The Town FilesCottonwood Shores, Texas
City in Burnet County · population 1,403 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $264,100
- Household income
- $63,365
- Jan low / Jul high
- 38° / 95°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 11
- Median age
- 35.1
Cottonwood Shores is a city of 1,403 people in Burnet County, Texas. The median home is worth $264,100, above the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks better for a vacation home than 94% of Texas towns, hipper than 83% of Texas towns, quieter than 78% of Texas towns.
How Cottonwood Shores 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 Cottonwood Shores is worth $264,100, above the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 4.2 times the median household income of $63,365, which is more affordable than 13% of Texas towns. Median rent is $1,224 a month. 71.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Cottonwood Shores | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $264,100 | $184,100 |
| Median rent | $1,224 | $1,086 |
| Median household income | $63,365 | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.2× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 71.8% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 2004 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 6.6% | — |
Who lives in Cottonwood Shores
| People | Cottonwood Shores | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 35.1 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 10.8% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 23.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 17.0% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.2% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 9.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 26.3% | — |
| Work from home | 4.5% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 20.9 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 97.5% | 89.2% |
Weather in Cottonwood Shores
July highs average 95.0°F and January lows 38.1°F. About 28.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.1 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 103 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 26 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cottonwood Shores since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 13, 1994 about 3.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 12, 2020.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 74 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on April 9, 2024.
Severe weather in Burnet County since 1996
Burnet County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| July 6, 2025 | Flood | DR-4879: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| April 21, 2023 | Winter Storm | DR-4705: Severe Winter Storm |
| 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 |
Jobs and pay in Burnet County
Burnet County had 16,807 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $56,648 a year. Unemployment was 3.1% in 2023; in Cottonwood Shores itself the ACS puts it at 1.9%.
Towns near Cottonwood Shores
- Meadowlakes, TX2.0 mi · 1,907 people · home $385,900
- Marble Falls, TX3.0 mi · 7,037 people · home $338,800
- Horseshoe Bay, TX3.3 mi · 4,257 people · home $549,800
- Granite Shoals, TX3.3 mi · 5,129 people · home $259,800
- Sunrise Beach Village, TX5.8 mi · 739 people · home $657,300
- Kingsland, TX10.7 mi · 7,028 people · home $230,700
- Burnet, TX14.5 mi · 6,436 people · home $277,400
- Buchanan Dam, TX19.5 mi · 1,508 people · home $288,900
Cottonwood Shores questions
Is Cottonwood Shores, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cottonwood Shores scores better for retirees than 51% of Texas towns and quieter than 78%. 10.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 35.1).
How much does a house cost in Cottonwood Shores?
The median owner-occupied home in Cottonwood Shores is valued at $264,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $63,365, so homes cost about 4.2 times income. Median rent is $1,224 a month.
What is the weather like in Cottonwood Shores?
July highs average 95.0°F and January lows 38.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 28.4 inches of precipitation a year and 0.1 inches of snow.
Does Cottonwood Shores get tornadoes?
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Cottonwood Shores since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 13, 1994. 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)