The Town FilesRice, Texas
City in Navarro County · population 1,203 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $79,500
- Household income
- $65,958
- Jan low / Jul high
- 35° / 95°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 21
- Median age
- 26.2
Rice is a city of 1,203 people in Navarro County, Texas. The median home is worth $79,500, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 73% of Texas towns.
How Rice ranks
Percentile among Texas towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Texas towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Rice is worth $79,500, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 1.2 times the median household income of $65,958, which is more affordable than 97% of Texas towns. Median rent is $1,513 a month. 84.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Rice | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $79,500 | $184,100 |
| Median rent | $1,513 | $1,086 |
| Median household income | $65,958 | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.2× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 84.5% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 1995 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Rice
| People | Rice | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 26.2 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 6.4% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 32.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 10.6% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 16.2% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 9.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 7.3% | — |
| Work from home | 4.1% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 26.9 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 80.4% | 89.2% |
Weather in Rice
July highs average 94.6°F and January lows 34.8°F. About 42.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.4 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 100 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 37 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
21 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rice since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. 9 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on October 24, 2010 about 0.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 26, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 49 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on June 14, 2023.
Severe weather in Navarro County since 1996
Navarro County has been included in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2024 | Flood | DR-4781: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| February 19, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-4586: Severe Winter Storms |
| February 14, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3554: Severe Winter Storm |
| March 25, 2020 | Biological | DR-4485: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3458: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Navarro County
Navarro County had 16,462 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,252 a year. Unemployment was 4% in 2023; in Rice itself the ACS puts it at 2.1%.
Public schools in Rice
3 public schools with 1,071 students, about 15.5 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| RICE EL | PK-4 | 441 | 17.0 |
| RICE H S | 9-12 | 328 | 13.1 |
| RICE INTERMEDIATE/MIDDLE SCHOOL | 5-8 | 302 | 16.8 |
Towns near Rice
- Ennis, TX9.9 mi · 20,159 people · home $260,100
- Corsicana, TX11.0 mi · 25,109 people · home $168,900
- Bardwell, TX11.7 mi · 625 people · home $133,000
- Garrett, TX13.0 mi · 829 people · home $125,800
- Bristol, TX14.8 mi · 714 people · home $634,800
- Blooming Grove, TX16.4 mi · 857 people · home $124,200
- Palmer, TX16.6 mi · 2,393 people · home $226,000
- Kerens, TX17.6 mi · 1,505 people · home $128,000
Rice questions
Is Rice, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Rice scores better for retirees than 17% of Texas towns and quieter than 50%. 6.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 26.2).
How much does a house cost in Rice?
The median owner-occupied home in Rice is valued at $79,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $65,958, so homes cost about 1.2 times income. Median rent is $1,513 a month.
What is the weather like in Rice?
July highs average 94.6°F and January lows 34.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.1 inches of precipitation a year and 0.4 inches of snow.
Does Rice get tornadoes?
21 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rice since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on October 24, 2010. The typical Texas town has had 21.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)