Rule 380 at 6, 2009
Rule’s story
123 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2009.
- 1903Rule is settled
Photo: Lothar the Terrible · Public domain
Population
569
2025 Census estimate · +1.6% since 2020
Typical home
$74K
−2.9% in a year
Household income
$35K
median
Median age
40.0
years
Jobs based here
117
A commuter town
Is Rule a good place to live?
38% of residents live below the poverty line in Rule, against 12% in Texas’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 1 of the 550 Texas towns we compare have a lower typical home value than Rule. Rule has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
569 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Rule: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rule, and how to reach them.
PowerTri-County Electric Coop, Inc (TX)15.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Rule water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpFridayTown pickupTown site
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 hereHaskell County Early Voting ClerkHaskell County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code7954779547 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 Rule.
Housing
The typical home in Rule is valued at about $74K
The typical Rule home is worth about $74,000, down 2.9% in a year, 75% below the Texas typical home. Rule’s median rent is $1,027 a month, below both the Texas town median ($1,208 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
$74KZillow home value
| Rule | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 76% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,027 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Rule$74K
Texas$296K
−2.9%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Rule’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by Rule ISD. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rule SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 138 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
The median household income in Rule is lower than in most of Texas or the rest of the country
The median household income in Rule is $35,000. Jobs based in Rule grew to 117 in 2023, 20 more than in 2013. The average trip to work in Rule is 17 minutes.
5%work in town
| Rule | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $35,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Rule5%
Haskell14%
Abilene9%
Stamford5%
Knox City5%
55 mi
median commute distance
117
jobs based in Rule
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Rule faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by drought
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities. Since 2005, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Rule.
30risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtInland floodingHail
3
paid flood claims since 2005
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Rule
Rule has mild winters and hot summers. Rule’s July high is 97°F.
3″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter33–58°
Spring51–77°
Summer71–95°
Fall52–77°
Nov 7
typical first frost
Mar 28
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
More of Rule’s adults have high blood pressure than in the typical Texas or U.S. town
45% of adults have high blood pressure in Rule. Rule beats the Texas average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 14. 19% of adults have diabetes in Rule.
| Rule | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 35% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 24% | 19% |
31 measures vs. Texas
2 better15 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Rule | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 14% | 17% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.2% | 74.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.5% | 5.7% |
Haskell Memorial Hospital
8.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 444 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Slim Sorrells Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rule
18pages on Rule
The big questions
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Rule; the nearest are
Hardin-Simmons UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Abilene49.6 mi$32,960 tuitionWestern Texas CollegeCommunity college · Public · Snyder68.7 mi$3,300 in-state tuitionMidwestern State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Wichita Falls92.5 mi$10,580 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Rule residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
A commuter town
95% of working residents leave Rule for work
Where Rule’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
117jobs based in Rule
5%of working residents work in town
55 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Rule
Town in Texas, United States
Rule is a town in Haskell County, Texas, United States. The population was 561 at the 2020 census, down from 636 at the 2010 census. The community was named for W. A. Rule, a railroad man.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,680 ft
- ZIP code
- 79547, 79548
- Area code
- 940
Questions about Rule
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rule, TX a good place to live?
Rule has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Rule, TX known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Art Briles and Wes Kittley.