Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Salado grades B overall, 146th among Texas's 640 graded towns. The median household earns $108K. Residents are healthier than 79% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $487K for a typical one and 7 times the Killeen metro’s $70K median household income. 60% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Salado, against 23% in Texas’ towns and 29% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include George Washington Baines House and Barton House. On civic life, just 20 of Texas’ 791 towns do better.
Where Salado beats most towns.
Anderson House and StoreCensus counts: 1,035 in 1980, a peak of 3,475 in 2000, 2,394 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1852 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
19 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Salado is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Salado, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Salado.
Salado has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has added half again as many jobs in ten years, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Texas.
At 7 years of the Killeen metro’s $70K median household income, the typical home (about $487K) costs more against local pay than in 93% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to its C− for cost of living.
87% of households own their home in Salado. The typical Salado home is worth about $487,000, down 1.2% in a year, 64% above the Texas typical home.
| Salado | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,073 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by Salado ISD. Its three schools are below. The largest public high school is Salado H S, with 769 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Arnold ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 1,073 | B+ |
| Salado H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 769 | A− |
| Salado MiddleTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 587 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
1.6 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| Salado | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.1% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. College Park | 0.1 mi | 8 |
| 2. Pace Salada Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
82% of Salado adults had a checkup this year. Salado beats the Texas average on 17 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 7.4% of Salado adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance.
| Salado | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 18% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 74% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.2% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 16% |
| What stands out | Salado | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.6% | 19.3% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 7.4% | 19.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.6% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Stillhouse Hollow Dam weather station, 6 miles away, records that about 118 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 95.8°, hotter than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 37.1°.
Salado has mild winters and hot summers. Salado’s July high is 96°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Salado | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 96°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 37°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here grew from 534 in 2013 to 828. 23.1% of workers work from home, against 14.4% across Texas.
Most working residents leave Salado for work: only 4% work in town. Jobs based in Salado grew to 828 in 2023, 294 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Temple (21%), Belton (9%) and Austin (6%).
| Salado | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $108,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.3% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.5% | 8.3% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 2007, 30 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Salado.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The violent crime rate in Salado is 0 per 1,000 residents. Only 5 of the 488 Texas towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Salado. Salado's reported crime rate is well below Texas's.
| Salado | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 13.2 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
2 within 15 miles of the center of Salado
About 3 of every 100 Salado residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
2,126 counted in 2010 and 2,394 in 2020; an estimated 2,565 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 7.3% since 2020, after 12.6% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
19 places in Salado on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Salado.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Salado grades B overall, better than 57% of U.S. towns and #146 of 640 in Texas. It grades A− for health and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
3 notable people were born here, including James E. Ferguson and Liz Carpenter.
