Lake Livingston from US 190 Bridge, 2010
Onalaska’s story
121 years in pictures
Census counts: 728 in 1990, 3,020 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1961 on.
- 1905Onalaska is settled
OnalaskaTX
A town of 3,289, settled in 1905.
Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0
Population
3,289
2025 Census estimate · +8.3% since 2020
Typical home
$169K
−5.2% in a year
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
43.8
years
Jobs based here
492
A commuter town
TownGrade
D−
#592 of 640 in TX
Is Onalaska a good place to live?
Onalaska earns a D−, 592nd among Texas's 640 graded towns, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $52K, and 24% of residents live below the poverty line. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 92% of the country. One bright spot: its schools outperform 69% of the state's. 24% of residents live below the poverty line in Onalaska, above both the Texas town median (12%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). On history, just 52 of Texas’ 1,000 towns do worse.
A growing town
Onalaska has grown 85% since 2010
1,764 counted in 2010 and 3,020 in 2020; an estimated 3,289 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 8.3% since 2020, after 71.2% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Onalaska grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Onalaska is from typical.
Jobs & income492 jobs based hereD−Open →HealthMid Coast Medical Center-Trinity 18.1 miles awayDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →SafetyCOpen →SchoolsB+Open →Cost of livingCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.1 of 20; 3.8% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trails; 1% conserved landDOpen →HistoryD−Open →Civic life4.1 library visits per resident; 3.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateCold winters, 95° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 43.8; 12% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Onalaska: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Onalaska, and how to reach them.
PowerEntergy Texas13.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterOnalaska WSCNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpCitizen Collection Station416 Onalaska LoopOpenStreetMap
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 herePolk County Early Voting ClerkPolk County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code7736077360 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 Onalaska.
Onalaska has homes that are cheap against local pay and has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has little public open land.
HealthD
More of Onalaska’s adults have been diagnosed with depression than in the typical Texas or U.S. town
In Onalaska, just over a third of adults get no exercise outside work. CDC measures, 31 in all: Onalaska beats Texas on 7 and trails on 16. Two figures for adults here: 20% smoke cigarettes, 43% have high blood pressure.
9%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Onalaska | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 12% |
31 measures vs. Texas
7 better8 too close to call16 worse
| What stands out | Onalaska | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 12.1% | 16.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 15.3% | 19.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.7% | 5.7% |
Mid Coast Medical Center-Trinity
18.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
12th
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB+
Onalaska earns a B+ for schools
The largest public high school is Onalaska Jr./Sr. High, with 492 students. Its two schools are below. Public school enrollment here: 1,196 students across 2 schools.
69%of TX districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onalaska ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 704 | B+ |
| Onalaska Jr./Sr. HighLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 492 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade C
A typical Onalaska home is worth about $169K
At 2.7 years of the county’s $62K median household income, the typical home (about $169K) costs less against local pay than in 78% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to its C for cost of living. The typical value, about $169K, is 13% below its August 2022 peak.
Home values are down 5.2% over the year to September 2026. For households in Onalaska, the share who live in a home they own is 78%. Its going rate for rent comes in at $1,083 a month.
$169KZillow home value
| Onalaska | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 78% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,083 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Onalaska$169K
Texas$296K
−5.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SafetyC
Crime per resident in Onalaska is higher than in 75% of U.S. towns
Reported crimes fell from 76 to 53 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
For Onalaska, the rate of reported violence is 2.9 per 1,000 residents. The property crime rate here is 12.5 per 1,000 residents.
25%of U.S. towns report more crimeCSafety Grade
| Onalaska | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 12.5 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Onalaska2.9
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Onalaska12.5
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
25th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
27th
percentile among TX towns
10
violent crimes reported in 2025
43
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
Onalaska has 0.5 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
Half commute less than 47 miles. Onalaska’s typical journey to work is 22 minutes. Just 5% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. The top destinations are Houston (11%), Livingston (11%) and Huntsville (5%).
5%work in town
| Onalaska | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.1% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Onalaska5%
Houston11%
Livingston11%
Huntsville5%
Lufkin4%
47 mi
median commute distance
492
jobs based in Onalaska
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 34% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
Onalaska faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected losses in Onalaska break down as 32% from inland flooding and 19% from hurricanes. Compared with 73% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is higher. Households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 7 declared disasters, most recently in 2024.
73risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes
3
paid flood claims since 2014
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
The climate in Onalaska brings four seasons and hot summers
July afternoons average 94.1°, hotter than in 95% of U.S. towns; January nights average 39.6°.
The typical July afternoon high for Onalaska comes to 94°F.
95°summer high
| Onalaska | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 40°F | 37°F | 22°F |
| July high | 94°F | 95°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter41–63°
Spring57–79°
Summer72–93°
Fall57–80°
Nov 24
typical first frost
Mar 1
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
95°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsD
0.8% of Onalaska is conserved land
Just 28 of its 3,481 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in Onalaska itself; its outdoors grade is D.
Parks and preserves in Onalaska: one, of 11 acres.
0.8%conserved
0.8%
conserved · 28 of 3,481 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Onalaska City Park & Garland Pavilion | — | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Onalaska
19pages on Onalaska
The big questions
SchoolsB+Beat 69% of TX districts · 2 schoolsSafetyC2.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than TX on 7 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingC$169K typical home · down 5.2% in a yearWork & commuteD−$52K median household income · 492 jobs hereNatural hazardsC−FEMA risk higher than 73% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Onalaska; the nearest are
Sam Houston State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Huntsville26.8 mi$9,228 in-state tuitionAngelina CollegeCommunity college · Public · Lufkin39.1 mi$3,430 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Onalaska residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Texas.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Onalaska for work
Where Onalaska’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
492jobs based in Onalaska
5%of working residents work in town
47 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Onalaska
City in Polk County, Texas, United States
Onalaska is a city in Polk County, Texas, United States. Situated on a peninsula on Lake Livingston, it had a population of 3,020 at the 2020 census. Settled during the Republic of Texas period, the site remained a small farming community until the lumberman William Carlisle developed it as a company town around 1905, building a large sawmill and chartering the Beaumont and Great Northern Railroad to serve it. Onalaska boomed to a population of about 2,000 by 1908, but the exhaustion of local timber and flooding on the Trinity River closed the mill, and the town declined to roughly eighty residents by the late 1940s. The completion of Lake Livingston in 1968 reversed that decline, and Onala…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 177 ft
- ZIP code
- 77360
- Area code
- 936
Questions about Onalaska
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Onalaska, TX a good place to live?
Onalaska grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns and #592 of 640 in Texas. It grades D for health, C for safety and B+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Onalaska, TX expensive?
That is 2.7 years of the area's median household income ($62,259 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.