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O'Brien, Texas (2016)
Texas›Haskell County
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O'BrienTX

A town of 91, settled in 1908.

Photo: Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas · CC BY 2.0
Photo of O'Brien

O'Brien, TX · Photo: Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas · CC BY 2.0 · Source ↗

Population
91
2025 Census estimate · +1.1% since 2020
Median home value
$33K
Census ACS
Median age
24.3
years
Land area
1 sq mi

Is O'Brien a good place to live?

72% of residents live below the poverty line in O'Brien, where Texas’ towns sit at 12% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. O'Brien has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Small town

91 people, and everyone knows the way

In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.

Nearby towns
Knox City · 3 miRochester · 5 miWeinert · 11 miMunday · 13 miRule · 14 miBenjamin · 14 mi
Getting set up

Moving to O'Brien: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in O'Brien, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →
PowerTri-County Electric Coop, Inc (TX)15.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Obrien water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have O'Brien’s trash rules yet
SchoolsKnox City-O'Brien Consolidated Independent School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereHaskell County Early Voting ClerkHaskell County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code7953979539 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 O'Brien.

Natural hazards

O'Brien faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by drought

Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities.

30risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
30Low riskLowerHigher
DroughtInland floodingHail
Full pageO'Brien’s hazards pageOpen the page
What it facesLow riskFlood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on recordPast disasters13 disaster declarations · Declared for the countyGet ready92 events a year, on average · Ready for drought

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

In O'Brien, expect mild winters and hot summers

O'Brien has mild winters and hot summers. O'Brien’s July high is 97°F, above both Texas’ towns (95°F) and U.S. towns (85°F).

4″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter32–58°
Spring51–78°
Summer71–96°
Fall52–78°
Nov 11
typical first frost
Mar 26
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
Full pageO'Brien’s climate pageOpen the page
A year of weatherJuly highs 97°, January lows 31°Rain & snow4″ of snow a winter · 25 inches of rain and snow a yearHeating & coolingBoth heating and coolingThen and now+0.8° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Health

A larger share of adults have diabetes in O'Brien than in most of Texas or the rest of the country

22% of O'Brien adults have diabetes. Among 642 Texas towns, just 1 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than O'Brien. 21% of O'Brien adults have been diagnosed with depression.

O'BrienTexas townsU.S. towns
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)22%13%12%
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)49%35%35%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)19%15%14%
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)32%24%19%
31 measures vs. Texas
5 better12 too close to call14 worse
What stands outO'BrienTX
Fewer binge drinkers12%17%
More adults treating high blood pressure84%74.1%
More adults with heart disease12.2%5.6%
Knox County Hospital
3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
Full pageO'Brien’s health reportOpen the page
Everyday habitsMore adults who get no exerciseHospitals & doctors nearby3 miles to an ER · Knox County HospitalHow adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor healthEvery CDC estimateBetter than TX on 5 of 31

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about O'Brien

13pages on O'Brien
The big questions
HealthBetter than TX on 5 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingNatural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 30% of U.S. communities · drought
Out and about
PlacesLibraryMunday City-County Library
The story
HistorySettled 1908Town Hall & politicsClimate97° summer highs · 4″ of snow
Day to day
NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 79539Town SquareNeighbors
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of O'Brien; the nearest are

Vernon CollegeCommunity college · Public · Vernon61.7 mi$3,720 in-state tuitionMidwestern State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Wichita Falls83.5 mi$10,580 in-state tuition

About 2 of every 100 O'Brien residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

About O'Brien

City in Texas, United States

O'Brien is a city in Haskell County, Texas, United States. The population was 91 at the 2020 census. O'Brien is located at the junction of Farm to Market Road 2229 and Texas State Highway 6; the nearest large city is Abilene, 70 miles to the south. The area was hit by a destructive and deadly F4 tornado on March 13, 1953.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
0.5 sq mi
Elevation
1,575 ft
ZIP code
79539
Area code
940

Questions about O'Brien

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is O'Brien, TX a good place to live?

O'Brien has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.