Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Temple earns a D, 513th of 640 graded towns in Texas, mostly because of health. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 78% of the country. One bright spot: natural-hazard risk is low. 43% of working residents work locally in Temple, above both Texas’ towns (8.3%) and U.S. towns (8%). Temple is home to Temple College. Only 96 of Texas’ 1,000 towns score higher on the outdoors.
Where Temple beats most towns.
66,102 counted in 2010 and 82,073 in 2020; an estimated 98,412 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 19.7% since 2020, after 24.2% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Temple is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 4,047 in 1890, 82,073 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1899 and 4 maps from 1931 on.
7 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Temple, 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 Temple.
Temple draws workers from Killeen and beyond, has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns and has home values still below their peak.
53,926 jobs are based in Temple, 1.5 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Temple’s average trip to work is 21 minutes. Jobs based in Temple grew to 53,926 in 2023, 7,673 more than in 2013. 16% of Temple residents live below the poverty line.
| Temple | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $68,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by Temple ISD. Three of its 32 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Belton MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 979 | B |
| Temple H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,320 | C+ |
| Lake Belton H STop results in townGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,300 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
42% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Temple. Temple beats the Texas average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 15% of adults binge drink in Temple.
| Temple | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 39% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 16% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 22% | 23% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Temple | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 16.5% | 19.1% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 62.9% | 57.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.5% | 12.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 77% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 57 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Temple.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
18 miles of trail in 40 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Crossroads Recreational Complex, 288 acres with 1.6 miles of trail.
| Temple | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 9.8% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Crossroads Recreational Complex | 1.6 mi | 288 |
| 2. West Temple Park | 0.8 mi | 27 |
| 3. Lions Park | 0.7 mi | 95 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
July afternoons average 95.6°, hotter than in 97% of U.S. towns; January nights average 36.5°.
Temple has mild winters and hot summers. The July high in Temple is 96°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Temple | 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
The typical value, about $244K, is 12% below its August 2022 peak.
The typical Temple home is worth about $244,000, down 3% in a year, 18% below the Texas typical home.
| Temple | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 52% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,231 a month | $1,206 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Temple's reported crime rate is close to Texas's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 307 violent crimes were reported in 2024.
| Temple | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 23.6 per 1,000 residents | 13 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 3.2 per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.7 |
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
Adults 35 to 64 are 33% of residents (38% statewide). Temple has grown 20% since 2020, to 98,412 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 34% across Texas.
| Temple | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.8 years | 35.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 27% | 26% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 23% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 14% | 18% |
51% women, 49% men
About 95 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.1 points). Across Texas, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 34.5, men 33.0.
| Temple | TX | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 15.3% | 13.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.3% | 11.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 9.1% | 9.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.2% | 14.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.9% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.3% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.8% | 11.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.1% | 8.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7% | 5.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 12.1% | 14% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.6% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.3% | 20.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.5% | 7.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19% | 21.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11.5% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
2 within 15 miles of the center of Temple
About 6 of every 100 Temple residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Texas.
7 places in Temple on the National Register of Historic Places.
41 notable people were born in Temple.
3 towns share a border with Temple.
| Town | TX rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple | #513 | D | C− | — | C+ | C− |
| Belton | #370 | C− | D | — | B | C |
| Morgan's Point Resort | #266 | C+ | D | — | B | B+ |
| Pendleton | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Temple, Belton and Morgan's Point Resort report no FBI crime data of their own. Pendleton isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Temple with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Temple grades D overall, better than 9% of U.S. towns and #513 of 640 in Texas. It grades C− for health and C+ 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−.
41 notable people were born here, including Rip Torn and Bernard A. Harris, Jr..
