Census-designated place · Ward County, Texas

Southwest Sandhill, Texas

Southwest Sandhill is a census-designated place in Ward County, Texas. It has 1,143 residents. Southwest Sandhill, Texas has a quality-of-life score of 18 out of 100 (very low), ranking #12,886 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Texas it ranks #553 of 1,016 cities and towns. It ranks best on drug overdose deaths (low), gyms and fitness centers (high) and effective property tax rate (low). It ranks worst on mammography screening (low), job growth (low) and traffic deaths (high).

18Very low

Quality-of-life score: #12,886 of 15,651 cities and towns
Texas: #553 of 1,016 in TX
Population: 1,143 (2020-2024)
Land area: 7 mi²
Density: 155.3 /mi²
FIPS code: 4869353

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 69 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.

Safety24#11,859/15,637
Economy53#7,279/15,631
Housing—
Health23#12,014/15,609
Healthcare3#15,235/15,650
Environment62#5,908/15,453
Education7#14,569/15,649
Infrastructure17#13,019/15,650
Community25#11,719/15,651
Leisure & amenities73#4,178/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Drug overdose deaths · low0.0 /100k
99/100Texas 13.4 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataWard County value
Gyms and fitness centers · high2.7 /10k
98/100Texas 1.2 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsWard County value
Effective property tax rate · low0.34%
96/100Texas 1.40%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090High uncertainty
Public libraries · high2.7 /10k
95/100Texas 0.3 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesWard County value
Home price to income ratio · low1.5×
94/100Texas 3.6×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077High uncertainty
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Texas 5.1 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataWard County value

Weaknesses

Mammography screening · low20.0%
0/100Texas 42.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWard County value
Job growth · low-7.7%
0/100Texas 0.6%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataWard County value
Traffic deaths · high73.5 /100k
1/100Texas 14.1 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataWard County value
Mental health providers · low18 /100k
1/100Texas 181 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWard County value
Preventable hospital stays · high5,329 /100k
1/100Texas 2,991 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWard County value
Flu vaccinations · low21.0%
1/100Texas 40.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWard County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
911 (2016-2020) → 1,143 (2020-2024)
+25%4 yearsCensus table B01003US 331,578,104 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
66.2% (2016-2020) → 84.7% (2020-2024)
+18 pts4 yearsCensus table B28002US 85.2% → 91.0%
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
0.0% (2016-2020) → 12.6% (2020-2024)
+13 pts4 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.9% → 35.7%
Unemployment rateImproving
14.2% (2016-2020) → 3.0% (2020-2024)
−11 pts4 yearsCensus table B23025US 8.1% → 4.0%
Child poverty rateImproving
11.2% (2016-2020) → 0.0% (2020-2024)
−11 pts4 yearsCensus table B17001US 15.7% → 15.5%
High school diploma or higherWorsening
89.9% (2016-2020) → 79.0% (2020-2024)
−11 pts4 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.5% → 89.6%

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.

There is not enough history to compare Southwest Sandhill, Texas over five years.

Cities and towns like Southwest Sandhill, Texas five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Southwest Sandhill, 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.

No place that looked like Southwest Sandhill, Texas five years ago has more measures that improved than declined, with a higher standing among its peers today.

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

1,143 residents (±305)

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

† 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

1,143 residents (±305)

Southwest Sandhill, Texas
Texas share

White44%†506
Black0.2%†2
Hispanic or Latino50%†568

Education

815 residents (±199)

Southwest Sandhill, Texas
Texas share

No high school diploma21%†171
High school or GED26%†214
Some college40%†327

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

524 households (±136)

Southwest Sandhill, Texas
Texas share

Under $25k19%†102
$25k–50k23%†121
$50k–75k9.4%†49
$75k–100k12%†62
$100k–150k25%†132
$150k–200k6.1%†32
$200k or more5.0%†26

† 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

524 households (±136)

Southwest Sandhill, Texas
Texas share

Own87%†456
Rent13%†68

† 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

56 households (±64)

Southwest Sandhill, Texas
Texas share

Under $7500.0%0
$750–1,0000.0%0
$1,000–1,5000.0%0
$1,500–2,000

Home values

456 homes (±141)

Southwest Sandhill, Texas
Texas share

Under $150k57%†258
$150k–250k28%†129
$250k–400k0.0%0

Age of homes

565 homes (±138)

Southwest Sandhill, Texas
Texas share

2010 or later15%†86
2000–20092.8%†16
1980–199915%†87

Size of homes

565 homes (±138)

Southwest Sandhill, Texas
Texas share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom0.0%0
2 bedrooms18%†102
3 bedrooms

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

592 workers (±186)

Southwest Sandhill, Texas
Texas share

Drive alone80%†475
Carpool18%†107
Public transit0.0%0
Walk0.0%0
Bike0.0%0
Work from home1.7%†10
Other0.0%0

† 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

582 workers (±187)

Southwest Sandhill, Texas
Texas share

Under 15 min71%†415
15–29 min5.8%†34
30–44 min1.2%†7

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 Ward County, the county holding most of Southwest Sandhill's residents.

Ward County has 339 employer establishments, 309 for every 10,000 residents (1.24× the US rate of 248; 1.41× Texas's), with 4,718 paid employees at an average annual pay of $75,618. The Census Bureau also counts 924 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 339; 924 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 309; US 248 · Texas 218
Paid employees: 4,718
Average annual pay: $75,618; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	27	24.6	1.34×More than typical	302	$23,222	8
Truck transportation	23	21	4.14×More than typical	232	$84,009	95
Specialty trade contractors	16	14.6	0.94×About typical	409	$122,922	80
Full-service restaurants	14	12.8	1.66×More than typical	145	$24,083	3
Traveler accommodation	14	12.8	7.07×More than typical	162	$19,111	—
Gasoline stations	9	8.2	2.53×Too few to compare	264	$29,761	—
Other specialty trade contractors	9	8.2	3.27×Too few to compare	196	$108,495	27
Lessors of real estate	8	7.3	0.59×Too few to compare	47	$31,660	47
Management, scientific and technical consulting	8	7.3	1.09×Too few to compare	17	$77,471	19
Automotive repair and maintenance	7	6.4	1.27×Too few to compare	62	$53,677	31
Limited-service restaurants	7	6.4	0.80×Too few to compare	119	$24,748	5
Heavy and civil engineering construction	6	5.5	4.77×Too few to compare	171	$92,977	—

Rank places for an industry Open Ward County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 10,974 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 Southwest Sandhill, Texas: $0 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,995
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

4.1KFY2017

What was bought

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 7, 2026, loaded Oct 7, 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 Southwest Sandhill, Texas, so they do not add up across cities.

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

See federal money in Ward 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.

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

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.

Ward County33100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Ward 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/4869353