City profile · Texas · Census ACS 2023

Murphy, TX

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Murphy - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

21,001
Residents
$165,109
Median income
$508,500
Median home
$1,931
Median rent (state)

Murphy - the verdict

Nationally, Murphy sits in the 96th percentile for household income and the 84th percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

96th
percentile, household income
85th
percentile, home value
80th
percentile, median rent
84th
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: Murphy, TX

21,001 people live in Murphy, Texas - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $165,109 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 1.8%. Typical homes in Murphy are valued around $508,500, and the median resident age is 40.0 years. Educational attainment runs 56.9% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 65.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 9 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Construction Slowdown), down 88% from five years earlier. Murphy reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 517.5 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Texas tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 97.1 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,931 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $223 across Texas, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 98.9 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

21,001 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Texas

Median Household Income

$165,109 /yr

Poverty 1.8%

Cost of Living Index (state)

97.1 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Texas average

How does Murphy compare to other US cities?

Here's how Murphy stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 96% higher than other cities
Home value 85% pricier than other cities
Median rent 80% pricier than other cities
Safety 84% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Texas alone, Murphy ranks #101 of 624 Texas cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Murphy's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Texas, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

96thIncome percentile
84thSafety percentile

96th percentile nationally for median household income · 84th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Murphy's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Murphy'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 66 Avg. percentile National median
Murphy'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 Murphy's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$508,500 15th percentile more affordable than 15% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Murphy $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Murphy, TX Murphy, TX's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Murphy, TX-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Murphy, TX median $165,109/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Murphy, TX's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Murphy, TX. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 56.9%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 1.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 65.3%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
21,001
Median Income
$165,109
Median Home Value
$508,500
Median Age
40.0
Poverty Rate
1.8%
Labor force participation
65.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
56.9%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
517.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
43.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
474.4
per 100,000 residents

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
4
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
20,900 residents21,000 residents21,100 residents21,200 residents21,300 residents21,400 residents 202020212022202320242025 21,083 residents 20,985 residents ▼ -0.5%
Murphy's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
9
housing units authorized
Single-Family
9
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
0.4
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 75
2020 37
2021 3
2022 5
2023 6
2024 9

Permit volume decreased 88% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
61.9%
Carpool
3.6%
Public Transit
0.9%
Walk
0.3%
Work from Home
30.7%
Other
2.6%

Based on 10,064 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Texas - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$130
avg/month
Natural Gas
$45
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$48
avg/month
Total Utilities
$223
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Texas state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Texas state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Murphy sits in

Cost of Living Index
97.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,931/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
98.9 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Texas

Anna
20,975 people
Princeton
20,966 people
Brushy Creek
20,953 people
Fate
20,757 people
Stephenville
21,345 people
Ennis
21,546 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Murphy's 21,001 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Sulphur, LA
21,004 people
Bothell West, WA
21,014 people
South Holland, IL
21,016 people
Dolton, IL
20,979 people
Lealman, FL
21,026 people
Covington, WA
20,957 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Murphy's $165,109 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Duluth, WA
$165,071 median income
Pasatiempo, CA
$165,000 median income
Newark, CA
$164,909 median income
Park Ridge, NJ
$165,391 median income
North Wantagh, NY
$164,798 median income
Woodland, AL
$165,427 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Murphy, TX Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Murphy, TX - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 50.5% 10.9% 33.4% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.0% White 50.5% Black or African American 10.9% Asian 33.4% American Indian 0.3% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 0.8% Two or more races 4.2% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Murphy compares to nearby Texas cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Murphy (this city) 21,001 $165,109
Anna 20,975 $99,375
Princeton 20,966 $96,766
Brushy Creek 20,953 $137,630
Census ACS 5-year FIPS TX FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Murphy, TX?

What is the population of Murphy, TX? +

The population of Murphy, TX stands at 21,001 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Murphy, TX? +

The median household income in Murphy is $165,109 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Murphy? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Murphy; the closest available measure is the Texas state average, a cost of living index of 97.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Texas vary by metro area.

Is Murphy, TX safe? +

Murphy has a total crime rate of 517.5 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Murphy, TX? +

A typical home in Murphy is worth $508,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

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.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.