Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Willis is a solid, middle-of-the-road choice. It grades C− overall, ranked 363rd of 640 in Texas, with no subject far below average. Its best mark is cost of living: a typical home costs about $281K, 3.4 years of the Houston metro’s $82K median household income. Its lowest everyday mark is in safety: it reports more crime per resident than 82% of U.S. towns, including 18 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. On hazard risk, just 93 of Texas’ 1,000 towns do better. The biggest park or preserve is Charles Traylor Memorial Park, at 41 acres. Willis is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 72% of U.S. towns.
Where Willis beats most towns.
5,662 counted in 2010 and 6,431 in 2020; an estimated 7,652 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 19.4% since 2020, after 13.6% 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 Willis is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 656 in 1880, 6,431 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 3 maps from 1960 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Willis, 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 Willis.
Willis carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Texas (mostly tornadoes), has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has seen reported crime fall by a third or more.
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 95% of Texas towns; that rating is what its A for hazard risk is built on.
At 10 of 100, Willis’ FEMA risk score is below both the Texas town median (47 of 100) and the median of U.S. towns (44 of 100). Since 1998, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Willis.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its public schools are run by Willis ISD. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lynn Lucas MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 901 | C |
| Stubblefield AcademyLargest public high schoolGrades 5–12 | Grades 5–12 | 25 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Reported crimes fell from 240 to 169 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
At 20.3 per 1,000 residents, Willis’ property crime rate is against 10.7 in Texas’ towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns. Willis reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 82% report less. Willis’ violent crime rate is 2.4 per 1,000 residents.
| Willis | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 20.3 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.4 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Huntsville weather station, 19 miles away, records that about 96 days a year reach 90°, more than in 96% of U.S. towns. January nights average 41.4°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 93.6°.
Willis has warm winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. The January low in Willis is 41°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Willis | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 41°F | 37°F | 22°F |
| July high | 94°F | 95°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Jobs based here grew from 2,220 in 2013 to 4,197.
Most working residents leave Willis for work: only 7% work in town. Since 2013, Willis has added 1,977 jobs, to 4,197 in 2023. The top destinations are Houston (24%), Conroe (18%) and The Woodlands (5%).
| Willis | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 12% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Willis beats the Texas average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 20% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Willis.
| Willis | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 39% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 20% | 14% |
| What stands out | Willis | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.4% | 6.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.4% | 12.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median property tax bill is $1,997, against $4,232 across Texas, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
61% of Willis households own their home. The typical Willis home is worth about $281,000, down 1.3% in a year, 5% below the Texas typical home.
| Willis | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 61% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,268 a month | $1,206 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| Willis | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.4% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Charles Traylor Memorial Park | 0.6 mi | 41 |
| 2. Lindley Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Willis; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Willis residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
4 notable people were born in Willis.
City in Texas, United States
Willis is a city in Montgomery County, Texas, United States, located eight miles north of Conroe in north central Montgomery County. The city began to develop in 1870 after what is now the Union Pacific Railroad built track through the area. As a part of the Piney Woods, the Willis economy has historically been driven by lumber, agriculture, and the manufacture of lumber and agriculture equipment. From the late nineteenth to early twentieth century, it produced tobacco as a commodity crop. Competition from Cuba reduced its contribution to the economy. The population was 6,431 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 6,964 in 2023. In 2008, after Willis's population passed 5,000, the city…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Willis.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Willis grades C− overall, better than 23% of U.S. towns and #363 of 640 in Texas. It grades C+ for health, C− for safety and C for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a C−.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.
4 notable people were born here, including Bernard Garrett and Cliff Young.