The 10 Dumbest Places In Texas For 2026


The dumbest places in Texas are Pearsall and Hutchins for 2026 based on Saturday Night Science.

The unfortunate fact of the matter is that some places in the Lone Star State have a larger percent of their population that never graduated from high school.

While the emphasis on going to college might be overblown, the fact is that not graduating from high school puts you at a significant disadvantage on average. Educational attainment might not be the best way to measure one person’s intelligence, but it does shine a light on the state.

We will use Saturday Night Science to determine what places in Texas have the highest percentage of adults without a high school degree.

A recent study we published found that Texas is the 42nd smartest state in the United States, with an average IQ of 97.

But that doesn’t mean that a few cities in Texas are a bit slower than others due to a lack of basic education.


Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table


Dumbest Cities In Texas Map

Don’t freak out.

Some places are just smarter than others, but that says nothing about the character of the people living there. It’s another data point a real estate agent would never tell you.

For this ranking, we only looked at cities with populations greater than 5,000, leaving us 354 cities in Texas to rank. You can take a look at the data below.

For more Texas reading, check out:

The 10 Dumbest Places In Texas For 2026

Pearsall, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Billy Hathorn at en.wikipedia | GFDL
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10
Population: 9,045
% Adult High School Dropout: 38.0%
% Highly Educated: 7.0%
More on Pearsall: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Hutchins, TX

Source: Wikipedia User nthomas76207 | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10
Population: 7,496
% Adult High School Dropout: 32.0%
% Highly Educated: 6.0%
More on Hutchins: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Galena Park, TX

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10
Population: 10,487
% Adult High School Dropout: 35.0%
% Highly Educated: 8.0%
More on Galena Park: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Kermit, TX

Source: Flickr User TexasExplorer98 | CC BY 2.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10
Population: 5,689
% Adult High School Dropout: 32.0%
% Highly Educated: 8.0%
More on Kermit: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Hereford, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Billy Hathorn | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10
Population: 14,840
% Adult High School Dropout: 31.0%
% Highly Educated: 8.0%
More on Hereford: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Gonzales, TX

Source: Wikipedia User ProfReader | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10
Population: 7,200
% Adult High School Dropout: 33.0%
% Highly Educated: 10.0%
More on Gonzales: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

South Houston, TX

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

3
/10
Population: 16,033
% Adult High School Dropout: 41.0%
% Highly Educated: 11.0%
More on South Houston: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10
Population: 6,444
% Adult High School Dropout: 44.0%
% Highly Educated: 11.0%
More on Penitas: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Hempstead, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Larry D. Moore | CC BY-SA 3.0
Overall SnackAbility

6
/10
Population: 6,137
% Adult High School Dropout: 27.0%
% Highly Educated: 7.0%
More on Hempstead: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Robstown, TX

Source: Wikipedia User Larry D. Moore | CC BY-SA 4.0
Overall SnackAbility

1
/10
Population: 10,236
% Adult High School Dropout: 27.0%
% Highly Educated: 8.0%
More on Robstown: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers

Methodology: How we determined the dumbest cities in the Lone Star State

We realize that formal education is only part of it when it comes to being intelligent, but on the other hand, knowing the difference between they’re, their, and there is always going to make you look pretty stupid.

So, we used Saturday Night Science to narrow down our criteria to focus on a city’s educational opportunities and what percentage of the population takes advantage of those opportunities.

In short, we came up with these criteria to determine the dumbest cities in Texas:

  • % of the city’s population with less than a high school education (Age 25+)
  • % of city’s population with a college degree (Age 25+)

We got the data from the U.S. Census 2020-2024 American Community Survey.

Then, our algorithm generates a rank for each place in these categories. After crunching all the numbers, a ranking of the cities in Texas from dumbest to brightest.

For this ranking, we used every Texas city with at least 5,000 residents. We updated this article for 2026, and it’s our eleventh time ranking the dumbest cities in Texas.

There You Have It – Now That You’re Asleep

If you’re measuring the locations in Texas where there are a high number of dropouts and adults who never received a formal education, this is an accurate ranking.

The dumbest cities in Texas are Pearsall, Hutchins, Galena Park, Kermit, Hereford, Gonzales, South Houston, Penitas, Hempstead, and Robstown.

