Henry Sayles House · National Register of Historic Places
Abilene’s story
145 years in pictures
59 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1881Abilene is settled
AbileneTX
A city of 128,053, settled in 1881. Home to 59 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Atownbman · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
128,053
+6.9% since 2010
Typical home
$225K
+9.2% in a year
Household income
$63K
median
Median age
32.8
years
Jobs based here
56,202
Balanced
What makes Abilene stand out
The 3 things Abilene does most differently from other towns.
Henry Sayles HouseHistory
Settled in 1881
59 places on the National Register
Archive photos and papers going back 145 years.
3colleges
College town
3 colleges
Abilene Christian University
Students are part of everyday life here.
$225Ktypical home
Housing
$225K typical home
25% below the TX typical home
Up 9.2% in a year.
College town
Abilene Christian University calls Abilene home
3 colleges in town.
Abilene Christian University3,545 students on campus
- Admission
- 66%
- Net price
- $26,182
- Graduate
- 59%
- Admission
- 90%
- Net price
- $19,555
- Graduate
- 46%
- Admission
- 57%
- Net price
- $19,581
- Graduate
- 44%
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Abilene’s report card
Commute5 miHalf of commuters travel lessHousing$225K25% below the TX typical homeSchoolsC+Beats 39% of TX districtsHealthC+Healthier than 45% of U.S. townsOutdoors53 mi#186 for trails in TXSafetyC−Less crime than 23% of U.S. townsClimate96°/32°Summer high · winter low · 4″ snowHazards62/100High risk of storm & flood damage
Now in Abilene
What neighbors are saying. Town Square →
Residents weigh in
Abilene is #25 of 653 in TX for “Shortest commute”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Abilene’s Town Square.
Weather
Forecast →79°
Mostly Cloudy
H 91° · L 71°
Local news
All →- Taylor County early voting for General and Special Elections begins October 19 through 30: here's what you need to knowmyfoxzone.com · Sep 25
- How many jobs were added in Abilene, TX area last month?USAFacts · Sep 3
- Construction begins on new downtown public parking lotabilenetx.gov · Aug 28
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Abilene. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
About half of working residents work right in Abilene
62% of Abilene’s working residents work right in town. The top destinations are Dallas (2%), Austin (2%) and Fort Worth (2%). Half commute less than 5 miles.
62%work in town
Where working residents work
In Abilene62%
Dallas2%
Austin2%
Fort Worth2%
San Angelo1%
5 mi
median commute distance
56,202
jobs based in Abilene
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Housing
A typical Abilene home is worth about $225K
The typical Abilene home is worth about $225,000, up 9.2% in a year, 25% below the Texas typical home.
$225KZillow home value
Typical home value
Abilene$225K
Texas$299K
Market temperature
20
days on market
99.7%
sale-to-list price
+9.2%
value change, 1 year
183
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Schools
Abilene’s public schools outperform 39% of Texas districts
The public schools Abilene’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 61% of Texas’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
C+School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wylie East El | K–3 | 776 | A |
| Austin El | PK–5 | 729 | B+ |
| Wylie West El | K–2 | 673 | Not graded |
| Taylor El | PK–5 | 662 | B |
| Dyess El | PK–5 | 621 | A− |
| Bassetti El | PK–5 | 546 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduationAll 50 schools →
Health
Healthier than 45% of U.S. towns
Abilene beats the Texas average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 2.
C+Health Grade
26 measures vs. Texas
0 better24 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Abilene | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 6.6% | 5.7% |
| Fewer adults getting cholesterol checked | 82.6% | 84.6% |
Hendrick Medical Center
1.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
64th
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Outdoors
1.9% of Abilene is conserved land
53 miles of trails across 37 parks and preserves.
#186for trails in TX
1.9%
conserved · 1,371 of 71,467 acres
53 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Dyess Air Park | 3.3 mi | 46 |
| 2. Red Bud Park | 3 mi | 133 |
| 3. Grover Nelson Park | 1.8 mi | 167 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 23% of U.S. towns
Abilene reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 77% report less. Compared with places its own size, it does better than 57%.
C−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Abilene4.1
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Abilene15.7
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
23rd
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
20th
percentile among TX towns
547
violent crimes reported in 2025
2,071
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Climate
Mild winters, hot summers
Abilene has mild winters and hot summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 96°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
4″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter34–59°
Spring52–78°
Summer70–94°
Fall53–78°
Nov 10
typical first frost
Mar 20
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
High risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities.
62risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHailTornadoes
686
paid flood claims since 1978
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Landmarks
59 places in Abilene on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Abilene
City in Texas, United States
Abilene ( AB-i-leen) is a city in Taylor and Jones counties, Texas, United States. Its population was 125,182 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene metropolitan statistical area, which had a population of 176,579 as of 2020. Abilene is home to three Christian universities: Abilene Christian University, McMurry University, and Hardin–Simmons University. It is the county seat of Taylor County. Dyess Air Force Base is located on the west side of the city. Abilene is located on Interstate 20, which forms a rounded bypass loop along the northern side of the city, between exits 279 on its western edge and 292 on the east. The city is located 150 miles (240 km) west of Fort W…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1881
- Population
- 125,182
- Area
- 112 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,719 ft
- ZIP code
- 79601, 79602, 79603
- Area code
- 325
Abilene’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Abilene.
More about Abilene
Still missing for Abilene:archive photosupcoming events