Town · Hill County, Texas

Whitney, Texas

Whitney is a town in Hill County, Texas. It has 2,050 residents. Whitney, Texas has a quality-of-life score of 7 out of 100 (very low), ranking #14,580 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Texas it ranks #832 of 1,016 cities and towns. It ranks best on unemployment rate (low), public EV charging ports (high) and job growth (high). It ranks worst on hospital quality rating (low), traffic deaths (high) and mental health providers (low).

7Very low

Quality-of-life score: #14,580 of 15,651 cities and towns
Texas: #832 of 1,016 in TX
Population: 2,050 (2020-2024)
Land area: 2 mi²
Density: 1,102.0 /mi²
FIPS code: 4878664

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 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.

Safety34#10,301/15,637
Economy32#10,580/15,631
Housing35#9,697/14,977
Health8#14,326/15,609
Healthcare1#15,519/15,650
Environment41#9,140/15,453
Education13#13,567/15,649
Infrastructure13#13,559/15,650
Community19#12,738/15,651
Leisure & amenities18#12,785/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Unemployment rate · low0.6%
94/100Texas 4.2%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025High uncertainty
Public EV charging ports · high17.7 /10k
93/100Texas 4.0 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyHill County value
Job growth · high2.1%
89/100Texas 0.6%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataHill County value
Home price to income ratio · low2.2×
85/100Texas 3.6×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Child care cost burden · low23.1%
84/100Texas 24.5%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHill County value
Natural hazard risk · low10.6
83/100Texas 39.62025Federal Emergency Management AgencyHill County value

Weaknesses

Hospital quality rating · low1.0
1/100Texas 3.4United States 3.2Jul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesHill County value
Traffic deaths · high40.7 /100k
3/100Texas 14.1 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationProvisional dataHill County value
Mental health providers · low52 /100k
6/100Texas 181 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHill County value
Frequent mental distress · high21.7%
7/100Texas 18.5%United States 18.6%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteModel-based estimate
Suicide rate · high26.2 /100k
7/100Texas 14.4 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataHill County value
Primary care physicians · low24 /100k
7/100Texas 61 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHill County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
2,326 (2015-2019) → 2,050 (2020-2024)
−12%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Average commute timeWorsening
21.5 min (2015-2019) → 37.5 min (2020-2024)
+74%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
48.1% (2015-2019) → 62.5% (2020-2024)
+14 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
New homes permittedImproving
3.3 /1k (2021) → 5.4 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+61%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Uninsured residents (under 65)Improving
28.1% (2015-2019) → 17.8% (2020-2024)
−10 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
78.7% (2015-2019) → 88.5% (2020-2024)
+9.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

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, Whitney, Texas improved on 2 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 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

Uninsured−10 points28.1% → 17.8%
Broadband+9.8 points78.7% → 88.5%

Declined1

Commute+16.0 min21.5 min → 37.5 min

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Whitney, Texas between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	21.5 min2015-2019	37.5 min2020-2024	+16.0 min	Declined	0%
Bachelor's degree or higher	9.4%2015-2019	10.8%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	38%
Broadband subscriptions	78.7%2015-2019	88.5%2020-2024	+9.8 points	Improved	59%
Child poverty rate	26.9%2015-2019	31.7%2020-2024	+4.8 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Effective property tax rate	1.92%2015-2019	1.36%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Within the margin of error	93%
High school diploma or higher	78.3%2015-2019	86.6%2020-2024	+8.3 points	Within the margin of error	93%
Home price to income ratio	2.1×2015-2019	2.2×2020-2024	+0.1×	Within the margin of error	74%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4012015-2019	0.4672020-2024	+0.066	Within the margin of error	11%
Median household income	$39,7702015-2019	$48,5712020-2024	+22%	Within the margin of error	38%
Poverty rate	16.9%2015-2019	23.9%2020-2024	+7 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	29.2%2015-2019	36.2%2020-2024	+7 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Rent-burdened households	48.1%2015-2019	62.5%2020-2024	+14 points	Within the margin of error	15%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	28.1%2015-2019	17.8%2020-2024	−10 points	Improved	96%

“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 Whitney, Texas five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Whitney, 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, Whitney, Texas itself moved −14.4 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

2,050 residents (±357)

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

808 households (±129)

Whitney, Texas
Texas share

Under $25k25%†203
$25k–50k27%†217
$50k–75k

Homes

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

Owners and renters

808 households (±129)

Whitney, Texas
Texas share

Own59%474
Rent41%†334

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

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

713 workers (±162)

Whitney, Texas
Texas share

Drive alone85%605
Carpool9.4%†67
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 Hill County, the county holding most of Whitney's residents.

Hill County has 649 employer establishments, 170 for every 10,000 residents (0.68× the US rate of 248; 0.78× Texas's), with 8,017 paid employees at an average annual pay of $46,920. The Census Bureau also counts 3,407 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 649; 3,407 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 170; US 248 · Texas 218
Paid employees: 8,017
Average annual pay: $46,920; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	51	13.3	0.86×About typical	461	$80,705	453
Restaurants and other eating places	46	12	0.66×Fewer than typical	900	$18,277	24
Ambulatory health care services	32	8.4	0.40×Fewer than typical	297	$61,360	101
Religious organizations	31	8.1	1.46×More than typical	148	$20,392	—
Gasoline stations	30	7.8	2.42×More than typical	374	$26,481	4
Truck transportation	27	7.1	1.40×More than typical	188	$62,920	174
Lessors of real estate	24	6.3	0.51×Fewer than typical	37	$34,081	189
Building equipment contractors	23	6	1.00×About typical	269	$87,866	87
Limited-service restaurants	22	5.8	0.72×Fewer than typical	517	$16,072	9
Construction of buildings	17	4.4	0.59×Fewer than typical	108	$67,481	187
Full-service restaurants	17	4.4	0.58×Fewer than typical	298	$21,081	12
Automotive repair and maintenance	16	4.2	0.83×About typical	60	$36,350	68

Rank places for an industry Open Hill County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 38,236 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 $1,577 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Whitney, Texas: $0.77 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $1,577
Per resident: $0.77; US $1,994
Sole-source: 100%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; 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

Department of the Army$1,577100%

Top recipients

BOSQUE COUNTY$1,577100%

Spending by fiscal year

156.9KFY2017
127KFY2018
31.7KFY2019
11.4KFY2020
8.7KFY2021
1.7KFY2022
8.7KFY2023
620.3FY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Justice, public order, and safety activities · 9221$1,577100%

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

Whitney, Texas's figures are part of those of Hill County, TX ($143K in FY2026), never added to them: 1.1% of that total.

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

See federal money in Hill 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.

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

House

Jake EllzeyR-TX-6 · 100% of residentsWith party 97%Missed 1.5%

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.

Hill County21100% of residents

Other cities and towns in Hill 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/4878664

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends