Untitled photo, 1969
Lamesa’s story
123 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,188 in 1920, a peak of 12,438 in 1960, 8,674 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1969 and 2 maps from 1970 on.
- 1903Lamesa is settled
Photo: Billy Hathorn · CC BY 3.0
Population
8,103
2025 Census estimate · −6.9% since 2020
Typical home
$112K
+6% in a year
Household income
$49K
median
Median age
34.2
years
Jobs based here
2,421
A commuter town
TownGrade
D
#566 of 640 in TX
Is Lamesa a good place to live?
Lamesa grades D overall, 566th among Texas's 640 graded towns, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $49K, and 23% of residents live below the poverty line. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 91% of the country. What it does well: homes are within reach, about $112K for a typical one, or 2.1 years of the county’s $54K median household income. 34% of working residents work locally in Lamesa, above both the Texas town median (8.3%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). The biggest park or preserve is Forrest Park, at 77 acres.
How Lamesa grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Lamesa is from typical.
Jobs & income2,421 jobs based hereD−Open →HealthMedical Arts Hospital 4.2 miles awayDOpen →SchoolsC−Open →SafetyCOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 43% of U.S. communities; cold waves tops the listBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.7 of 20; 5.8% of households have no car; 0.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 4% conserved landBOpen →History8 notable people born hereC−Open →Civic life3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 94° summer afternoons, 3″ of snow–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 34.2; 14% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Lamesa: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Lamesa, and how to reach them.
PowerOncorEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Lamesa water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpFrom the town’s siteTrash and recycling rulesTown 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 hereDawson County Early Voting ClerkDawson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code7933179331 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 Lamesa.
Lamesa trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has seen reported crime rise by a fifth or more.
HousingCost of living grade B
Lamesa’s grade for cost of living is a B
Homes are within reach (about $112K for the typical one, B for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 43 miles. At 2.1 years of the county’s $54K median household income, the typical home (about $112K) costs less against local pay than in 91% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living.
Lamesa’s median rent is $813 a month. Typical home values rose 6% in the year to September 2026.
$112KZillow home value
| Lamesa | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $813 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 69% | 69% | 73% |
Typical home value
Lamesa$112K
Texas$296K
+6%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsC−
On state tests, Lamesa’s schools trail 81% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by Lamesa ISD. Its one school is below. The largest public high school is Lamesa Schools, with 1,484 students.
19%of TX districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamesa SchoolsLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 1,484 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
HealthD
Lamesa’s grade for health is a D
Against the 5,416 U.S. towns with household incomes like Lamesa’s, it is less healthy than 76%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
33% of Lamesa adults say their health is fair or poor. Lamesa beats the Texas average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 40% of Lamesa adults get no exercise outside work.
9%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Lamesa | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 24% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 30% | 25% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 18% | 8.1% |
31 measures vs. Texas
1 better11 too close to call19 worse
| What stands out | Lamesa | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 78.2% | 74.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.8% | 12.5% |
Medical Arts Hospital
4.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
13th
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
With 0.7 jobs for every working resident, most of Lamesa’s workers commute out
About one in 3 of Lamesa’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Midland (10%), Odessa (3%) and Lubbock (3%).
34%work in town
| Lamesa | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $49,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Lamesa34%
Midland10%
Odessa3%
Lubbock3%
Houston2%
43 mi
median commute distance
2,421
jobs based in Lamesa
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 46% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SafetyC
More crime per resident in Lamesa than in 70% of U.S. towns
Reported crimes rose from 112 to 131 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Lamesa is 5.6 per 1,000 residents.
30%of U.S. towns report more crimeCSafety Grade
| Lamesa | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 10.8 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Lamesa5.6
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Lamesa10.8
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
30th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
35th
percentile among TX towns
45
violent crimes reported in 2025
86
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Climate
In Lamesa, expect mild winters and hot summers
July afternoons average 94.3°, hotter than in 95% of U.S. towns; January nights average 29.2°. The Lamesa 1 Sse weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 212 days: longer than most of the country, but shorter than 94% of Texas places with climate records.
Lamesa has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. About 3 inches of snow falls in a winter.
3″snow a winter
| Lamesa | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 94°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 29°F | 37°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter31–58°
Spring48–78°
Summer67–93°
Fall50–76°
Nov 4
typical first frost
Apr 4
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Cold waves leads a moderate hazard risk in Lamesa
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 10 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Lamesa.
43risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingTornadoes
10
paid flood claims since 1980
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
4.2%conserved
| Lamesa | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.2% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
4.2%
conserved · 138 of 3,282 acres
0.4 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Forrest Park | — | 77 |
| 2. Pioneer Park | — | 13 |
| 3. Ninth Street Park | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Lamesa
19pages on Lamesa
The big questions
SchoolsC−Behind 81% of TX districts · 1 schoolSafetyC5.6 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than TX on 1 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingB$112K typical home · up 6% in a yearWork & commuteD−$49K median household income · 2,421 jobs hereNatural hazardsBFEMA risk higher than 43% of U.S. communities · cold waves
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Lamesa; the nearest are
Southwest College for the DeafCommunity college · Public · Big Spring43.8 mi$2,766 in-state tuitionTexas Tech UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Lubbock58.9 mi$11,852 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Lamesa residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
Famous people from Lamesa
8 notable people were born in Lamesa.
B
Bo RobinsonAmerican football player · born 1956E
Ernest HawkinsAmerican football coach · 1926–2018J
Judy JensenAmerican artist · born 1953S
Steve FreemanAmerican football player · born 1953About Lamesa
City in Texas, United States
Lamesa ( lə-MEE-sə) is a city in and the county seat of Dawson County, Texas, United States. Its population was 8,674 at the 2020 census, down from 9,952 at the 2000 census. Located south of Lubbock on the Llano Estacado, Lamesa was founded in 1903. Most of its economy is based on cotton farming. The Preston E. Smith prison unit, named for the former governor of Texas, is located just outside Lamesa.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1903
- Area
- 5.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,992 ft
- ZIP code
- 79331
- Area code
- 806
Questions about Lamesa
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Lamesa, TX a good place to live?
Lamesa grades D overall, better than 6% of U.S. towns and #566 of 640 in Texas. It grades D for health, C for safety and C− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Lamesa, 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.
What is Lamesa, TX known for?
8 notable people were born here, including Barry Corbin and Steve Pearce.