Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,636, settled in 1905.
West Columbia gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $268K for a typical one, or 3.3 years of the Houston metro’s $82K median household income. It grades C− overall, 361st among Texas's 640 graded towns. The low prices come with trade-offs. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 71% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. West Columbia’s January low is 45°F, above both Texas’ towns (37°F) and U.S. towns (22°F). Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 84% of U.S. towns. Varner-Hogg Plantation is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far West Columbia is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,573 in 1940, 3,644 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2016 and 2 maps from 1952 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in West Columbia, 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 West Columbia.
West Columbia trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
115 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 25 properties have flooded more than once.
Since 1979, 115 flood insurance claims have been paid out in West Columbia.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by Columbia-Brazoria ISD. Its two schools are below. The largest public high school is Columbia H S, with 885 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| West Columbia ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 674 | B+ |
| Columbia H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 885 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Against the 3,490 U.S. towns with household incomes like West Columbia’s, it is healthier than 82%, so its C isn’t only a matter of income.
West Columbia beats the Texas average on 2 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 43% of adults sleep under 7 hours in West Columbia.
| West Columbia | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 39% | 36% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 8.1% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 37% | 35% |
| What stands out | West Columbia | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 17.4% | 19.3% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 77.6% | 74.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.2% | 5.7% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
January nights average 44.8°, milder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 92.5°. The Angleton 2 W weather station, 12 miles away, records that about 83 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 76% of Texas places with climate records.
West Columbia has warm winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. West Columbia’s July high is 93°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
West Columbia has about as many jobs (1,412) as working residents, but only 136 people both live and work here. Jobs based here fell from 1,781 in 2013 to 1,412.
Most working residents leave West Columbia for work: only 9% work in town. The median household income in West Columbia is $43,000. Since 2013, West Columbia has lost 369 jobs, to 1,412 in 2023.
| West Columbia | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $43,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 12% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Reported crimes fell from 80 to 37 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Homes are within reach (about $268K for the typical one, B+ for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 35 miles.
61% of West Columbia households own their home. The typical West Columbia home is worth about $268,000, about the same as a year ago, 10% below the Texas typical home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0.0 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. The biggest park or preserve is First Capitol Park, at 26 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. First Capitol Park | — | 26 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of West Columbia; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 West Columbia residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
6 notable people were born in West Columbia.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
West Columbia grades C− overall, better than 23% of U.S. towns and #361 of 640 in Texas. It grades C for health, C+ for safety and B− for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a D.
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 B+.
6 notable people were born here, including Cam Ward and Charlie Johnson.