County rankings
Best and Worst Counties in Texas, Ranked by Public Data
Texas includes major metro counties, suburban-growth counties, energy and economy counties, rural counties, border counties, and lower-density areas. Scores can vary widely depending on whether a household prioritizes jobs, affordability, schools, safety, taxes, or quiet living.
Key takeaways
- Best overall county: Glasscock County leads the current Texas ranking with an overall score of 84.3.
- Most affordable county: Schleicher County has the strongest affordability score in this state ranking.
- Strongest schools county: Collin County posts the strongest schools score in the current model.
- Safest county: Lynn County ranks highest on the Safety score among Texas counties.
- Biggest common tradeoff: Counties that scored lower in our model most often lost ground in schools.
What the rankings show
Texas has major differences between large metro counties, suburban-growth counties, rural counties, and lower-density counties. Some counties may rank well because of affordability or economy, while others stand out more on schools, safety, or peace and quiet.
The tables below are useful starting points, but the more helpful pattern is the tradeoff profile: a county can score well overall while still being expensive, tax-heavy, less quiet, or weaker in one category that matters to your household.
Texas county score snapshot
The chart shows the top overall counties in this public-data model. The cards underneath show how different priorities can produce different winners.
Best county for families
Glasscock County
Family score 86.2
Best value county
Crockett County
Value score 82.7
Most affordable county
Schleicher County
Affordability 92.2
Best schools county
Collin County
Schools 98.9
Safest county
Lynn County
Safety 100
Lowest taxes county
Loving County
Taxes 94.2
Best peace & quiet county
Hartley County
Peace & Quiet 97.6
Best overall counties in Texas
These are the highest-scoring counties in the state based on the current overall public-data score.
| Rank | County | Overall | Schools | Safety | Afford. | Typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Glasscock County FIPS 48173 | 84.3 | 90.8 | 89.7 | 72.3 | $285,039 |
| 2 | Borden County FIPS 48033 | 82.7 | 97.5 | 70.5 | 82.8 | $108,900 |
| 3 | Kinney County FIPS 48271 | 75.3 | 60.4 | 99.7 | 91.1 | $126,523 |
| 4 | Oldham County FIPS 48359 | 75.3 | 74.7 | 96 | 86.4 | $162,800 |
| 5 | Randall County FIPS 48381 | 75 | 90.6 | 93.2 | 68.9 | $257,798 |
| 6 | Kent County FIPS 48263 | 73.1 | 72.8 | 70.8 | 86.6 | $122,200 |
| 7 | Comal County FIPS 48091 | 72.2 | 89 | 89.7 | 50.1 | $433,479 |
| 8 | Kendall County FIPS 48259 | 71.4 | 92.7 | 94.2 | 35.7 | $589,117 |
| 9 | Martin County FIPS 48317 | 71.3 | 22.3 | 90.5 | 78.4 | $257,638 |
| 10 | Carson County FIPS 48065 | 71 | 89.4 | 36 | 88.3 | $161,591 |
Counties with the biggest tradeoffs in Texas
These are the lowest-scoring counties in the current model. Lower scores usually reflect tradeoffs in cost, safety, schools, taxes, local economy, or peace & quiet factors.
| Rank | County | Overall | Schools | Safety | Afford. | Typical home |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dimmit County FIPS 48127 | 35.6 | 4.4 | 54 | 65 | $132,467 |
| 2 | Jefferson County FIPS 48245 | 35.9 | 20.7 | 0 | 72.2 | $169,067 |
| 3 | Zapata County FIPS 48505 | 38.3 | 7.8 | 52.1 | 69.2 | $130,978 |
| 4 | Dallas County FIPS 48113 | 38.3 | 30.8 | 16.2 | 52.1 | $309,925 |
| 5 | Real County FIPS 48385 | 40.7 | 16.2 | 71.2 | 23.5 | $287,207 |
| 6 | Zavala County FIPS 48507 | 42.5 | 2.8 | 80.9 | 79.4 | $91,026 |
| 7 | Kenedy County FIPS 48261 | 42.6 | 75.8 | 77.6 | 0 | Data incomplete |
| 8 | Brazos County FIPS 48041 | 43.6 | 50.4 | 44.1 | 33.2 | $314,259 |
| 9 | Presidio County FIPS 48377 | 44.1 | 13.9 | 99.3 | 41.8 | $228,167 |
| 10 | Jim Wells County FIPS 48249 | 44.8 | 7.5 | 55.9 | 77.6 | $141,456 |
Best counties for families
Families usually do not just want the cheapest county. This view balances schools, safety, affordability, taxes, economy, and peace and quiet.
#1
Glasscock County
Family score
86.2
Schools
90.8
Safety
89.7
Taxes
84.7
#2
Borden County
Family score
85.1
Schools
97.5
Safety
70.5
Taxes
88.4
#3
Randall County
Family score
82.2
Schools
90.6
Safety
93.2
Taxes
23.7
#4
Hemphill County
Family score
81.9
Schools
87.6
Safety
94.2
Taxes
26.6
#5
Oldham County
Family score
81.3
Schools
74.7
Safety
96
Taxes
50.2
#6
Kinney County
Family score
79.5
Schools
60.4
Safety
99.7
Taxes
61.9
#7
McMullen County
Family score
79.1
Schools
90.5
Safety
64.9
Taxes
88.9
#8
Roberts County
Family score
78.8
Schools
66.1
Safety
97.8
Taxes
47.2
#9
Baylor County
Family score
78.8
Schools
76.9
Safety
95.5
Taxes
51.9
#10
Briscoe County
Family score
78.2
Schools
80.5
Safety
94.9
Taxes
73.6
Best value counties in Texas
Value blends affordability, taxes, safety, economy, and peace and quiet. It is not simply the cheapest county.
Best affordability / low-cost tradeoff
These counties rank highest on the affordability score, which can reflect home-price and income tradeoffs.
Best schools
These counties lead the current school score within this state.
Best peace & quiet
These counties score best on lower-density, quieter-living, and built-environment signals.
What the rankings suggest
Texas's highest-scoring counties average 75.2 overall and tend to stand out most in peace & quiet. The counties with the biggest tradeoffs average 40.6 overall, with the most common pressure point showing up in schools. Use the state ranking page to compare the full list before drawing conclusions about any one county.
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Read next
Use this article as a quick overview, then dig into the interactive tools to compare your own shortlist. You can scan the map, search the national rankings, compare two counties side by side, or open the full Texas ranking page.
Texas state rankings
Open the full state ranking page for Texas.
National rankings
Search, filter, and sort all counties nationally.
Compare counties
Compare two counties side by side across scores and metrics.
Interactive map
Explore county scores geographically across the U.S.
More insights
Read data-backed relocation and county-ranking articles.
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Sources
- Best Counties to Live generated public-data county scores.
- U.S. Census ACS county population, income, housing, and affordability inputs.
- BLS unemployment data and BEA regional economic data.
- Zillow/home value data where available.
- FBI reported crime and modeled safety estimates.
- Public education data and property tax estimates used in the scoring model.