Ore City Quadrangle, 1962
Ore City’s story
114 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1962.
- 1912Ore City is settled
Ore CityTX
A town of 1,210, settled in 1912.
Population
1,210
2025 Census estimate · +9.2% since 2020
Typical home
$152K
+2.2% in a year
Household income
$73K
median
Median age
33.4
years
Jobs based here
323
A commuter town
Is Ore City a good place to live?
Ore City’s best subject grades are a B+ for cost of living and walkability; its weakest is a C− for health. Ore City’s average trip to work is 36 minutes, where Texas’ towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Among 489 Texas towns, just 5 have a lower property crime rate than Ore City. The biggest park or preserve is City Park, at 40 acres. Ore City's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 82% of U.S. towns. Ore City has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Ore City stand out
Where Ore City beats most towns.
Small town
1,210 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Ore City grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Ore City is from typical.
HealthLess healthy than 83% of U.S. towns; Longview Regional Medical Center 18.6 miles awayC−Open →SchoolsBehind 82% of Texas districts on tests and graduationC−Open →Cost of livingB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.2 of 20; 10% of households have no car; 2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Jobs & income$73K median household incomeC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 38% of U.S. communities; tornadoes tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trailB−Open →History2 notable people born hereDOpen →Civic life1.7 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 33.4; 4% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Ore City: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ore City, and how to reach them.
PowerSWEPCO12.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Ore City water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Ore City’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 hereUpshur County Early Voting ClerkUpshur County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code7568375683 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 Ore City.
HousingCost of living grade B+
The typical home in Ore City is valued at about $152K
The typical Ore City home is worth about $152,000, up 2.2% in a year, 49% below the Texas typical home.
$152KZillow home value
| Ore City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 74% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,236 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Ore City$152K
Texas$296K
+2.2%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsC−
Ore City’s grade for schools is a C−
Its public schools are run by Ore City ISD. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
18%of TX districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ore City ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 377 | C+ |
| Ore City H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 220 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
HealthC−
A larger share of adults in Ore City have been diagnosed with depression than in the typical Texas or U.S. town
26% of Ore City adults have been diagnosed with depression, against 22% in Texas’ towns and 23% across U.S. towns. 38% of adults have obesity in Ore City. Ore City beats the Texas average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 14.
17%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Ore City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 14% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 22% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 74% | 79% |
31 measures vs. Texas
0 better17 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Ore City | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.5% | 5.7% |
| More smokers | 17.9% | 12.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7% | 5.6% |
Longview Regional Medical Center
18.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Ore City has 0.7 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Ore City for work: only 3% work in town. Since 2013, Ore City has added 188 jobs, to 323 in 2023. 14% of Ore City residents live below the poverty line.
3%work in town
| Ore City | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3.4% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 12% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Ore City3%
Longview20%
Tyler5%
Mount Pleasant4%
Gilmer4%
28 mi
median commute distance
323
jobs based in Ore City
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 68% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Ore City, expect mild winters and hot summers
Ore City has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Ore City’s July high is 94°F.
94°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter38–59°
Spring54–76°
Summer72–92°
Fall55–77°
Nov 15
typical first frost
Mar 10
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
94°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Ore City faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by tornadoes
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 62% of U.S. communities.
38risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TornadoesInland floodingStrong wind
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Safety
Ore City stands out in Texas and nationally, with violent crime lower than most
The violent crime rate in Ore City is 0 per 1,000 residents. Ore City's reported crime rate is well below Texas's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Ore City0
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Ore City0.8
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
1
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,391 acres
0.5 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. City Park | 0.1 mi | 40 |
| 2. Pine Hollow Park | — | 3 |
| 3. Ore City Local Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ore City
20pages on Ore City
The big questions
SchoolsC−Behind 82% of TX districts · 3 schoolsSafety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than TX on 0 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingB+$152K typical home · up 2.2% in a yearWork & commuteC+$73K median household income · 323 jobs hereNatural hazardsBFEMA risk higher than 38% of U.S. communities · tornadoes
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Ore City; the nearest are
Northeast Texas Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Mount Pleasant23 mi$2,980 in-state tuitionThe University of Texas at TylerUniversity or college · Public · Tyler45.8 mi$9,736 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Ore City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Ore City for work
Where Ore City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
323jobs based in Ore City
3%of working residents work in town
28 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Ore City
City in Texas, United States
Ore City is a city in Upshur County, Texas, United States, located where US 259 and FM 450 converge, just four miles below the Lake O’ the Pines. The population was 1,108 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 328 ft
- ZIP code
- 75683
- Area code
- 903
Questions about Ore City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ore City, TX expensive?
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 B+.
What is Ore City, TX known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Chad Stanley and Walter McAfee.