Silsbee panorama b, 2013
Silsbee’s story
132 years in pictures
Census counts: 2,525 in 1940, 6,935 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 2 maps from 1955 on.
- 1894Silsbee is settled
SilsbeeTX
A town of 6,613, settled in 1894.
Population
6,613
2025 Census estimate · −4.3% since 2020
Typical home
$175K
+2.7% in a year
Household income
$60K
median
Median age
40.3
years
Jobs based here
2,669
Balanced
TownGrade
C−
#420 of 640 in TX
Is Silsbee a good place to live?
Silsbee gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $175K, 2.7 years of the Beaumont metro’s $65K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 420th of 640 in Texas. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $60K, and 20% of residents live below the poverty line, and CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 79% of the country. Silsbee’s average trip to work is 33 minutes, against 25 minutes in Texas’ towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 72% of U.S. towns.
How Silsbee grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Silsbee is from typical.
Jobs & incomeC−Open →HealthAltus Lumberton Hospital 6.4 miles awayC−Open →SchoolsCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.5 of 20; 4.4% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Cost of livingBOpen →SafetyBOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 49% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 0% conserved landC−Open →History9 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life2.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 93° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market81 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 40.3; 18% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Silsbee: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Silsbee, and how to reach them.
PowerEntergy Texas13.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Silsbee water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Silsbee’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 hereHardin County Early Voting ClerkHardin County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2024
ZIP code7765677656 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 Silsbee.
Silsbee trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, fares better on crime within Texas than nationally and trades workers with Beaumont and other neighbors.
HousingCost of living grade B
Silsbee earns a B for cost of living
Homes are within reach (about $175K for the typical one, B for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 20 miles. At 2.7 years of the Beaumont metro’s $65K median household income, the typical home (about $175K) costs less against local pay than in 78% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to its B for cost of living.
The typical Silsbee home is worth about $175,000, up 2.7% in a year, 41% below the Texas typical home. The median rent in Silsbee is $1,011 a month.
$175KZillow home value
| Silsbee | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,011 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 69% | 73% |
Typical home value
Silsbee$175K
Texas$296K
Market temperature
81
days on market
60%
sale-to-list price
+2.7%
value change, 1 year
9
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsC
Public schools in Silsbee fall behind 73% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by Silsbee ISD. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Silsbee H S, with 789 students.
27%of TX districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silsbee ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades 1–5 | Grades 1–5 | 921 | C+ |
| Silsbee H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 789 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
HealthC−
Silsbee earns a C− for health
42% of adults have high blood pressure in Silsbee. Silsbee beats the Texas average on 3 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 42% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Silsbee.
21%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Silsbee | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 35% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 39% | 36% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 18% | 8.1% |
31 measures vs. Texas
3 better18 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Silsbee | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 13.4% | 19.1% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 63.5% | 57.9% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.1% | 5.7% |
Altus Lumberton Hospital
6.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
31st
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Silsbee has mild winters and hot summers
July afternoons average 92.4°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 91% of Texas places with climate records; January nights average 40.2°.
Silsbee has warm winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Silsbee’s January low is 40°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
93°summer high
| Silsbee | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 40°F | 37°F | 22°F |
| July high | 92°F | 95°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter42–64°
Spring57–79°
Summer71–92°
Fall58–80°
Nov 30
typical first frost
Feb 25
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
93°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
About one in six working residents works right in Silsbee
Silsbee has about as many jobs (2,669) as working residents, but only 465 people both live and work here. Jobs based here fell from 4,095 in 2013 to 2,669.
Most working residents leave Silsbee for work: only 17% work in town. Jobs based in Silsbee fell to 2,669 in 2023, 1,426 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Beaumont (20%), Houston (9%) and Lumberton (4%).
17%work in town
| Silsbee | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 17% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Silsbee17%
Beaumont20%
Houston9%
Lumberton4%
Port Arthur3%
20 mi
median commute distance
2,669
jobs based in Silsbee
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 28% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsC−
Conserved land covers 0.4% of Silsbee
Just 17 of its 4,915 acres are conserved, so there is little public open land in Silsbee itself; its outdoors grade is C−.
1.2 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
#341for trails in TX
| Silsbee | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.4% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
0.4%
conserved · 17 of 4,915 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Knupple Park | — | 10 |
| 2. Big Thicket National Preserve | — | 6 |
| 3. Waldo Mathews Park | 0.2 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SafetyB
Silsbee is safer than 59% of U.S. towns, by crime per resident
At 15.1 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 73% of Texas’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 82 to 36 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
59%of U.S. towns report more crimeBSafety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Silsbee2.1
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Silsbee3.3
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
59th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
73rd
percentile among TX towns
14
violent crimes reported in 2025
22
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Inland flooding leads a moderate hazard risk in Silsbee
104 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 20 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 51% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 104 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Silsbee.
49risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes
104
paid flood claims since 1978
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 12 attractions →Big Thicket National Preserve and 11 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Silsbee. Close and well known come first.
2 mi National PreserveBig Thicket National Preserve228K visitors a year
23 mi LandmarkSpindletop22 mi MuseumSpindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum
18 mi MuseumBabe Didrikson Zaharias Museum & Visitor Center
19 mi MuseumEdison Museum
19 mi MuseumArt Museum of Southeast TexasSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Big Thicket National Preserve: NPS, Public domain · Spindletop: i_am_jim, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Spindletop-Gladys City Boomtown Museum: i_am_jim, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Babe Didrikson Zaharias Museum & Visitor Center: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · Edison Museum: Larry D. Moore, CC BY 4.0 · Art Museum of Southeast Texas: R. Rothenberger, CC BY 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Silsbee
20pages on Silsbee
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 73% of TX districts · 6 schoolsSafetyB2.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than TX on 3 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingB$175K typical home · up 2.7% in a yearWork & commuteC−$60K median household income · 2,669 jobs hereNatural hazardsC+FEMA risk higher than 49% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Silsbee; the nearest are
Lamar Institute of TechnologyCommunity college · Public · Beaumont21.4 mi$2,844 in-state tuitionLamar UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Beaumont21.8 mi$8,905 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Silsbee residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
Famous people from Silsbee
9 notable people were born in Silsbee.
B
Brandi McCainAmerican basketball player, guard · born 1979R
Reggie GarrettAmerican football player · born 1951J
James HunterAmerican football player · 1954–2010W
William GrahamAmerican football player · born 1959B
Brandon KeithAmerican football player · born 1984K
Kalon BarnesAmerican football player · born 1998About Silsbee
Town in Texas, United States
Silsbee is a town in Hardin County, Texas, United States. Its population was 6,935 at the 2020 census. It is 21 miles (34 km) north of Beaumont and part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 82 ft
- ZIP code
- 77656
- Area code
- 409
Questions about Silsbee
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Silsbee, TX a good place to live?
Silsbee grades C− overall, better than 17% of U.S. towns and #420 of 640 in Texas. It grades C− for health, B for safety and C for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Silsbee, TX expensive?
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 Silsbee, TX known for?
9 notable people were born here, including Brandi McCain and Reggie Garrett.