TenahaTX
A town of 1,005, settled in 1886.
Is Tenaha a good place to live?
The best of Tenaha’s subject grades are an A+ for safety and cost of living; the weakest is a D− for incomes. 43% of residents live below the poverty line in Tenaha, above both Texas’ towns (12%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 3 of Texas’ 576 towns score higher on safety. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 96% of the country. On the outdoors, just 40 of Texas’ 1,000 towns do worse. Tenaha's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 93% of U.S. towns. Tenaha has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Tenaha stand out
Where Tenaha beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Typical home value
Tenaha has shrunk 13% since 2010
1,160 counted in 2010 and 989 in 2020; an estimated 1,005 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Tenaha grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Tenaha is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to Tenaha: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Tenaha, 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.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Tenaha.
Property crime in Tenaha is lower than in the typical Texas or U.S. town
Tenaha’s property crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents, against 10.7 in Texas’ towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns. Only 6 of the 489 Texas towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Tenaha. Tenaha reports less crime per resident than 100% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
| Tenaha | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Property crime per 1,000 residents
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
On state tests, Tenaha’s schools trail 51% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by Tenaha ISD. Its one school is below. The largest public high school is Tenaha Schools, with 414 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tenaha SchoolsLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 414 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Tenaha stands out in Texas and nationally: a larger share of its adults sleep under 7 hours
44% of Tenaha adults sleep under 7 hours. Tenaha beats the Texas average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 38% of Tenaha adults get no exercise outside work.
| Tenaha | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 24% | 19% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 20% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 30% | 25% |
| What stands out | Tenaha | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.4% | 6.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.2% | 12.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Tenaha
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 80% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
With 0.3 jobs for every working resident, most of Tenaha’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Tenaha for work: only 2% work in town. Tenaha’s median household income is $28,000. Jobs based in Tenaha fell to 77 in 2023, 80 fewer than in 2013.
| Tenaha | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $28,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.3% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
In Tenaha, expect mild winters and hot summers
Tenaha has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Tenaha is 93°F.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Tenaha’s typical home value is about $243K
The typical Tenaha home is worth about $243,000, down 3.3% in a year, 18% below the Texas typical home. 46% of households own their home in Tenaha. Only 8 of the 614 Texas towns we compare have a lower median rent than Tenaha.
| Tenaha | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 46% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $600 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Tenaha
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Tenaha; the nearest are
About 9 of every 100 Tenaha residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
1,005 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
About Tenaha
Town in Texas, United States
Tenaha is a town in Shelby County, Texas, United States. The population was 989 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1886
- Area
- 3.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 348 ft
- ZIP code
- 75974
- Area code
- 936
Questions about Tenaha
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Tenaha, TX expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A+.
What is Tenaha, TX known for?
2 notable people were born here, including George Peddy and Bobo Barnett.