293 jobs hereNatural hazardsA−FEMA risk higher than 28% of U.S. communities · tornadoes
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Keene
About 11 of every 100 Keene residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Keene for work
Where Keene’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,293jobs based in Keene
4%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Keene
City in Texas, United States
Keene is a city in Johnson County, Texas, United States. Its population was 6,387 in 2020.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 892 ft
- ZIP code
- 76059
- Area code
- 817
Keene’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Keene.
CleburneKeene
How the neighbors grade
Questions about Keene
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Keene, TX a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Keene grades B overall, better than 58% of U.S. towns and #138 of 640 in Texas. It grades C+ for health, B+ for safety and B for schools.
Is Keene, TX expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.