Tractor on large farm near Ralls, Texas, 1939
Ralls’s story
115 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1939.
- 1911Ralls is settled
RallsTX
A town of 1,556, settled in 1911.
Population
1,556
2025 Census estimate · −6.2% since 2020
Typical home
$87K
+3.6% in a year
Household income
$58K
median
Median age
40.1
years
Jobs based here
286
A commuter town
Is Ralls a good place to live?
Ralls’ best subject grades are an A+ for cost of living and an A for civic life; its weakest is a D− for schools. On cost of living, just 35 of Texas’ 998 towns do better. On civic life, just 31 of Texas’ 791 towns do better. Ralls has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Ralls stand out
Where Ralls beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Typical home value
Ralls$87K
Texas$296K
Cost of livingA+
1.4 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 98% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Ralls5.5
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical TX town3.3
Civic lifeA
66% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Texas town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
RALLS ISD schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Ralls El | PK–5 | 165 |
| Ralls Middle | 6–8 | 90 |
| Ralls H S | 9–12 | 113 |
Worth knowing · SchoolsD−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
A shrinking town
Ralls has shrunk 20% since 2010
1,944 counted in 2010 and 1,665 in 2020; an estimated 1,556 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Ralls grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Ralls is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →SchoolsD−Open →Jobs & income$58K median household incomeC−Open →HealthCrosbyton Clinic Hospital 8.1 miles awayC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.1 of 20; 6.9% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 46% of U.S. communities; drought tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
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 40.1; 10% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Ralls: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ralls, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy13.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Ralls water system2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Ralls’ 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 hereCrosby County Early Voting ClerkCrosby County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code7935779357 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 Ralls.
HousingCost of living grade A+
Ralls’ typical home value is about $87K
The typical Ralls home is worth about $87,000, up 3.6% in a year, 71% below the Texas typical home. At $777 a month, Ralls’ median rent is against $1,208 a month in Texas’ towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns.
$87KZillow home value
| Ralls | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $777 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 67% | 69% | 73% |
Typical home value
Ralls$87K
Texas$296K
+3.6%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsD−
Public schools in Ralls fall behind 96% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by Ralls ISD. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
4%of TX districts it outscoresD−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ralls ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 165 | C− |
| Ralls H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 113 | D− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
HealthC−
On CDC estimates, Ralls is less healthy than 80% of U.S. towns
Ralls beats the Texas average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 27% of Ralls adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance, where Texas’ towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 8.1%. 17% of adults have diabetes in Ralls.
20%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Ralls | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 30% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 24% | 19% |
31 measures vs. Texas
1 better15 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | Ralls | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 78.1% | 74.1% |
| More uninsured adults | 27% | 19.1% |
Crosbyton Clinic Hospital
8.1 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−
Most of Ralls’ workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Ralls for work: only 12% work in town. 16% of Ralls residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Ralls fell to 286 in 2023, 50 fewer than in 2013.
12%work in town
| Ralls | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $58,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Ralls12%
Lubbock34%
Amarillo3%
Crosbyton2%
Floydada2%
31 mi
median commute distance
286
jobs based in Ralls
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 46% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Ralls has mild winters and hot summers
Ralls has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. Ralls’ July high is 93°F.
4″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter29–56°
Spring46–75°
Summer66–92°
Fall48–74°
Nov 5
typical first frost
Apr 5
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Drought leads a moderate hazard risk in Ralls
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 54% of U.S. communities.
46risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtHailTornadoes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 859 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lions Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ralls
18pages on Ralls
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Ralls; the nearest are
Texas Tech UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Lubbock29 mi$11,852 in-state tuitionSouth Plains CollegeCommunity college · Public · Levelland56.9 mi$2,731 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Ralls residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
A commuter town
88% of working residents leave Ralls for work
Where Ralls’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
286jobs based in Ralls
12%of working residents work in town
31 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Ralls
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ralls, 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 A+.