Tulia High School, c. 1924
Tulia’s story
139 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,216 in 1910, 4,473 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1924 and 2 maps from 1965 on.
- 1887Tulia is settled
TuliaTX
A town of 4,242, settled in 1887. 2.5 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Texas town.
Population
4,242
2025 Census estimate · −5.3% since 2020
Typical home
$94K
+2.1% in a year
Household income
$32K
median
Median age
36.1
years
Jobs based here
1,358
Balanced
TownGrade
D−
#635 of 640 in TX
Is Tulia a good place to live?
Tulia grades D− overall, ranked 635th of 640 in Texas, mostly because of incomes and health. The median household income is $32K, and 32% of residents live below the poverty line. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 90% of the country. One bright spot: natural-hazard risk is low. 32% of residents live below the poverty line in Tulia, above both Texas’ towns (12%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On civic life, just 28 of Texas’ 791 towns do better. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 75% of U.S. towns.
What makes Tulia stand out
Where Tulia beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
How Tulia grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Tulia is from typical.
Jobs & incomeDOpen →HealthCovenant Hospital Plainview 23 miles awayDOpen →SchoolsC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.2 of 20; 8.6% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Cost of livingCOpen →SafetyCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 40% of U.S. communities; tornadoes tops the listB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 2% conserved landC+Open →History4 notable people born hereC+Open →Civic life8.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 36.1; 16% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Tulia: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Tulia, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of TuliaEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterTulia Municipal Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Tulia’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 hereSwisher County Early Voting ClerkSwisher County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2026
ZIP code7908879088 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 Tulia.
Tulia has homes that are cheap against local pay and has more 90° days than most of the country, though not than most of Texas; it also is a long drive from an emergency room.
HousingCost of living grade C
A typical Tulia home is worth about $94K
At 2.6 years of the county’s $36K median household income, the typical home (about $94K) costs less against local pay than in 81% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to its C for cost of living. Values rose 2.1% in the past year while the Texas typical home fell 1.5%.
The typical Tulia home is worth about $94,000, 68% below the Texas typical home. Tulia’s median rent is $771 a month.
$94KZillow home value
| Tulia | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $771 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Tulia$94K
Texas$296K
+2.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsC−
Tulia’s public schools trail 82% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by Tulia ISD. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
18%of TX districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tulia ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 364 | D |
| Tulia H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 267 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
HealthD
For health, Tulia earns a D
The nearest emergency room, Covenant Hospital Plainview, is 23 miles away in a straight line. Against the 839 U.S. towns with household incomes like Tulia’s, it is healthier than 69%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
28% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Tulia. Tulia beats the Texas average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 37% of adults get no exercise outside work in Tulia.
10%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Tulia | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 24% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 30% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 12% |
31 measures vs. Texas
0 better12 too close to call19 worse
| What stands out | Tulia | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.3% | 12.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.9% | 5.7% |
| More uninsured adults | 28% | 19.1% |
Covenant Hospital Plainview
23 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
14th
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SafetyC
Tulia sees more crime per resident than 73% of U.S. towns
Reported crimes fell from 111 to 32 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The property crime rate in Tulia is 5.8 per 1,000 residents.
27%of U.S. towns report more crimeCSafety Grade
| Tulia | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.8 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.6 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Tulia1.6
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Tulia5.8
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
27th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
31st
percentile among TX towns
7
violent crimes reported in 2025
25
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Climate
A typical January night in Tulia is 24°F, against 37°F in Texas’ towns and 22°F across U.S. towns
The Tulia weather station records that about 74 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 96% of Texas places with climate records. July afternoons average 92°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 93% of Texas places with climate records; January nights average 24.3°.
Tulia has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. About 11 inches of snow falls in a winter.
11″snow a winter
| Tulia | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 92°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 24°F | 37°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–54°
Spring43–73°
Summer64–91°
Fall45–73°
Oct 26
typical first frost
Apr 18
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
The median household income in Tulia is lower than in the typical Texas or U.S. town
The average commute for its 1,719 working residents takes 20.2 minutes, against 26.7 across Texas.
Only 8 of the 642 Texas towns we compare have a lower median household income than Tulia. 33% of Tulia working residents work locally. Jobs based in Tulia grew to 1,358 in 2023, 77 more than in 2013.
33%work in town
| Tulia | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 33% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $32,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Tulia33%
Amarillo16%
Canyon5%
Lubbock4%
Plainview4%
32 mi
median commute distance
1,358
jobs based in Tulia
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 25% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Moderate risk in Tulia, with tornadoes at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 60% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Tulia since 2017.
40risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TornadoesHailInland flooding
1
paid flood claims since 2017
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsC+
Tulia has set aside 1.6% of its land for conservation
0.5 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is MacKenzie Park, at 28 acres.
1.6%conserved
| Tulia | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.6% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
1.6%
conserved · 37 of 2,271 acres
0.5 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. MacKenzie Park | 0.5 mi | 28 |
| 2. Donley Park | — | 5 |
| 3. Adair Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Tulia
20pages on Tulia
The big questions
SchoolsC−Behind 82% of TX districts · 3 schoolsSafetyC1.6 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than TX on 0 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingC$94K typical home · up 2.1% in a yearWork & commuteD$32K median household income · 1,358 jobs hereNatural hazardsB−FEMA risk higher than 40% of U.S. communities · tornadoes
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Tulia; the nearest are
Wayland Baptist UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Plainview24.3 mi$23,782 tuitionWest Texas A & M UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Canyon31.8 mi$9,101 in-state tuitionAmarillo CollegeCommunity college · Public · Amarillo45.1 mi$2,136 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Tulia residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Texas.
Famous people from Tulia
4 notable people were born in Tulia.
About Tulia
City in Texas, United States
Tulia is a city in and the county seat of Swisher County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,967 at the 2010 census; by the 2020 census, it had fallen to 4,473. The city is at the junction of U.S. Route 87 and Texas State Highway 86, about 2 miles (3 km) east of Interstate 27. Tulia is a center for farming and agribusiness activities.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,484 ft
- ZIP code
- 79088
- Area code
- 806
Questions about Tulia
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Tulia, TX a good place to live?
Tulia grades D− overall, in the bottom 2% of U.S. towns and #635 of 640 in Texas. It grades D for health, C for safety and C− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Tulia, TX expensive?
That is 2.6 years of the area's median household income ($36,165 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
What is Tulia, TX known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Gilbert Ford and Paul Nolen.