A resurging population of neighbors in a historic small city
Palestine, the government seat of Anderson County, is a small railroad city known for its historic sites, natural scenery and engaged community. Although its population was declining between 2009 and 2019, it has since shot back up to 19,300 residents as buyers move there to find lower-priced homes than can be found in nearby cities. Moreover, the small city packs in a busy schedule of overlapping community events that ultimately highlights a shared desire for convivial activity. "I never felt like I didn't belong when I moved here," says Tammy Johnson, a Palestine local and founder of Palestine Trade Days. "We had been in Jacksonville for 16 years, and I grew up in Nacogdoches. So, moving and reestablishing myself in a new hometown, I kind of expected to run on the fringes of things, but I never felt that at all."
Palestine is in the process of a revitalization and a destination for art and culture.
Palestine is county seat of Anderson County in the Piney Wood Forest of East Texas.
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Fewer new builds than nearby cities, but with competitive prices
Even though the population has grown back, there isn't much new construction in Palestine – what little there is tends to be outside of the city and usually includes custom designed homes built on an empty land parcels that range in price from $10,000 to $75,000 per acre, with a few going over $100,000 per acre. New builds are more common in nearby cities like Nacogdoches. Palestine sees more rehabs of established homes, particularly ranchers and cottages in various styles. Consequently, the median price of a single-family home in Palestine is $225,000, which is below the median prices for both Jacksonville and Nacogdoches.
Outside of downtown Palestine, many of the homes are Ranch style homes.
One of the many homes in the historic Palestine district include Queen Ann.
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The Dogwood Festival, vendor markets and downtown sales occur all at once
Where many cities have a sporadic events calendar, Palestine's is constantly active with popular regional festivals and smaller local events. "There's all kinds of things depending on the time of year. There's the Dogwood Festival in March, there's the Hot Pepper Festival in October. And during the Saturdays on Main, there's always special sales or a special attraction or a photo opportunity," Johnson says. Some events even occur simultaneously, like on the first Saturday of every month, when a farmers market, Palestine Trade Days and Saturdays on Main all occur at the same time. "It's an easy walk. You can shop at all the stores in between, the farmers market is on one end, and then the Palestine Trade Days are on the other end," Johnson says. "We all just work together to make it appealing."
Multiple antique stores accent historic churches and theaters
Anchored by a historic railyard, downtown Palestine's small but dense collection of locally owned businesses coalesce into an active central area, even when events aren't going on. Bootmakers, taphouses and sandwich shops sit within rustic art deco and western false front buildings that cast shade over the narrow streets between. Meanwhile, antique hunters can't shake a stick without hitting a shop to sift through nicknacks and collectibles. Historic churches and theater houses line the downtown streets, adding to the nostalgia offered by fixtures like the Railroad Heritage Center and the Palestine Public Library, a Carnegie library. Downtown is also home to a centrally located Kroger supermarket, and additional retailers are found on major offshoot roads from downtown, like U.S. Highway 287.
Downtown Palestine has many boutique and antique shops to find various treasures.
Many business in historic buildings like Redlands Hotel, line the streets of Palestine.
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Loop highway helps commuters reach Interstate 45
The TX-256 Loop connects all of Palestine's highways with a beltway surrounding the city, offering easy, roundabout access to U.S. Highways 79, 287 and 84. But interstate highways are quite far away – It's a roughly 50-mile drive north to reach Interstate 20, and a 35-mile drive west to reach Interstate 45.
Some residents commute to surrounding cities while many others work locally at a variety of industrial employers, namely two Walmart Distribution Centers and Wayne Sanderson Farms. Palestine Independent School District and the Palestine Regional Medical Center are also major employers.
The Palestine Regional Medical Center is one area's biggest employers.
Many of Palestine's locals work at the nearby Walmart Distribution Center.
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Game hunting and other outdoor activities in Davey Crockett National Forest
The city maintains a combined total of 275 acres of parkland, comprising 12 facilities ranging from playgrounds to athletic complexes to indoor rec centers. The city is working on creating a parks master plan to help beautify outdoor spaces and bring in more activities and public programs. Several nature preserves also sit within driving distance of Palestine, including Big Bottom Lake Wildlife Management Area, a popular waterfowl and feral hog hunting preserve, and Davey Crockett National Forest, a 160,000-acre expanse of preserved Texas Piney Woods hiking trails, camping sites and equestrian trails.
Let the kids run and play on the playground at Reagan Park.
Many Palestine residents head out to Davy Crocket National Forest to reconnect with nature.
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Two school districts offer smaller than average class sizes
Most students in the city attend Palestine ISD, which has a Niche rating of A and is ranked the top district in Anderson County. The district has a 99 percent graduation rate, partly achieved by more individualized instruction stemming from smaller than average class sizes. Currently, the district oversees 3,200 students across five schools.
However, some students in select areas of the city are zoned for Westwood Independent School District, which is B-rated and oversees only 1,400 students across four school campuses.
Approximately 465 students attend Northside Elementary School.
Palestine High School earned a high A- grade from Niche.
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Declining crime rates in Tornado Alley
The city has a history of tornadoes, so most structures built in the last few years have storm shelters included. There is also a risk of riverine flooding along the creeks that surround Palestine, but most flood zones skirt residential areas.
FBI data shows positive crime trends for Palestine, which has a violent crime rate that is fairly proportionate with state and national figures. Property crime occurs at an even less frequent rate – Burglaries, larceny and motor vehicle thefts have all been trending down since 2020 and now sit below state and national figures.
Written By
Tom Jakob
Photography Contributed By
Clayton Hurst
Video By
Logan Cox
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