Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Terrell grades D overall, ranked 505th of 640 in Texas, mostly because of health and schools. Residents are less healthy than 90% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Its public schools trail 83% of Texas towns on state tests and graduation. In its favor, natural-hazard risk is low. Only 88 of Texas’ 999 towns score higher on walkability. Terrell is home to Southwestern Christian College. Terrell's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 82% of U.S. towns.
Where Terrell beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
15,816 counted in 2010 and 17,465 in 2020; an estimated 23,921 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 35.5% since 2020, after 10.4% 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 Terrell is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Porter Farm is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 2,003 in 1880, 17,465 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1883 and 3 maps from 1956 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Terrell, 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 Terrell.
Terrell has hotter summers than nearly all U.S. towns and has seen reported crime fall by a third or more.
21% of Terrell adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance, above both Texas’ towns (18%) and U.S. towns (8.1%). 29% of Terrell adults say their health is fair or poor. Terrell beats the Texas average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 18.
| Terrell | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 24% | 19% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 39% | 36% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 30% | 25% |
| What stands out | Terrell | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.7% | 5.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 18.8% | 12.5% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4.5% | 3.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by Terrell ISD. Three of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Herman Furlough Jr. MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,166 | C |
| Terrell H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,458 | C+ |
| Global Leadership AcademyTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 219 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1985, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Terrell.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Reported crimes fell from 577 to 384 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
At 3.3 per 1,000 residents, Terrell’s violent crime rate is against 1.9 in Texas’ towns and 1.6 across U.S. towns.
| Terrell | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 12.4 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
July afternoons average 94°, hotter than in 95% of U.S. towns; January nights average 35.5°.
Terrell has mild winters and hot summers. The July high in Terrell is 94°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Terrell | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 94°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 36°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Terrell for work: only 18% work in town. Jobs based in Terrell grew to 12,940 in 2023, 2,164 more than in 2013. 16% of residents live below the poverty line in Terrell.
| Terrell | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 18% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Work from home | 4.9% | 9.7% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Terrell home is worth about $278,000, down 0.8% in a year, 6% below the Texas typical home.
| Terrell | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 59% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,232 a month | $1,206 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
3.3 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Ben Gill Park, at 77 acres. Terrell’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile.
| Terrell | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ben Gill Park | 0.5 mi | 77 |
| 2. Breezy Hill Park | 0.4 mi | 7 |
| 3. Lions Club Park | 0.2 mi | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1 within 15 miles of the center of Terrell
About 5 of every 100 Terrell residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Texas.
6 places in Terrell on the National Register of Historic Places.
17 notable people were born in Terrell.
City in Texas, United States
Terrell is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Kaufman County. As of the 2020 census, its population was 17,465. Terrell is located about 32 miles (51 km) east of Dallas.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Terrell.
Elmo and Oak Ridge have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Elmo and Oak Ridge report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Terrell with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Terrell grades D overall, better than 9% of U.S. towns and #505 of 640 in Texas. It grades D for health, C for safety and C− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 3.1 years of the area's median household income ($90,275 across the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
17 notable people were born here, including Jamie Foxx and Robert H. Dennard.
