Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 5,599, settled in 1834.
Marlin gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $91K for a typical one, or 1.4 years of the Waco metro’s $66K median household income. It grades C− overall, 396th among Texas's 640 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 98% of the country, and the median household income is $36K, and 27% of residents live below the poverty line. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. 27% of residents live below the poverty line in Marlin, above both the Texas town median (12%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On walkability, just 57 of Texas’ 999 towns do better. Marlin's schools rank behind 92% of the state's.
Where Marlin beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| Widest gap | Marlin | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 37.7% | 12.5% |
Where Marlin’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 Marlin is from typical.
Its grades run from A for hazard risk (better than 90% of comparable towns) to D− for health (better than 2%), so the C− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Its founding year, 1834, comes before those of 97% of the Texas towns we grade with a known year.
Census counts: 500 in 1870, 5,462 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 2 maps from 1957 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Marlin, 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 Marlin.
Marlin trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Texas (mostly inland flooding) and has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns.
Homes are within reach (about $91K for the typical one, A for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 52 miles. At 1.4 years of the Waco metro’s $66K median household income, the typical home (about $91K) costs less against local pay than in 98% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to its A for cost of living.
Marlin’s median rent is $689 a month. Typical home values fell 8.4% in the year to September 2026.
| Marlin | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $689 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 69% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by Marlin ISD. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Marlin High, with 347 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marlin ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 479 | C− |
| Marlin HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 347 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
46% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Marlin. Among 641 Texas towns, just 9 have a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Marlin. 40% of adults get no exercise outside work in Marlin.
| Marlin | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 24% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 13% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 30% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 20% | 14% |
| What stands out | Marlin | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.8% | 17% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79% | 74.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 37.7% | 12.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 92% of Texas towns, with expected losses of about $197 per resident a year; that rating is what its A for hazard risk is built on.
The FEMA risk score in Marlin is 13 of 100. Since 1987, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Marlin.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Marlin for work: only 13% work in town. Jobs based in Marlin fell to 1,116 in 2023, 147 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Waco (16%), Dallas (6%) and Austin (3%).
| Marlin | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $36,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
July afternoons average 95.5°, hotter than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 36.6°.
Marlin has mild winters and hot summers.
| Marlin | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 96°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 37°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Reported crimes fell from 69 to 59 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
0.5 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Marlin City Park, at 57 acres.
| Marlin | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.1% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Marlin City Park | — | 57 |
| 2. Falconer Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Marlin; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Marlin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
20 notable people were born in Marlin.
City in Texas, United States
Marlin is a city in Falls County, Texas, United States. Its population was 5,462 at the 2020 census. Since 1851, it has been the county seat of Falls County. Marlin has been given the nickname "The Hot Mineral Water City of Texas" by the 76th Texas State Legislature. Mineral water was discovered there in 1892.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Marlin grades C− overall, better than 19% of U.S. towns and #396 of 640 in Texas. It grades D− for health, C+ for safety and D 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.
20 notable people were born here, including Bobbi Humphrey and Bob Reeves.
