Scores by category

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

Safety34#10,381/15,637
Economy13#13,522/15,631
Housing52#7,128/14,977
Health9#14,221/15,609
Healthcare19#12,641/15,650
Environment41#9,115/15,453
Education8#14,416/15,649
Infrastructure24#11,958/15,650
Community23#12,018/15,651
Leisure & amenities19#12,641/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Distance to an emergency room · low1.4 mi
100/100Texas 5.5 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesWilbarger County value
Job growth · high10.1%
100/100Texas 0.6%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataWilbarger County value
Time spent in the emergency room · low78 min
99/100Texas 149 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesWilbarger County value
Average commute time · low12.6 min
99/100Texas 26.7 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Home price to income ratio · low1.7×
96/100Texas 3.6×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Texas 5.1 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataWilbarger County value

Weaknesses

Traffic deaths · high49.2 /100k
2/100Texas 14.1 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataWilbarger County value
Food environment index · low5.4
2/100Texas 5.7United States 7.62019 & 2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWilbarger County value
Voter turnout · low47.3%
3/100Texas 57.8%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionWilbarger County value
Reading scores · low2.58
3/100Texas 2.89United States 3.052018University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWilbarger County value
Distance to an airport · high129 mi
4/100Texas 33 miUnited States 33 mi2025Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauWilbarger County value
Mammography screening · low33.0%
4/100Texas 42.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWilbarger County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
10,509 (2015-2019) → 9,848 (2020-2024)
−6.3%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
New homes permittedImproving
0.2 /1k (2021) → 1.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+418%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
63.0% (2015-2019) → 85.7% (2020-2024)
+23 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
33.9% (2015-2019) → 44.0% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
19.5% (2015-2019) → 12.1% (2020-2024)
−7.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
High school diploma or higherImproving
75.0% (2015-2019) → 81.0% (2020-2024)
+6 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 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.

Over about five years, Vernon, Texas improved on 3 of 14 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.

Improved3

Broadband+23 points63.0% → 85.7%
Uninsured−7.5 points19.5% → 12.1%
Household income+20%$42,533 → $51,114

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Vernon, Texas between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	13.0 min2015-2019	12.6 min2020-2024	−0.4 min	Within the margin of error	53%
Bachelor's degree or higher	12.7%2015-2019	15.1%2020-2024	+2.4 points	Within the margin of error	47%
Broadband subscriptions	63.0%2015-2019	85.7%2020-2024	+23 points	Improved	93%
Child poverty rate	30.5%2015-2019	31.8%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	33%
Effective property tax rate	1.82%2015-2019	1.65%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	50%
High school diploma or higher	75.0%2015-2019	81.0%2020-2024	+6 points	Within the margin of error	86%
Home price to income ratio	1.5×2015-2019	1.7×2020-2024	+0.2×	Within the margin of error	69%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4402015-2019	0.4122020-2024	−0.028	Within the margin of error	73%
Median household income	$42,5332015-2019	$51,1142020-2024	+20%	Improved	33%
Poverty rate	21.8%2015-2019	18.6%2020-2024	−3.2 points	Within the margin of error	71%
Rent as share of income	22.2%2015-2019	26.5%2020-2024	+4.3 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Rent-burdened households	33.9%2015-2019	44.0%2020-2024	+10 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Unemployment rate	6.4%2015-2019	11.8%2020-2024	+5.4 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	19.5%2015-2019	12.1%2020-2024	−7.5 points	Improved	93%

“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 Vernon, Texas five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Vernon, 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, Vernon, Texas itself moved −1.2 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

9,848 residents (±35)

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: 20–29 men (+2.6 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

9,848 residents (±35)

Vernon, Texas
Texas share

White49%4,807
Black6.4%634
Hispanic or Latino34%3,306
Asian3.9%383
American Indian and Alaska Native0.1%†7
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races7.2%711

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Other or two or more races (+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 B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

6,596 residents (±236)

Vernon, Texas
Texas share

No high school diploma19%1,255
High school or GED34%2,274
Some college27%1,754
Associate degree4.8%†317
Bachelor's degree11%†740
Graduate degree3.9%†256

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 B15003View 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.

Income

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

Household income

3,708 households (±251)

Vernon, Texas
Texas share

Under $25k24%876
$25k–50k25%929
$50k–75k15%†563
$75k–100k19%†690
$100k–150k14%†506
$150k–200k2.2%†80
$200k or more1.7%†64

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

3,708 households (±251)

Vernon, Texas
Texas share

Own63%2,331
Rent37%1,377

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

1,206 households (±284)

Vernon, Texas
Texas share

Under $75026%†312
$750–1,00038%†453
$1,000–1,50034%†407

Home values

2,331 homes (±323)

Vernon, Texas
Texas share

Under $150k64%1,498
$150k–250k23%†533
$250k–400k11%†247

Age of homes

4,648 homes (±179)

Vernon, Texas
Texas share

2010 or later4.4%†204
2000–20093.8%†177
1980–199915%†705

Size of homes

4,648 homes (±179)

Vernon, Texas
Texas share

Studio1.1%†53
1 bedroom15%†679
2 bedrooms32%1,481

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

4,078 workers (±371)

Vernon, Texas
Texas share

Drive alone86%3,501
Carpool8.5%†346
Public transit0.0%0
Walk2.0%†83
Bike1.2%†48
Work from home1.3%†51
Other1.2%†49

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Carpool (−10.4 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

4,027 workers (±381)

Vernon, Texas
Texas share

Under 15 min73%2,936
15–29 min14%†559
30–44 min9.9%†399

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 Vernon, 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 Wilbarger County, the county holding most of Vernon's residents.

Wilbarger County has 283 employer establishments, 226 for every 10,000 residents (0.91× the US rate of 248; 1.04× Texas's), with 4,654 paid employees at an average annual pay of $43,383. The Census Bureau also counts 863 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 283; 863 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 226; US 248 · Texas 218
Paid employees: 4,654
Average annual pay: $43,383; US $68,342

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

Restaurants and other eating places	25	20	1.09×About typical	470	$16,091	6
Ambulatory health care services	18	14.4	0.69×Fewer than typical	92	$39,576	29
Specialty trade contractors	15	12	0.77×Fewer than typical	62	$39,065	67
Automotive repair and maintenance	11	8.8	1.75×More than typical	55	$16,255	27
Full-service restaurants	11	8.8	1.14×About typical	133	$18,158	3
Limited-service restaurants	11	8.8	1.10×About typical	316	$15,677	—
Religious organizations	11	8.8	1.59×More than typical	62	$18,177	—
Insurance agencies and brokerages	10	8	1.82×More than typical	23	$38,913	20
Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors	7	5.6	1.78×Too few to compare	23	$44,522	19
Gasoline stations	7	5.6	1.73×Too few to compare	86	$22,442	—
Traveler accommodation	7	5.6	3.10×Too few to compare	79	$20,025	3
Lessors of real estate	6	4.8	0.39×Too few to compare	13	$38,077	48

Rank places for an industry Open Wilbarger County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 12,510 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 Vernon, Texas: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0; −100% vs FY2025
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

121.8FY2017
4.7KFY2023
1.9KFY2024
1.9KFY2025

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

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

See federal money in Wilbarger 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.

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

House

Ronny JacksonR-TX-13 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 2.7%

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.

Wilbarger County17100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Vernon, TX21

Other cities and towns in Wilbarger 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/4875308