FirstChristianChurchPalmerTexas (1 of 1), 2019
Palmer’s story
152 years in pictures
Census counts: 63 in 1880, 2,393 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1956 on.
- 1874Palmer is settled
PalmerTX
A town of 2,644, settled in 1874.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
2,644
2025 Census estimate · +10% since 2020
Typical home
$320K
−0.1% in a year
Household income
$104K
median
Median age
31.0
years
Jobs based here
488
A commuter town
TownGrade
A−
#42 of 640 in TX
What should you know before moving to Palmer?
0% of its land is conserved. Overall it grades A−, 42nd of 640 graded towns in Texas. Crime is low: it reports less per resident than 88% of U.S. towns and its schools rank ahead of 80% of Texas towns. Only 92 of Texas’ 1,000 towns score higher on hazard risk. Palmer's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 94% of U.S. towns. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 71% of U.S. towns.
What makes Palmer stand out
Where Palmer beats most towns.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Palmer0.7
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
SafetyA
80% less violent crime than TX
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
Natural hazardsA
Lower risk than 87% of U.S. communities
Very low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
PALMER ISD schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Palmer Middle | 5–8 | 423 |
| Palmer H S | 9–12 | 403 |
SchoolsA−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
A growing town
Palmer has grown 32% since 2010
2,000 counted in 2010 and 2,393 in 2020; an estimated 2,644 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 10% since 2020, after 19.7% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Palmer grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Palmer is from typical.
SafetyAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listAOpen →SchoolsA−Open →Jobs & income$104K median household income; 488 jobs based hereB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.1 of 20; 6.1% of households have no car; 0.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →HealthBaylor Scott & White Medical Center- Waxahachie 7.6 miles awayCOpen →Cost of livingB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →History1 notable person born hereCOpen →Civic life2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 96° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 31.0; 12% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Palmer: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Palmer, and how to reach them.
PowerOncorEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Palmer water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet11 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Palmer’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 hereEllis County Early Voting ClerkEllis County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2024
ZIP code7515275152 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 Palmer.
Palmer carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Texas (mostly inland flooding) and has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, but it trails even towns with similar incomes on health.
SafetyA
Palmer earns an A for safety
Violent crime is rare: 2 reported in 2025, 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
At 3.4 per 1,000 residents, Palmer’s property crime rate is where Texas’ towns sit at 10.7 and U.S. towns at 9.9. The violent crime rate in Palmer is 0.7 per 1,000 residents.
88%of U.S. towns report more crimeASafety Grade
| Palmer | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.4 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Palmer0.7
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Palmer3.4
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
88th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
97th
percentile among TX towns
2
violent crimes reported in 2025
9
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
SchoolsA−
Palmer earns an A− for schools
Its public schools are run by Palmer ISD. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Palmer H S, with 403 students.
80%of TX districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 423 | A− |
| Palmer H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 403 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A
Inland flooding leads a very low hazard risk in Palmer
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 92% of Texas towns; that rating is what its A for hazard risk is built on.
At 13 of 100, Palmer’s FEMA risk score is below both the Texas town median (47 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100).
13risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
Most of Palmer’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Palmer for work: only 4% work in town. Palmer’s average trip to work is 33 minutes. The top destinations are Dallas (18%), Ennis (7%) and Waxahachie (6%).
4%work in town
| Palmer | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 4.5% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $104,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Palmer4%
Dallas18%
Ennis7%
Waxahachie6%
Fort Worth6%
28 mi
median commute distance
488
jobs based in Palmer
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 29% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
Health in Palmer trails 70% of U.S. towns
Against the 7,950 U.S. towns with household incomes like Palmer’s, it is less healthy than 93%, so it trails even them.
Palmer beats the Texas average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 21% of Palmer adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance.
30%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Palmer | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 74% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 39% | 36% |
31 measures vs. Texas
1 better22 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Palmer | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 11% | 12.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.4% | 12.5% |
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center- Waxahachie
7.6 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
44th
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Palmer has mild winters and hot summers
The Bardwell Dam weather station, 11 miles away, records that about 103 days a year reach 90°, more than in 96% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 95.5°, hotter than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 36.2°.
Palmer has mild winters and hot summers. Snow is almost unheard of.
96°summer high
| Palmer | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 96°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 37°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter38–59°
Spring55–76°
Summer73–94°
Fall56–79°
Nov 19
typical first frost
Mar 12
typical last frost
+0.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
96°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B−
Homes in Palmer are worth about $320K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Palmer home is worth about $320,000, about the same as a year ago, 8% above the Texas typical home. 77% of households own their home in Palmer.
$320KZillow home value
| Palmer | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,718 a month | $1,206 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 69% | 73% |
Typical home value
Palmer$320K
Texas$296K
−0.1%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Palmer
19pages on Palmer
The big questions
SchoolsA−Beat 80% of TX districts · 2 schoolsSafetyA0.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthCBetter than TX on 1 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingB−$320K typical home · down 0.1% in a yearWork & commuteB+$104K median household income · 488 jobs hereNatural hazardsAFEMA risk higher than 13% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Palmer
About 3 of every 100 Palmer residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Palmer for work
Where Palmer’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
488jobs based in Palmer
4%of working residents work in town
28 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Palmer
Town in Texas, United States
Palmer is a town in Ellis County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Its population was 2,393 in 2020.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 463 ft
- ZIP code
- 75152
- Area code
- 972
Palmer’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Palmer.
EnnisPalmer
How the neighbors grade
Questions about Palmer
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Palmer, TX a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Palmer grades A− overall, better than 79% of U.S. towns and #42 of 640 in Texas. It grades C for health, A for safety and A− for schools.
Is Palmer, TX expensive?
That is 3.5 years of the area's median household income ($90,275 across the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro 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−.