Rig Theater · National Register of Historic Places
Wink’s story
99 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2014.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1927Wink is settled
WinkTX
A town of 931, settled in 1927.
Photo: Nicolas Henderson from Coppell, Texas · CC BY 2.0
Population
931
2025 Census estimate · +0.9% since 2020
Median home value
$122K
Census ACS
Household income
$103K
median
Median age
34.5
years
Jobs based here
191
A commuter town
Is Wink a good place to live?
34% of residents are under 18 in Wink, above both Texas’ towns (26%) and U.S. towns (22%). Wink’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile, against 0.3 in Texas’ towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Rig Theater is on the National Register of Historic Places. Wink has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
931 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Wink: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wink, and how to reach them.
PowerOncorEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Wink water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Wink’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 hereWinkler County Early Voting ClerkWinkler County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code7978979789 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 Wink.
Natural hazards
Drought leads a very low hazard risk in Wink
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 90% of U.S. communities.
10risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtInland floodingHail
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Wink’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by Wink-Loving ISD. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wink ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 227 | A− |
| Wink H SLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 211 | B |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Most of Wink’s workers commute out: the town has 0.6 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Wink for work: only 2% work in town. The median household income in Wink is $103,000. The top destinations are Kermit (13%), Midland (12%) and Odessa (6%).
2%work in town
| Wink | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $103,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.4% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 12% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Wink2%
Kermit13%
Midland12%
Odessa6%
Monahans4%
60 mi
median commute distance
191
jobs based in Wink
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Wink
Wink has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. Wink’s July high is 98°F.
98°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter32–63°
Spring50–83°
Summer70–97°
Fall51–80°
Nov 6
typical first frost
Mar 26
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
98°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Wink
4 crimes were reported in Wink in 2025: 3 property and 1 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Wink is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
1
violent crimes reported in 2025
3
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Health
How healthy Wink is
Wink beats the Texas average on 5 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 18% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Wink.
| Wink | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 74% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
31 measures vs. Texas
5 better26 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Wink | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 16.9% | 19.3% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 9.4% | 10.7% |
Winkler County Memorial Hospital
7.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
1.6%conserved
1.6%
conserved · 12 of 744 acres
1.2 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Winkler County Park | 0.9 mi | 12 |
| 2. Winkler County Library Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wink
18pages on Wink
The big questions
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Wink; the nearest are
Odessa CollegeCommunity college · Public · Odessa45.9 mi$2,688 in-state tuitionThe University of Texas Permian BasinUniversity or college · Public · Odessa49.3 mi$9,236 in-state tuitionNew Mexico Junior CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hobbs, NM69.3 mi$1,440 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Wink residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Wink for work
Where Wink’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
191jobs based in Wink
2%of working residents work in town
60 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Wink
City in Texas, United States
Wink is a city in Winkler County, Texas, United States. Its population was 915 at the 2020 census. Wink was a temporary childhood home to singer and songwriter Roy Orbison, although he was born in Vernon, Texas. Orbison later described the major components of life in Wink as "football, oil fields, oil, grease, and sand", and in later years expressed relief that he was able to leave the desolate town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,792 ft
- ZIP code
- 79789
- Area code
- 432
Questions about Wink
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wink, TX a good place to live?
Wink has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.