Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.
Place dossier plate
SheetTX-ELSA-TX · Elsa, TX 5,688 pop · income 28th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Elsa
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Elsa on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Hartford City · lowest
36,868
Hartford City · lowest
36,868 median HH income
27.8% of the leader · rank #1
Bladenboro · near
55,517
Bladenboro · near
55,517 median HH income
41.8% of the leader · rank #2
Elsa · this city
55,519
Elsa · this city
55,519 median HH income
41.8% of the leader · rank #3
Happy Valley · near
55,521
Happy Valley · near
55,521 median HH income
41.8% of the leader · rank #4
Wasco · near
55,521
Wasco · near
55,521 median HH income
41.8% of the leader · rank #5
Mount Jackson · near
55,521
Mount Jackson · near
55,521 median HH income
41.8% of the leader · rank #6
Lavon · highest
132,778
Lavon · highest
132,778 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Elsa on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 5,688.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Elsa - the verdict
Elsa ranks in the 28th percentile for household income and the 13th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
28th
percentile, household income
7th
percentile, home value
40th
percentile, median rent
13th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Elsa, TX
Elsa is a small town in Texas, home to 5,688 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Elsa households earn a median of $55,519 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 11.7%. Elsa's housing stock carries a median value of $90,600, and the median resident age is 31.2 years. About 12.2% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 60.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 44 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 214% from five years earlier. Elsa's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 3314.6 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Texas tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Texas at 97.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,149 per month statewide. Monthly utility costs average around $223 across Texas, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 49.0 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Elsa's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from work and mobility to housing and income to comparison shortlist to schools and households to reported crime to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Elsa, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, annual population history, local building permits, commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Elsa?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 83.2%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
How far does income reach against housing in Elsa?
The home-value-to-income reference is relatively compact: the ACS median home value is 1.6 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 11.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. The ratio makes housing the clearest place to start this profile, but a low multiple can coexist with slow demand, older stock, or household-level hardship. Compare the home-value distribution and same-state peer table before treating it as an advantage.
Which cities make useful reference points for Elsa?
Within Texas, the closest population matches are Kermit (5,681 residents, $90,181 income); Hutchins (5,713 residents, $45,250 income); Yoakum (5,649 residents, $49,950 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Punxsutawney, PA (5,689 residents); Siesta Key, FL (5,690 residents); Genoa, IL (5,685 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
The NCES join finds 7 public schools within the city match. 12.2% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Elsa?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 3314.6 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 45% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
3016.5
Violent rate
298.1
Total reported rate
3314.6
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +144 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +2.5% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 44 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+2.5%
2025 estimate
5,820
2020 estimate
5,676
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Below median income · poverty 11.7% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
97.1 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Texas average
F
City profile score · Elsa, TX
33/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Cost of living C-
97.1 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Poverty rate F
11.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
298 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Household income F
$55,519
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Bachelor's+ share F
12.2%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Elsa profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Cost of living: 53/100 (C-) · 97.1 index
Poverty rate: 33/100 (F) · 11.7%
Violent crime: 33/100 (F) · 298 /100k
Household income: 28/100 (F) · $55,519
Bachelor's+ share: 12/100 (F) · 12.2%
Where Elsa sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Elsa's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Elsa highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
Elsa, TX (this city): home $90,600, crime 3,315/100k
Punxsutawney, PA : home $102,500, crime 773/100k
Zeeland, MI : home $248,100, crime 641/100k
Milton, WI : home $210,500, crime 461/100k
Kermit, TX : home $119,300, crime 631/100k
Hutchins, TX : home $95,500, crime 3,975/100k
Yoakum, TX : home $134,100, crime 992/100k
Livingston, TX : home $158,100, crime 3,772/100k
Lavon, TX : home $386,600, crime 1,895/100k
Bowie, TX : home $182,400, crime 2,082/100k
How does Elsa compare to other US cities?
Here's how Elsa stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income28% higher than other cities
Home value7% pricier than other cities
Median rent40% pricier than other cities
Safety13% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Texas and the picture shifts: Elsa ranks #574 of 624 Texas cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Elsa against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Texas only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Texas-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Elsa near the bottom of Texas's cities
Among the 1,663 Texas cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Elsa ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Elsa only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#985 of 1,520
35th percentile in Texas
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,663
0th percentile in Texas
Median Home Value
#1,208 of 1,505
20th percentile in Texas
Poverty Rate
#661 of 1,663
60th percentile in Texas
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#1,133 of 1,663
32nd percentile in Texas
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Texas only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
28th percentile nationally for median household income · 13th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Elsa's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Elsa's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Elsa's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$90,600Among the most affordablemore affordable than 93% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Elsa's home-value-to-income ratio: 1.6×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#622 of 15,516
More affordable than 96% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#608 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 1.6×, Elsa sits in the affordable band:
national rank #622 of 15,516 and #608 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$55,519Elsa, TX median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Elsa, TX median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Elsa, TX.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)12.2%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)11.7%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)60.0%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
5,688
Median Income
$55,519
Median Home Value
$90,600
Median Age
31.2
Poverty Rate
11.7%
Labor force participation
60.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
12.2%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
3314.6
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
298.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3016.5
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
7
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Elsa's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
5,676 residents
2021
5,677 residents
2022
5,689 residents
2023
5,741 residents
2024
5,773 residents
2025
5,820 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
44
housing units authorized
Single-Family
44
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
7.7
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
14
14
0
$0.7M
2020
17
17
0
$0.8M
2021
22
22
0
$2.0M
2022
28
24
4
$5.6M
2023
28
28
0
$3.7M
2024
44
44
0
$7.3M
Permit volume increased 214% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
83.2%
Carpool
5.1%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
6.4%
Other
5.3%
Based on 2,530 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Texas statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $223
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Texas at $223 (electricity about $130 , water and sewer about $48 ).
These are Texas statewide averages, not a meter reading for Elsa. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Texas's BEA cost-of-living index is 97.1 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Elsa is $1,149/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Texas statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.0 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Texas statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Elsa sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Elsa compares to similar-size Texas cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.