Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Luling gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $220K for a typical one, or 2.2 years of the Austin metro’s $100K median household income. It grades C overall, 308th among Texas's 640 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 86% of the country and its public schools trail 75% of Texas towns on state tests and graduation. 16% of residents are under 18 in Luling, below both the Texas town median (26%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). Luling has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Zedler Mill Historic District.
Where Luling beats most towns.
Where Luling’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Luling is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,114 in 1880, 5,599 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 4 maps from 1929 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Luling, 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 Luling.
Luling trades lower home prices for longer drives to work and has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has lost a quarter or more of its jobs in ten years.
4.9 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. Luling’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile. Southside Park, at 43 acres with 1.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Luling | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.4% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Southside Park | 1.5 mi | 43 |
| 2. Northside Park | — | 33 |
| 3. Zedler Mill Park South | — | 25 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by Luling ISD. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Luling H S, with 402 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonard Shanklin ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 735 | C+ |
| Luling H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 402 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
27% of Luling adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance. Luling beats the Texas average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 29% of Luling adults say their health is fair or poor.
| Luling | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 24% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 30% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | Luling | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 77.6% | 74.1% |
| More uninsured adults | 26.5% | 19.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Jobs based here fell from 2,321 in 2013 to 1,770.
Most working residents leave Luling for work: only 15% work in town. Since 2013, Luling has lost 551 jobs, to 1,770 in 2023. The median household income in Luling is $55,000.
| Luling | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $55,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 10% | 12% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Homes are within reach (about $220K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 36 miles. At 2.2 years of the Austin metro’s $100K median household income, the typical home (about $220K) costs less against local pay than in 89% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to its A− for cost of living.
The typical Luling home is worth about $220,000, down 3.6% in a year, 26% below the Texas typical home. 64% of households own their home in Luling.
| Luling | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 64% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,021 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Luling weather station records that about 118 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 95.9°, hotter than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 40.2°.
Luling has warm winters and hot summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Luling | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 96°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 40°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 66% of U.S. communities. Since 1998, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Luling.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Luling; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Luling residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
8 notable people were born in Luling.
City in Texas, United States
Luling is a city in Caldwell and Guadalupe counties, Texas, United States, along the San Marcos River. The population as of the 2026 census was 5,831.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Luling grades C overall, better than 30% of U.S. towns and #308 of 640 in Texas. It grades D for health, C for safety and C for schools. Health 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 A−.
8 notable people were born here, including Michael Dorn and Tamron Hall.