If you’re also curious enough, here are the smartest places in Texas, according to science:

  1. University Park
  2. Highland Park
  3. West University Place

For more Texas reading, check out:

Dumbest Cities In Texas For 2026

Rank City Population % Adult High School Dropout % Highly Educated
1 Pearsall, TX 9,045 38.0% 7.0%
2 Hutchins, TX 7,496 32.0% 6.0%
3 Galena Park, TX 10,487 35.0% 8.0%
4 Kermit, TX 5,689 32.0% 8.0%
5 Hereford, TX 14,840 31.0% 8.0%
6 Gonzales, TX 7,200 33.0% 10.0%
7 South Houston, TX 16,033 41.0% 11.0%
8 Penitas, TX 6,444 44.0% 11.0%
9 Hempstead, TX 6,137 27.0% 7.0%
10 Robstown, TX 10,236 27.0% 8.0%
11 Balch Springs, TX 27,255 28.0% 9.0%
12 Rusk, TX 5,477 29.0% 10.0%
13 Raymondville, TX 10,185 28.0% 10.0%
14 Donna, TX 16,833 36.0% 13.0%
15 Sansom Park, TX 5,392 26.0% 8.0%
16 Socorro, TX 37,123 30.0% 12.0%
17 Palmview, TX 15,921 35.0% 13.0%
18 Brownfield, TX 8,738 23.0% 7.0%
19 Bellmead, TX 10,566 30.0% 13.0%
20 Seagoville, TX 19,352 25.0% 10.0%
21 Forest Hill, TX 14,062 29.0% 13.0%
22 Alvarado, TX 6,307 24.0% 10.0%
23 San Juan, TX 36,149 36.0% 15.0%
24 Mount Pleasant, TX 16,136 26.0% 12.0%
25 Elsa, TX 5,697 22.0% 8.0%
26 Everman, TX 6,106 24.0% 11.0%
27 Alton, TX 20,214 32.0% 15.0%
28 San Benito, TX 24,709 29.0% 14.0%
29 Muleshoe, TX 5,667 27.0% 13.0%
30 Roma, TX 11,545 43.0% 16.0%
31 Wilmer, TX 6,391 42.0% 16.0%
32 Dumas, TX 14,452 26.0% 13.0%
33 Sinton, TX 5,584 23.0% 11.0%
34 Childress, TX 5,834 22.0% 10.0%
35 Monahans, TX 7,452 24.0% 12.0%
36 Luling, TX 5,531 24.0% 12.0%
37 Uvalde, TX 15,417 29.0% 15.0%
38 Mercedes, TX 16,733 28.0% 15.0%
39 Yoakum, TX 5,846 21.0% 10.0%
40 Liberty, TX 8,650 25.0% 14.0%
41 Plainview, TX 19,711 27.0% 15.0%
42 Sealy, TX 7,053 23.0% 13.0%
43 River Oaks, TX 7,584 24.0% 14.0%
44 Kirby, TX 8,117 28.0% 16.0%
45 Gatesville, TX 16,228 18.0% 8.0%
46 Freeport, TX 10,621 18.0% 7.0%
47 Port Arthur, TX 55,828 21.0% 13.0%
48 Pasadena, TX 149,433 27.0% 16.0%
49 Port Isabel, TX 5,111 29.0% 17.0%
50 Alamo, TX 20,255 30.0% 18.0%
51 La Feria, TX 6,891 26.0% 16.0%
52 Seminole, TX 7,184 35.0% 19.0%
53 Crockett, TX 6,364 23.0% 15.0%
54 Mexia, TX 6,859 19.0% 11.0%
55 Cleveland, TX 8,984 18.0% 9.0%
56 Pharr, TX 80,333 30.0% 18.0%
57 Giddings, TX 5,151 21.0% 14.0%
58 Lamesa, TX 8,393 23.0% 15.0%
59 Mineral Wells, TX 15,244 19.0% 12.0%
60 Kaufman, TX 8,538 26.0% 17.0%
61 Brookshire, TX 5,495 25.0% 17.0%
62 Hondo, TX 8,713 18.0% 11.0%
63 Snyder, TX 11,241 18.0% 11.0%
64 Baytown, TX 85,205 21.0% 15.0%
65 Corsicana, TX 25,511 24.0% 17.0%
66 Littlefield, TX 5,822 22.0% 16.0%
67 Willis, TX 6,878 22.0% 16.0%
68 Cuero, TX 8,165 20.0% 15.0%
69 Sweetwater, TX 10,385 19.0% 14.0%
70 Alice, TX 17,707 19.0% 14.0%
71 Big Spring, TX 23,975 19.0% 14.0%
72 Lacy-Lakeview, TX 7,274 17.0% 12.0%
73 Hillsboro, TX 8,506 20.0% 15.0%
74 Navasota, TX 8,542 27.0% 20.0%
75 Terrell, TX 20,366 21.0% 16.0%
76 Richmond, TX 12,582 24.0% 19.0%
77 Breckenridge, TX 5,170 22.0% 17.0%
78 Vernon, TX 9,848 19.0% 15.0%
79 Slaton, TX 5,761 15.0% 10.0%
80 Edna, TX 6,027 18.0% 15.0%
81 Dalhart, TX 7,902 20.0% 16.0%
82 White Settlement, TX 18,150 21.0% 17.0%
83 Carthage, TX 6,601 17.0% 14.0%
84 Bonham, TX 10,697 18.0% 15.0%
85 Levelland, TX 12,466 20.0% 17.0%
86 Hidalgo, TX 14,498 30.0% 23.0%
87 Perryton, TX 8,585 23.0% 20.0%
88 Primera, TX 5,344 27.0% 22.0%
89 Clute, TX 10,715 16.0% 14.0%
90 Andrews, TX 13,468 21.0% 19.0%
91 Groves, TX 16,976 16.0% 14.0%
92 El Campo, TX 12,202 19.0% 17.0%
93 Brownsville, TX 189,177 29.0% 24.0%
94 Eagle Pass, TX 28,339 24.0% 21.0%
95 Laredo, TX 257,619 27.0% 23.0%
96 Port Lavaca, TX 11,358 21.0% 20.0%
97 Marlin, TX 5,516 17.0% 16.0%
98 Jacksonville, TX 14,325 22.0% 21.0%
99 Del Rio, TX 34,668 23.0% 22.0%
100 Santa Fe, TX 12,901 15.0% 14.0%
About Nick Johnson

