The Town Files

Central Gardens, Texas

Community in Jefferson County · population 4,373 (2020 Census)

Map: where Central Gardens is in TexasCentral Gardens
Median home
$216,700
Household income
$83,750
Jan low / Jul high
44° / 93°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
75
Median age
43.0

Central Gardens is a community of 4,373 people in Jefferson County, Texas. The median home is worth $216,700, above the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks better for cycling than 98% of Texas towns, easier by car than 74% of Texas towns.

Central Gardens in our rankings:

How Central Gardens 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.

Central Gardens lifestyle rankings vs other Texas townsRetirement29th pctFamilies62nd pctQuiet61st pctWalkability49th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals36th pctVibrancy59th pctHip & trendy22nd pctCollege town25th pctUpscale68th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling98th pctTransitbottomDriving74th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Central Gardens is worth $216,700, above the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 2.6 times the median household income of $83,750, which is more affordable than 63% of Texas towns. Median rent is $793 a month. 77.6% of households own their home.

Central Gardens vs Jefferson County vs typical Texas townCentral GardensJefferson CountyTypical Texas townHome value$216,700$169,500$184,100Household income$83,750$60,026$65,842Monthly rent$793$1,117$1,086
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Texas towns with 500+ people.
HousingCentral GardensTypical Texas town
Median home value$216,700$184,100
Median rent$793$1,086
Median household income$83,750$65,842
Home value ÷ income2.6×2.9×
Homeownership77.6%72.9%
Median year built19791985
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Central Gardens

PeopleCentral GardensTypical Texas town
Median age43.037.1
Age 65 and over23.1%15.6%
Under 1821.2%—
Bachelor's degree or higher30.7%18.9%
Below the poverty line12.7%13.1%
Veterans3.8%—
Born outside the U.S.5.6%—
Work from home4.2%7.8%
Average commute16.4 min26.1 min
Homes with broadband89.4%89.2%

Weather in Central Gardens

July highs average 92.6°F and January lows 43.8°F. About 62.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 93 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 9 nights at or below freezing.

Central Gardens monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°90°100°64°44°Jan67°48°Feb73°53°Mar79°60°Apr86°67°May91°73°Jun93°75°Jul93°74°Aug90°71°Sep82°61°Oct72°52°Nov66°46°DecPrecipitation (in)5.33.13.63.94.76.76.86.96.75.53.95.0
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Port Arthur Se Tx Ap station (2.6 mi away); snow from Port Arthur City (6.5 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

75 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Central Gardens since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. 20 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on November 7, 1957 about 8.6 miles from the town center and killed 1. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 4 deaths and 195 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 10, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Central Gardens by decade91950s111960s241970s111980s91990s32000s22010s62020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 65 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on May 6, 1969.

Severe weather in Jefferson County since 1996

Storm events in Jefferson County since 1996 by typeHail85Heat2Flood8Drought2Tornado19Lightning14Heavy Rain7Flash Flood108
NOAA Storm Events Database, Jefferson County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 14 deaths recorded.

Jefferson County has been included in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
July 9, 2024HurricaneDR-4798: Hurricane Beryl
February 19, 2021Severe Ice StormDR-4586: Severe Winter Storms
February 14, 2021Severe Ice StormEM-3554: Severe Winter Storm
December 9, 2020HurricaneDR-4572: Hurricane Laura
August 24, 2020HurricaneEM-3540: Tropical Storms Marco And Laura

Jobs and pay in Jefferson County

Jefferson County had 124,861 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $69,970 a year. Unemployment was 6.3% in 2023; in Central Gardens itself the ACS puts it at 5.4%.

Largest industries in Jefferson CountyConstruction17,873 jobs · $89,042Health care & social assistan…17,414 jobs · $52,358Manufacturing16,044 jobs · $120,636Retail12,792 jobs · $38,757Hotels & restaurants11,041 jobs · $23,401Administrative & support6,065 jobs · $57,371
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Jefferson County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Jefferson 6.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Central Gardens

Central Gardens questions

Is Central Gardens, Texas a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Central Gardens scores better for retirees than 29% of Texas towns and quieter than 61%. 23.1% of residents are 65 or older (median age 43.0).

How much does a house cost in Central Gardens?

The median owner-occupied home in Central Gardens is valued at $216,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $83,750, so homes cost about 2.6 times income. Median rent is $793 a month.

What is the weather like in Central Gardens?

July highs average 92.6°F and January lows 43.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 62.1 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does Central Gardens get tornadoes?

75 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Central Gardens since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on November 7, 1957. The typical Texas town has had 21.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Central Gardens's Census boundary (GEOID 4813972). Comparisons use the median of Texas towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.