Scores by category

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

Safety32#10,663/15,637
Economy9#14,229/15,631
Housing39#9,164/14,977
Health13#13,547/15,609
Healthcare1#15,469/15,650
Environment14#13,322/15,453
Education33#10,523/15,649
Infrastructure1#15,480/15,650
Community31#10,845/15,651
Leisure & amenities15#13,282/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Linden, Texas ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Cass 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

Social associations · high16.8 /10k
95/100Texas 7.3 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCass County value
Students per teacher · low11.3×
92/100Texas 15.0×United States 15.2×2024National Center for Education StatisticsCass County value
Property crime rate · low489 /100k
90/100Texas 1,786 /100kUnited States 1,535 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationCass County value
Public libraries · high1.0 /10k
77/100Texas 0.3 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesCass County value
Child care cost burden · low24.7%
75/100Texas 24.5%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCass County value
Comfortable days · high28.2%
70/100Texas 30.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationCass County value

Weaknesses

Distance to an airport · high148 mi
2/100Texas 33 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauCass County value
Traffic deaths · high39.9 /100k
3/100Texas 14.1 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataCass County value
Distance to an emergency room · high18.9 mi
3/100Texas 5.5 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesCass County value
Public EV charging ports · low0.0 /10k
3/100Texas 4.0 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyCass County value
Premature death · high15,071 /100k
4/100Texas 7,960 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCass County value
Life expectancy · low70.5 yrs
4/100Texas 77.2 yrsUnited States 77.6 yrs2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteCass County value

Trends

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

Rent-burdened householdsImproving
74.1% (2015-2019) → 47.3% (2020-2024)
−27 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
59.2% (2015-2019) → 73.9% (2020-2024)
+15 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Unemployment rateImproving
17.6% (2015-2019) → 5.8% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%
Child poverty rateWorsening
54.7% (2015-2019) → 65.7% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent as share of incomeImproving
35.4% (2015-2019) → 24.9% (2020-2024)
−11 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
11.8% (2015-2019) → 18.6% (2020-2024)
+6.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%

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, Linden, Texas improved on 2 of 13 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 11 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

Rent burden−27 points74.1% → 47.3%
Broadband+15 points59.2% → 73.9%

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 13 measures

Change of every measure of Linden, Texas between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	25.2 min2015-2019	22.6 min2020-2024	−2.6 min	Within the margin of error	76%
Bachelor's degree or higher	11.8%2015-2019	18.6%2020-2024	+6.8 points	Within the margin of error	78%
Broadband subscriptions	59.2%2015-2019	73.9%2020-2024	+15 points	Improved	79%
Child poverty rate	54.7%2015-2019	65.7%2020-2024	+11 points	Within the margin of error	11%
Effective property tax rate	1.45%2015-2019	1.07%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	82%
High school diploma or higher	86.9%2015-2019	84.7%2020-2024	−2.2 points	Within the margin of error	14%
Home price to income ratio	2.3×2015-2019	3.0×2020-2024	+0.7×	Within the margin of error	35%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4392015-2019	0.4642020-2024	+0.024	Within the margin of error	31%
Median household income	$34,7672015-2019	$43,6612020-2024	+26%	Within the margin of error	45%
Poverty rate	30.3%2015-2019	32.1%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Within the margin of error	27%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent-burdened households	74.1%2015-2019	47.3%2020-2024	−27 points	Improved	97%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	13.6%2015-2019	9.8%2020-2024	−3.8 points	Within the margin of error	81%

“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 Linden, Texas five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Linden, 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, Linden, Texas itself moved +5.6 points in standing on average over the same 9 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

1,932 residents (±369)

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

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 B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,932 residents (±369)

Linden, Texas
Texas share

White67%1,301
Black21%†400
Hispanic or Latino2.6%†50

Education

1,410 residents (±222)

Linden, Texas
Texas share

No high school diploma15%†216
High school or GED36%509
Some college24%†345

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

813 households (±140)

Linden, Texas
Texas share

Under $25k31%†253
$25k–50k22%†178
$50k–75k20%†165
$75k–100k7.6%†62
$100k–150k13%†109
$150k–200k3.8%†31
$200k or more1.8%†15

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 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

813 households (±140)

Linden, Texas
Texas share

Own58%474
Rent42%339

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

Table view

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

Rent paid

317 households (±92)

Linden, Texas
Texas share

Under $75062%†197
$750–1,00017%†55
$1,000–1,50019%†59

Home values

474 homes (±103)

Linden, Texas
Texas share

Under $150k57%†270
$150k–250k34%†161
$250k–400k6.1%†29

Age of homes

995 homes (±156)

Linden, Texas
Texas share

2010 or later5.1%†51
2000–20097.4%†74
1980–199912%†118

Size of homes

995 homes (±156)

Linden, Texas
Texas share

Studio6.0%†60
1 bedroom4.7%†47
2 bedrooms30%†303

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

688 workers (±166)

Linden, Texas
Texas share

Drive alone88%603
Carpool2.5%†17
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home9.9%†68
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Work from home (+8.2 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 B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

620 workers (±175)

Linden, Texas
Texas share

Under 15 min41%†255
15–29 min25%†157
30–44 min11%†67

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

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 Cass County, the county holding most of Linden's residents.

Cass County has 519 employer establishments, 181 for every 10,000 residents (0.73× the US rate of 248; 0.83× Texas's), with 6,192 paid employees at an average annual pay of $42,025. The Census Bureau also counts 2,239 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 519; 2,239 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 181; US 248 · Texas 218
Paid employees: 6,192
Average annual pay: $42,025; US $68,342

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

Religious organizations	48	16.8	3.02×More than typical	188	$16,707	—
Restaurants and other eating places	42	14.7	0.80×Fewer than typical	624	$16,622	22
Specialty trade contractors	26	9.1	0.59×Fewer than typical	132	$48,992	242
Ambulatory health care services	25	8.7	0.42×Fewer than typical	562	$23,959	76
Limited-service restaurants	22	7.7	0.96×About typical	468	$16,502	7
Truck transportation	21	7.3	1.45×More than typical	164	$50,982	94
Lessors of real estate	20	7	0.57×Fewer than typical	38	$35,711	131
Full-service restaurants	18	6.3	0.82×About typical	151	$17,139	7
Gasoline stations	17	5.9	1.83×More than typical	157	$29,248	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	16	5.6	1.11×About typical	45	$45,778	53
Banks and credit unions	13	4.5	1.41×More than typical	116	$61,819	—
Building equipment contractors	12	4.2	0.70×Fewer than typical	58	$51,310	43

Rank places for an industry Open Cass County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 28,637 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 Linden, 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

291.9FY2020
290.8FY2021

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 Linden, Texas, so they do not add up across cities.

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

See federal money in Cass 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.

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

House

Nathaniel MoranR-TX-1 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 1.3%

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.

Cass County8100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Cass 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
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/4842844