Nick Johnson earned his masters in Business Administration from the Drucker School At Claremont Graduate University. He has written for 39 publications across the country and ran the media relations department at Movoto, a real estate portal based in San Francisco. He has been featured in over 500 publications as an expert in real estate and as an authority on real estate trends.

Nick's the creator of the HomeSnacks YouTube channel that now has over 260,000 subscribers and is an excellent source to learn about different parts of the country.

12 thoughts on “The 10 Dumbest Places In Texas For 2026

  1. WOW this is embarrassingly inaccurate for the people who live in these towns. Not to mention really really inconsiderate.

  2. I would like to invite whoever wrote this article to come to South Texas to our University of Texas RVG and take a refresher course in research journalism. I have lived in South Texas for 39 years. Although I am not Hispanic, I am a semi-retired bilingual teacher who has worked at the elementary school in Sullivan City. It is active and vital; a school going places. Sullivan City is located in LaJoya ISD, where I often work as a substitute. LaJoya places a lot of emphasis on the arts and music as well as academics and sports.

    This article doesn’t even mention that a lot of these students don’t speak English and come from poor families. Due to its location, the community may always have a lot of newly arrived immigrants who are from disadvantaged backgrounds. It might mean fewer high school diplomas among them to begin with, but so help me, it doesn’t mean that these people or the city is “dumb.” Many of even the poorest people still support their kids in their education and that is SMART.

    1. It is pretty clear this “writer” is not well educated by any means. It’s interesting they would choose to write an article calling out supposed “dumb” people in such a hypocritical fashion. I get that he’s an un-educated troll-type writer who relies on click bait, nonsensical journalism to make a living, but this article just makes him look really foolish.

  3. I think you need to change your assertion on the city of Haskell! It is one of the finest places in the state of Texas to live!

  4. I agree with Linda Teuling. The authors of this article are pretty dumb and uneducated on how to do research. It should be pretty obvious that the so-called dumbest cities are also those likely to have the highest ratios of uneducated illegal alien agricultural workers.

  5. Speaking of dumb; this so-called “article” is as ignorant as it is racist. Some of the adults who do not have degrees were explicitly swatted with wooden boards for practicing elements of Hispanic culture in at least one of these towns. In addition, as immigrants they were assigned to a 1st grade class even if they were 15 and well educated. They were denied the opportunity to advance more than one grade per year, and many students were required to repeat grades; not to mention separate (and unequal) facilities. If you create a hellish, racist schooling environment, and then call people “stupid” for choosing not to subject themselves to that level of degradation, that’s simply adding insult to injury. While practices today are less explicitly racially biased, there is a vast inequity that is not statistically randomized, as one would expect in a meritorious society. And just because you tried to write a “clever” article to score a check and make a living doesn’t absolve you of responsibility for perpetuating racist notions of dumbness.

  6. It seems a bit hypocritical to judge so called ‘dumb’ people when you struggle considerably with proper grammar. If you plan on throwing rocks at your neighbors house, you better live in a house made of steel.

  7. This article is light on facts for example according to the census bureau, Yoakum had a population of over 5800, and a rate of people under 25 without a high school diploma if 22% Go to the census bureau American factfinder, so it appears your info is in error

  8. Talk about dumb, look at what the author wrote: “In the categories of SAT scores and college graduation rate, Texas ranked as the 39th dumbest state in America, a little smarter than New Mexico, but dumber than Georgia.” If you are the first dumbest state that is bad. If you are the 50th dumbest state, you are the smartest. So the 39th dumbest state is actually pretty good!

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