Valley Mehtodist Church ws (1 of 1), 2020
Valley Mills’s story
159 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1867Valley Mills is settled
Valley MillsTX
A town of 1,293, settled in 1867.
Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,293
2025 Census estimate · +2.8% since 2020
Typical home
$318K
+1.7% in a year
Household income
$52K
median
Median age
31.7
years
Jobs based here
293
A commuter town
Is Valley Mills a good place to live?
Valley Mills’ weakest subject grade is a C for incomes. 33% of residents are under 18 in Valley Mills, against 26% in Texas’ towns and 22% across U.S. towns. Valley Mills has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
WeakestCJobs & income
What makes Valley Mills stand out
Where Valley Mills beats most towns.
Small town
1,293 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Valley Mills grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Valley Mills is from typical.
Jobs & income$52K median household incomeCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 30% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →HealthGoodall Witcher Hospital 11.9 miles awayCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.5 of 20; 0.2% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →SchoolsB−Open →Cost of livingB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0 miles of trailsC+Open →History2 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life2.7 library visits per resident; 3.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 96° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 31.7; 9% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Valley Mills: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Valley Mills, and how to reach them.
PowerOncorEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Valley Mills water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Valley Mills’ 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 hereBosque County Early Voting ClerkBosque County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code7668976689 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 Valley Mills.
SchoolsB−
Valley Mills’ schools rank ahead of 53% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by Valley Mills ISD. Its one school is below.
53%of TX districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valley Mills ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 326 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Valley Mills has 0.4 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Valley Mills for work: only 4% work in town. Since 2013, Valley Mills has added 132 jobs, to 293 in 2023. Valley Mills’ average trip to work is 28 minutes, above both the Texas town median (25 minutes) and the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes).
4%work in town
| Valley Mills | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.3% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 12% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Valley Mills4%
Waco25%
Clifton4%
Fort Worth3%
Abilene3%
22 mi
median commute distance
293
jobs based in Valley Mills
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 55% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
On CDC estimates, Valley Mills is less healthy than 70% of U.S. towns
Valley Mills beats the Texas average on 3 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 20% of Valley Mills adults report frequent mental distress.
30%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Valley Mills | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 74% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 8.1% |
31 measures vs. Texas
3 better20 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Valley Mills | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 15.6% | 19.1% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 17% | 19.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.8% | 5.7% |
Goodall Witcher Hospital
11.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Valley Mills faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Valley Mills since 2003.
30risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesLightning
1
paid flood claims since 2003
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Valley Mills, expect mild winters and hot summers
Valley Mills has mild winters and hot summers. The July high in Valley Mills is 95°F.
96°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter38–61°
Spring55–77°
Summer72–94°
Fall56–79°
Nov 15
typical first frost
Mar 15
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
96°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Valley Mills
Valley Mills's reported crime rate is well below Texas's. Valley Mills’ property crime rate is 2.3 per 1,000 residents. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Valley Mills | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 2.3 per 1,000 residents | 13.1 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.7 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Valley Mills0.8
Texas4
U.S.3.6
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Valley Mills2.3
Texas20.7
U.S.17.7
1
violent crimes reported in 2024
3
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade B−
Valley Mills’ typical home value is about $318K
The typical Valley Mills home is worth about $318,000, up 1.7% in a year, 7% above the Texas typical home.
$318KZillow home value
| Valley Mills | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 69% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,172 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Valley Mills$318K
Texas$296K
+1.7%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 776 acres
0.3 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Robert Wilson Baseball Park | — | 3 |
| 2. Santa Fe Park | 0.1 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Valley Mills
20pages on Valley Mills
The big questions
SchoolsB−Beat 53% of TX districts · 1 schoolSafety0.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2024)HealthCBetter than TX on 3 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingB−$318K typical home · up 1.7% in a yearWork & commuteC$52K median household income · 293 jobs hereNatural hazardsB+FEMA risk higher than 30% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Valley Mills; the nearest are
McLennan Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Waco18.3 mi$3,660 in-state tuitionTexas A&M University-Central TexasUniversity or college · Public · Killeen45.4 mi$7,363 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Valley Mills residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Valley Mills for work
Where Valley Mills’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
293jobs based in Valley Mills
4%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Valley Mills
City in Bosque and McLennan counties in Texas, United States
Valley Mills is a city in Bosque and McLennan counties in central Texas, United States. The population was 1,229 at the 2020 census. The McLennan County portion of Valley Mills is part of the Waco Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 594 ft
- ZIP code
- 76689
- Area code
- 254
Questions about Valley Mills
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Valley Mills, TX expensive?
That is 4.8 years of the area's median household income ($66,205 across the Waco, 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 B−.
What is Valley Mills, TX known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Donnie Sadler and Ken Sanders.