Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Smithville is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C overall, 319th of 640 graded towns in Texas, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is cost of living: a typical home costs about $335K, 3.3 years of the Austin metro’s $100K median household income. Its lowest everyday mark is in health: residents are less healthy than 77% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On walkability, just 43 of Texas’ 999 towns do better. Smithville has 2 places on the National Register. On civic life, just 79 of Texas’ 791 towns do better.
Where Smithville beats most towns.
Smithville Commercial Historic DistrictEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Smithville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 616 in 1890, 3,922 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 2 maps from 1904 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Smithville, 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 Smithville.
Smithville has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, fares better on crime within Texas than nationally and has home values still below their peak.
41% of adults have high blood pressure in Smithville, above both Texas’ towns (35%) and U.S. towns (35%). 15% of adults have diabetes in Smithville. Smithville beats the Texas average on 9 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 9.
| Smithville | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 37% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 39% | 36% |
| What stands out | Smithville | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 12.9% | 16.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 15.2% | 19.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.6% | 5.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by Smithville ISD. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Smithville H S, with 543 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smithville ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades 1–5 | Grades 1–5 | 694 | B+ |
| Smithville H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 543 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
The Smithville weather station records that about 124 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 39.7°.
Smithville has mild winters and hot summers. Smithville’s July high is 96°F, near the Texas town median (95°F) and above the median of U.S. towns (85°F). The January low in Smithville is 40°F.
| Smithville | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 96°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 40°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here grew from 765 in 2013 to 1,232.
Most working residents leave Smithville for work: only 15% work in town. Jobs based in Smithville grew to 1,232 in 2023, 467 more than in 2013. Smithville’s average trip to work is 29 minutes.
| Smithville | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $60,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 12% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical value, about $335K, is 19% below its July 2022 peak.
57% of Smithville households own their home. Typical home values fell 4.7% in the year to September 2026.
| Smithville | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,230 a month | $1,206 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0.2 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Vernon Richards Riverbend Park, at 48 acres.
| Smithville | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 3.6% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Vernon Richards Riverbend Park | — | 48 |
| 2. Keilburg Park | — | 6 |
| 3. Independence Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 54% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 50 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Smithville.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 17.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 65% of Texas’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Smithville; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Smithville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
2 places in Smithville on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Smithville.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Smithville grades C overall, better than 28% of U.S. towns and #319 of 640 in Texas. It grades C− for health, B− for safety and C for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
8 notable people were born here, including Sonny Rhodes and DJ Screw.
