Livingston dates to 1835, and 2 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 63% of U.S. towns · #83 of 642 in Texas. What drives it
Most of Livingston was built recently: 8% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1976. Its Register listings are the Polk County Courthouse and 1905 Courthouse Annex and the William Keenan and Nancy Elizabeth McCardell House. Below: maps from 1927 on and the census since 1880.
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1847.
History grade
What drives Livingston’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Livingston is more historic than 63% of U.S. towns, #83 of 642 in Texas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Livingston’s overall grade.
Few Texas towns list much on the Register (a typical Texas town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Livingston’s 5.2 sits above most of its state (82% of Texas towns have fewer) while its 3 historic buildings outnumber those of 65% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.1 points). Two sources give 1835.
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Livingston’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Livingston yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Livingston is a town in and the county seat of Polk County, Texas, United States. With a population of 5,640 at the 2020 census, it is the largest city in Polk County. It is located about 46 miles (74 km) south of Lufkin and roughly 74 miles (119 km) northeast of Houston. The city was originally settled in 1835 as Springfield. Its name was changed in 1846 to Livingston, when it was designated as the county seat of Polk County. The Alabama-Coushatta Indian Reservation is located to the east of Livingston. The tribe traditionally occupied territory in what is now East Texas and Louisiana. The 2000 census reported a resident population of 480 persons within the reservation. The tribe has nearl…
Livingston was established in 1835. Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population grew from 5,335 to 5,640 (+6%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
In 1835, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Livingston’s post office opened in 1847, and the census of 1880 counted 135 people here.
How does Livingston rank for history?
Livingston is more historic than 63% of U.S. towns, #83 of 642 in Texas. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Livingston?
Two places: the Polk County Courthouse and 1905 Courthouse Annex (listed 2001) and the William Keenan and Nancy Elizabeth McCardell House (2005).
How old are the homes in Livingston?
8% of Livingston’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.1 points), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 1976.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (12), the National Register of Historic Places (2), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
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