Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Yoakum grades C+ overall, 238th among Texas's 640 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. On the other side, CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 86% of the country. It also does better than most on schools: its schools outperform 72% of the state's. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $47K, and 18% of residents live below the poverty line. A typical home there costs about $209K, 3.3 years of the county’s $63K median household income. 27% of working residents work locally in Yoakum, against 8.3% in Texas’ towns and 8% across U.S. towns. On history, just 67 of Texas’ 1,000 towns do better.
Where Yoakum beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Yoakum is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 1,745 in 1890, 5,908 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 2 maps from 1963 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Yoakum, 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 Yoakum.
Yoakum has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and is healthier than towns with similar incomes, but it has seen reported crime rise by about half.
Against the 4,587 U.S. towns with household incomes like Yoakum’s, it is less healthy than 57%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
26% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Yoakum. Yoakum beats the Texas average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 18. 36% of adults get no exercise outside work in Yoakum.
| Yoakum | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 30% | 25% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 24% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 12% |
| What stands out | Yoakum | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 77.7% | 74.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.8% | 12.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by Yoakum ISD. Two of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Yoakum H S, with 477 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yoakum IntLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–5 | Grades 3–5 | 292 | B+ |
| Yoakum H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 477 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
The typical value, about $209K, is 9% below its July 2022 peak. The median property tax bill is $1,494, against $4,232 across Texas, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
54% of Yoakum households own their home. The typical Yoakum home is worth about $209,000, up 1.2% in a year, 30% below the Texas typical home. Yoakum’s median rent is $931 a month.
| Yoakum | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 54% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $931 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Yoakum weather station records that about 119 days a year reach 90°, more than in 98% of U.S. towns. January nights average 42.2°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 94.6°.
Yoakum has warm winters and hot summers. The January low in Yoakum is 42°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Yoakum | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 42°F | 37°F | 22°F |
| July high | 95°F | 95°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Yoakum has about as many jobs (2,324) as working residents, but only 709 people both live and work here.
About one in 4 of Yoakum’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Yoakum has added 134 jobs, to 2,324 in 2023. The top destinations are Houston (9%), Victoria (5%) and Austin (4%).
| Yoakum | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $47,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 2009, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Yoakum.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Reported crimes rose from 37 to 76 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. At 15.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 71% of Texas’s graded towns.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
None within 15 miles of Yoakum; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Yoakum residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
4 places in Yoakum on the National Register of Historic Places.
12 notable people were born in Yoakum.
City in Texas, United States
Yoakum is a city in Lavaca and DeWitt counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 5,908 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yoakum grades C+ overall, better than 42% of U.S. towns and #238 of 640 in Texas. It grades D for health, B for safety and B+ for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
12 notable people were born here, including Arthur Harnden and Billie Lee Turner.
