Kemp Tx - panoramio (1), 2011
Kemp’s story
175 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2011.
- 1851Kemp is settled
KempTX
Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,453
2025 Census estimate · +30.1% since 2020
Typical home
$264K
−0.5% in a year
Household income
$56K
median
Median age
39.3
years
Jobs based here
328
A commuter town
Is Kemp a good place to live?
Kemp’s best subject grade is a B+ for cost of living; its weakest is a C− for incomes. 25% of residents live below the poverty line in Kemp, against 12% in Texas’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Kemp's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 89% of U.S. towns. Kemp has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Kemp stand out
Where Kemp beats most towns.
Natural hazardsB+
Low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
Typical home value
Kemp$264K
Texas$296K
Cost of livingB+
2.9 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 74% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
0historic places
History
Settled in 1851
A long history
A history going back 175 years.
Small town
1,453 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Kemp grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Kemp is from typical.
Jobs & income$56K median household incomeC−Open →SchoolsC−Open →HealthTexas Health Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman 9.1 miles awayC−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 27% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →Cost of livingB+Open →SafetyC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.5 of 20; 2.5% of households have no car; 2.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksDOpen →History2 notable people born hereC+Open →Civic life2.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateCold winters, 95° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 39.3; 13% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Kemp: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Kemp, and how to reach them.
PowerOncorEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Kemp water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers89% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Kemp’s trash rules yet
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 hereKaufman County Early Voting ClerkKaufman County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code7514375143 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 Kemp.
SchoolsC−
On state tests, Kemp’s schools trail 80% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by Kemp ISD. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Kemp H S, with 566 students.
20%of TX districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kemp J HLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 439 | C |
| Kemp H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 566 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
HealthC−
Kemp is less healthy than 80% of U.S. towns
Kemp beats the Texas average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 16% of adults report frequent physical distress in Kemp, where Texas’ towns sit at 15% and U.S. towns at 14%. 39% of adults have high blood pressure in Kemp.
21%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Kemp | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Texas
2 better18 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Kemp | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 14.8% | 19.1% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 78.5% | 74.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.3% | 5.7% |
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman
9.1 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
Kemp has 0.7 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Kemp for work: only 1% work in town. Kemp’s average trip to work is 36 minutes. Since 2013, Kemp has added 77 jobs, to 328 in 2023.
1%work in town
| Kemp | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 36 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.3% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Kemp1%
Dallas16%
Mabank14%
Plano5%
Gun Barrel City4%
44 mi
median commute distance
328
jobs based in Kemp
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 50% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Kemp faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities.
27risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesHeat waves
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Kemp, expect four seasons and hot summers
Kemp has mild winters and hot summers. The July high in Kemp is 94°F.
95°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter38–59°
Spring54–76°
Summer72–93°
Fall55–78°
Nov 14
typical first frost
Mar 16
typical last frost
+0.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
95°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
39%of U.S. towns report more crimeC+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Kemp1.3
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Kemp14.8
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
39th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
2
violent crimes reported in 2025
22
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade B+
Kemp’s typical home value is about $264K
The typical Kemp home is worth about $264,000, down 0.5% in a year, 11% below the Texas typical home.
$264KZillow home value
| Kemp | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,036 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 69% | 73% |
Typical home value
Kemp$264K
Texas$296K
−0.5%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Kemp
19pages on Kemp
The big questions
SchoolsC−Behind 80% of TX districts · 6 schoolsSafetyC+1.3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than TX on 2 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingB+$264K typical home · down 0.5% in a yearWork & commuteC−$56K median household income · 328 jobs hereNatural hazardsB+FEMA risk higher than 27% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Kemp; the nearest are
Southwestern Christian CollegeCommunity college · Private nonprofit · Terrell20.8 mi$14,638 tuitionUniversity of North Texas at DallasUniversity or college · Public · Dallas37 mi$9,595 in-state tuitionHill CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hillsboro58.4 mi$3,570 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Kemp residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Kemp for work
Where Kemp’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
328jobs based in Kemp
1%of working residents work in town
44 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Kemp
City in Texas, United States
Kemp is a city in Kaufman County, Texas, United States. Its population was 1,129 in 2020.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1922
- Area
- 2.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 381 ft
- ZIP code
- 75143
- Area code
- 903
Questions about Kemp
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Kemp, TX expensive?
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+.
What is Kemp, TX known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Van E. Chandler and Marijohn Wilkin.