City · Van Zandt County, Texas

Grand Saline, Texas

Grand Saline is a city in Van Zandt County, Texas. It has 3,203 residents. Grand Saline, Texas has a quality-of-life score of 6 out of 100 (very low), ranking #14,737 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Texas it ranks #868 of 1,016 cities and towns. It ranks best on child care cost burden (low), property crime rate (low) and natural hazard risk (low). It ranks worst on primary care physicians (low), uninsured residents (under 65) (high) and distance to an emergency room (high).

6Very low

Quality-of-life score: #14,737 of 15,651 cities and towns
Texas: #868 of 1,016 in TX
Population: 3,203 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 1,526.6 /mi²
FIPS code: 4830476

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 71 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

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

Safety58#6,643/15,637
Economy20#12,467/15,631
Housing35#9,780/14,977
Health12#13,793/15,609
Healthcare0#15,615/15,650
Environment51#7,540/15,453
Education12#13,782/15,649
Infrastructure4#14,990/15,650
Community7#14,583/15,651
Leisure & amenities2#15,339/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Grand Saline, Texas ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Van Zandt 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

Child care cost burden · low20.0%
94/100Texas 24.5%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteVan Zandt County value
Property crime rate · low459 /100k
91/100Texas 1,786 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationVan Zandt County value
Natural hazard risk · low7.9
87/100Texas 39.62025Federal Emergency Management AgencyVan Zandt County value
Violent crime rate · low108 /100k
84/100Texas 345 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationVan Zandt County value
Drug overdose deaths · low9.4 /100k
84/100Texas 13.4 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimateProvisional dataVan Zandt County value
Home price to income ratio · low2.4×
79/100Texas 3.6×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077

Weaknesses

Primary care physicians · low8 /100k
1/100Texas 61 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteVan Zandt County value
Uninsured residents (under 65) · high33.8%
1/100Texas 19.1%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Distance to an emergency room · high20.8 mi
3/100Texas 5.5 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesVan Zandt County value
High school diploma or higher · low69.7%
4/100Texas 86.0%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Frequent mental distress · high22.3%
4/100Texas 18.5%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Dentists · low20 /100k
5/100Texas 63 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteVan Zandt County value

Trends

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

Broadband subscriptionsImproving
66.3% (2015-2019) → 83.7% (2020-2024)
+17 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
72.9% (2015-2019) → 59.4% (2020-2024)
−13 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
21.8% (2015-2019) → 33.8% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Median household incomeImproving
$33,542 (2015-2019) → $50,028 (2020-2024)
+49%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Poverty rateImproving
24.3% (2015-2019) → 18.7% (2020-2024)
−5.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%
Unemployment rateImproving
9.0% (2015-2019) → 3.8% (2020-2024)
−5.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%

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, Grand Saline, Texas improved on 2 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 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.

Improved2

Broadband+17 points66.3% → 83.7%
Household income+49%$33,542 → $50,028

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Grand Saline, Texas between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	24.0 min2015-2019	25.5 min2020-2024	+1.5 min	Within the margin of error	31%
Bachelor's degree or higher	7.4%2015-2019	9.3%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Broadband subscriptions	66.3%2015-2019	83.7%2020-2024	+17 points	Improved	85%
Effective property tax rate	1.80%2015-2019	1.71%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	34%
High school diploma or higher	70.1%2015-2019	69.7%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	29%
Home price to income ratio	2.1×2015-2019	2.4×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	65%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4452015-2019	0.5282020-2024	+0.083	Within the margin of error	7%
Median household income	$33,5422015-2019	$50,0282020-2024	+49%	Improved	84%
Poverty rate	24.3%2015-2019	18.7%2020-2024	−5.6 points	Within the margin of error	83%
Rent as share of income	38.1%2015-2019	42.7%2020-2024	+4.6 points	Within the margin of error	24%
Rent-burdened households	72.9%2015-2019	59.4%2020-2024	−13 points	Within the margin of error	87%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	21.8%2015-2019	33.8%2020-2024	+12 points	Within the margin of error	2%

“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 Grand Saline, Texas five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Grand Saline, 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, Grand Saline, Texas itself moved −1.1 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

3,203 residents (±21)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

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

Household income

1,173 households (±143)

Grand Saline, Texas
Texas share

Under $25k27%†313
$25k–50k23%†273
$50k–75k

Homes

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

Owners and renters

1,173 households (±143)

Grand Saline, Texas
Texas share

Own74%870
Rent26%†303

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+17.2 points).

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

1,195 workers (±188)

Grand Saline, Texas
Texas share

Drive alone68%808
Carpool19%†222
Public transit0.0%0

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 Van Zandt County, the county holding most of Grand Saline's residents.

Van Zandt County has 1,007 employer establishments, 157 for every 10,000 residents (0.63× the US rate of 248; 0.72× Texas's), with 9,632 paid employees at an average annual pay of $45,612. The Census Bureau also counts 6,008 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,007; 6,008 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 157; US 248 · Texas 218
Paid employees: 9,632
Average annual pay: $45,612; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	122	19.1	1.23×About typical	1,010	$65,198	786
Restaurants and other eating places	87	13.6	0.74×Fewer than typical	1,427	$18,946	41
Religious organizations	61	9.5	1.72×More than typical	291	$21,196	—
Building equipment contractors	54	8.4	1.40×More than typical	602	$72,379	149
Full-service restaurants	40	6.2	0.81×About typical	593	$20,148	19
Limited-service restaurants	38	5.9	0.74×Fewer than typical	757	$18,449	14
Ambulatory health care services	36	5.6	0.27×Fewer than typical	220	$50,455	160
Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors	36	5.6	1.78×More than typical	226	$56,690	177
Construction of buildings	32	5	0.66×Fewer than typical	108	$57,852	367
Lessors of real estate	32	5	0.41×Fewer than typical	57	$35,333	376
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors	29	4.5	1.37×More than typical	249	$62,896	84
Truck transportation	27	4.2	0.83×About typical	142	$50,662	185

Rank places for an industry Open Van Zandt County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 64,033 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 Grand Saline, 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

846.1FY2018
4.4KFY2022

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 Grand Saline, Texas, so they do not add up across cities.

Grand Saline, Texas's figures are part of those of Van Zandt County, TX ($832K 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: Grand Saline is mostly in Van Zandt County.

See federal money in Van Zandt 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.

Grand Saline, Texas is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Lance GoodenR-TX-5 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 0.9%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Van Zandt County20100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Van Zandt County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/4830476

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends