Irrigation IMG 0423, 2008
Muleshoe’s story
113 years in pictures
Census counts: 779 in 1930, 5,160 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1962 on.
- 1913Muleshoe is settled
MuleshoeTX
A town of 5,162, settled in 1913.
Photo: en:User:Austinallison · CC BY 3.0
Population
5,162
2025 Census estimate · +0.6% since 2020
Typical home
$149K
−0.8% in a year
Household income
$69K
median
Median age
33.1
years
Jobs based here
1,489
A commuter town
TownGrade
B−
#187 of 640 in TX
Is Muleshoe a good place to live?
Muleshoe gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $149K for a typical one, or 2.4 years of the county’s $61K median household income. It grades B− overall, 187th of 640 graded towns in Texas. On the plus side, crime is low: it reports less per resident than 80% of U.S. towns. 30% of working residents work locally in Muleshoe, where Texas’ towns sit at 8.3% and U.S. towns at 8%. On the outdoors, just 68 of Texas’ 1,000 towns do better. Muleshoe City Park, at 136 acres with 1.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
What makes Muleshoe stand out
Where Muleshoe beats most towns.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Muleshoe1.3
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
SafetyA−
63% less violent crime than TX
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
Typical home value
Muleshoe$149K
Texas$296K
Cost of livingB+
More affordable than 70% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Get outside
2 miles of trails in Muleshoe
6.6% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Muleshoe grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Muleshoe is from typical.
SafetyA−Open →HealthMuleshoe Area Medical Center 5.2 miles awayCOpen →Cost of livingB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.7 of 20; 12.3% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →SchoolsC+Open →Jobs & income$69K median household incomeB−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 43% of U.S. communities; drought tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2 miles of trails; 7% conserved landA−Open →History4 notable people born hereDOpen →Civic life3.3 library visits per resident; 3.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 33.1; 13% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Muleshoe: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Muleshoe, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy13.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMuleshoe Municipal Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Muleshoe’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 hereBailey County Early Voting ClerkBailey County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code7934779347 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 Muleshoe.
Muleshoe trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, fares better on crime within Texas than nationally and has more 90° days than most of the country, though not than most of Texas.
HousingCost of living grade B+
Muleshoe’s grade for cost of living is a B+
Homes are within reach (about $149K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 26 miles. At 2.4 years of the county’s $61K median household income, the typical home (about $149K) costs less against local pay than in 84% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living.
Muleshoe’s median rent is $938 a month. The typical Muleshoe home is worth about $149,000, down 0.8% in a year, 50% below the Texas typical home.
$149KZillow home value
Typical home value
Muleshoe$149K
Texas$296K
−0.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsC+
Muleshoe’s public schools trail 62% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by Muleshoe ISD. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Muleshoe H S, with 341 students.
38%of TX districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dillman ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 400 | – |
| Muleshoe H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 341 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
#166for trails in TX
6.6%
conserved · 145 of 2,179 acres
1.8 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Muleshoe City Park | 1.8 mi | 136 |
| 2. Babe Ruth Park | — | 9 |
| 3. City Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SafetyA−
Muleshoe’s grade for safety is an A−
At 8.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 93% of Texas’s graded towns. Violent crime is rare: 7 reported in 2025, 1.3 per 1,000 residents.
The property crime rate in Muleshoe is 3 per 1,000 residents.
80%of U.S. towns report more crimeA−Safety Grade
| Muleshoe | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Muleshoe1.3
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Muleshoe3
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
80th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
93rd
percentile among TX towns
7
violent crimes reported in 2025
16
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Muleshoe has 0.7 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
The average commute for its 2,153 working residents takes 19.4 minutes, against 26.7 across Texas.
About one in 3 of Muleshoe’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Muleshoe fell to 1,489 in 2023, 202 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Lubbock (8%), Amarillo (5%) and Clovis (2%).
30%work in town
| Muleshoe | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 12% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Muleshoe30%
Lubbock8%
Amarillo5%
Clovis2%
Farwell2%
26 mi
median commute distance
1,489
jobs based in Muleshoe
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 30% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
Health in Muleshoe trails 73% of U.S. towns
Muleshoe beats the Texas average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 31% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Muleshoe.
27%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Muleshoe | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 74% | 79% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 30% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 19% |
31 measures vs. Texas
0 better17 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Muleshoe | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 30.6% | 19.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.6% | 12.5% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 24.5% | 19.3% |
Muleshoe Area Medical Center
5.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
40th
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
A typical January night in Muleshoe is 23°F, against 37°F in Texas’ towns and 22°F across U.S. towns
The Muleshoe #1 weather station records that about 78 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 93% of Texas places with climate records. July afternoons average 92.3°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 92% of Texas places with climate records; January nights average 23.2°.
Among 642 Texas towns, just 5 have a lower January low than Muleshoe. Muleshoe has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. About 8 inches of snow falls in a winter.
8″snow a winter
| Muleshoe | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 92°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 23°F | 37°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–55°
Spring41–74°
Summer62–91°
Fall43–74°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 22
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Moderate risk in Muleshoe, with drought at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 57% of U.S. communities. Since 2006, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Muleshoe.
43risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtHailInland flooding
3
paid flood claims since 2006
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Muleshoe
19pages on Muleshoe
The big questions
SchoolsC+Behind 62% of TX districts · 4 schoolsSafetyA−1.3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthCBetter than TX on 0 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingB+$149K typical home · down 0.8% in a yearWork & commuteB−$69K median household income · 1,489 jobs hereNatural hazardsB−FEMA risk higher than 43% of U.S. communities · drought
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Muleshoe; the nearest are
Clovis Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Clovis, NM27.7 mi$1,592 in-state tuitionEastern New Mexico UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Portales, NM35.6 mi$7,194 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Muleshoe residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
Famous people from Muleshoe
4 notable people were born in Muleshoe.
About Muleshoe
City in Texas, United States
Muleshoe is a city in Bailey County, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1913, when the Pecos and Northern Texas Railway built an 88-mile (142 km) line from Farwell, Texas, to Lubbock through northern Bailey County. In 1926, Muleshoe was incorporated. As of the 2020 census, Muleshoe had a population of 5,160. The county seat of Bailey County, it is home to the National Mule Memorial. The Muleshoe Heritage Center commemorates the importance of ranching to West Texas.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1913
- Area
- 3.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,793 ft
- ZIP code
- 79347
- Area code
- 806
Questions about Muleshoe
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Muleshoe, TX a good place to live?
Muleshoe grades B− overall, better than 50% of U.S. towns and #187 of 640 in Texas. It grades C for health, A− for safety and C+ for schools.
What is Muleshoe, TX known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Lee Horsley and Ben McCain.