Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety23#12,063/15,637
Economy28#11,272/15,631
Housing28#10,847/14,977
Health15#13,251/15,609
Healthcare2#15,386/15,650
Environment54#7,057/15,453
Education7#14,561/15,649
Infrastructure20#12,530/15,650
Community13#13,599/15,651
Leisure & amenities2#15,269/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Celeste, Texas ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Hunt County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Median Air Quality Index · low34
88/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyHunt County value
Job growth · high1.4%
83/100Texas 0.6%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataHunt County value
High ozone days · low0 days
76/100Texas 7 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyHunt County value
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.379
75/100Texas 0.478United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Natural hazard risk · low17.0
74/100Texas 39.62025Federal Emergency Management AgencyHunt County value
Comfortable days · high28.0%
68/100Texas 30.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationHunt County value

Weaknesses

Uninsured residents (under 65) · high33.0%
2/100Texas 19.1%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Firearm deaths · high26.5 /100k
4/100Texas 13.7 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataHunt County value
Restaurants and bars · low4.3 /10k
6/100Texas 7.8 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHunt County value
Primary care physicians · low24 /100k
7/100Texas 61 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHunt County value
Preventable hospital stays · high4,085 /100k
8/100Texas 2,991 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHunt County value
Frequent mental distress · high21.5%
8/100Texas 18.5%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
889 (2015-2019) → 1,019 (2020-2024)
+15%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Home price to income ratioWorsening
1.4× (2015-2019) → 3.4× (2020-2024)
+136%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
67.8% (2015-2019) → 88.8% (2020-2024)
+21 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
12.6% (2015-2019) → 33.0% (2020-2024)
+20 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
44.7% (2015-2019) → 61.9% (2020-2024)
+17 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
New homes permittedWorsening
5.2 /1k (2021) → 1.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−81%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Celeste, Texas improved on 1 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 10 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Broadband+21 points67.8% → 88.8%

Declined2

Uninsured+20 points12.6% → 33.0%
Price / income+2.0×1.4× → 3.4×

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Celeste, Texas between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	38.1 min2015-2019	37.0 min2020-2024	−1.1 min	Within the margin of error	61%
Bachelor's degree or higher	8.9%2015-2019	13.9%2020-2024	+5.1 points	Within the margin of error	68%
Broadband subscriptions	67.8%2015-2019	88.8%2020-2024	+21 points	Improved	92%
Effective property tax rate	1.57%2015-2019	1.02%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	93%
High school diploma or higher	87.6%2015-2019	91.3%2020-2024	+3.7 points	Within the margin of error	74%
Home price to income ratio	1.4×2015-2019	3.4×2020-2024	+2.0×	Declined	4%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3842015-2019	0.3792020-2024	−0.005	Within the margin of error	55%
Median household income	$49,0632015-2019	$54,3752020-2024	+11%	Within the margin of error	18%
Poverty rate	14.3%2015-2019	21.2%2020-2024	+6.9 points	Within the margin of error	8%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	25.8%2015-2019	38.8%2020-2024	+13 points	Within the margin of error	6%
Rent-burdened households	44.7%2015-2019	61.9%2020-2024	+17 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	12.6%2015-2019	33.0%2020-2024	+20 points	Declined	0%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Celeste, Texas five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Celeste, Texas in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Celeste, Texas itself moved −10.6 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

1,019 residents (±411)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 10–19 women (−5.6 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,019 residents (±411)

Celeste, Texas
Texas share

White63%†646
Black2.0%†20
Hispanic or Latino21%†

Education

552 residents (±239)

Celeste, Texas
Texas share

No high school diploma8.7%†48
High school or GED47%†259
Some college19%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

295 households (±91)

Celeste, Texas
Texas share

Under $25k14%†41
$25k–50k34%†100
$50k–75k23%†69
$75k–100k8.1%†24
$100k–150k14%†40
$150k–200k7.1%†21
$200k or more0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−15.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

295 households (±91)

Celeste, Texas
Texas share

Own69%†203
Rent31%†92

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

87 households (±43)

Celeste, Texas
Texas share

Under $75028%†24
$750–1,00028%†24
$1,000–1,50032%†28

Home values

203 homes (±79)

Celeste, Texas
Texas share

Under $150k32%†64
$150k–250k45%†92
$250k–400k17%†35

Age of homes

326 homes (±93)

Celeste, Texas
Texas share

2010 or later12%†39
2000–20095.8%†19
1980–199921%†70

Size of homes

326 homes (±93)

Celeste, Texas
Texas share

Studio0.6%†2
1 bedroom4.6%†15
2 bedrooms17%†54

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

356 workers (±131)

Celeste, Texas
Texas share

Drive alone74%†263
Carpool14%†50
Public transit0.0%0
Walk2.8%†10
Bike0.0%0
Work from home9.3%†33
Other0.0%0

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

323 workers (±125)

Celeste, Texas
Texas share

Under 15 min11%†36
15–29 min41%†131
30–44 min14%†44

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Hunt County, the county holding most of Celeste's residents.

Hunt County has 1,854 employer establishments, 163 for every 10,000 residents (0.66× the US rate of 248; 0.75× Texas's), with 27,606 paid employees at an average annual pay of $63,773. The Census Bureau also counts 10,588 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,854; 10,588 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 163; US 248 · Texas 218
Paid employees: 27,606
Average annual pay: $63,773; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Hunt County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	190	16.7	1.08×About typical	1,190	$61,192	1,441
Ambulatory health care services	143	12.6	0.60×Fewer than typical	1,416	$53,876	291
Restaurants and other eating places	132	11.6	0.63×Fewer than typical	2,757	$20,386	49
Building equipment contractors	96	8.4	1.40×More than typical	542	$61,194	367
Religious organizations	93	8.2	1.47×More than typical	428	$22,748	—
Lessors of real estate	74	6.5	0.53×Fewer than typical	171	$37,947	604
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors	68	6	1.81×More than typical	415	$60,766	190
Limited-service restaurants	65	5.7	0.71×Fewer than typical	1,697	$18,279	15
Construction of buildings	64	5.6	0.74×Fewer than typical	316	$61,304	673
Gasoline stations	53	4.7	1.44×More than typical	349	$27,662	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	48	4.2	0.84×About typical	334	$43,671	260
Full-service restaurants	48	4.2	0.55×Fewer than typical	932	$24,120	29

Rank places for an industry Open Hunt County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 113,819 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Celeste, Texas: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

4.7KFY2018
5.8KFY2019
138.6FY2020

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Celeste, Texas, so they do not add up across cities.

Celeste, Texas's figures are part of those of Hunt County, TX ($1.1B in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Celeste is mostly in Hunt County.

See federal money in Hunt County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Celeste, Texas is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).