The Town FilesHarper, Texas
Community in Gillespie County · population 1,332 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $434,600
- Jan low / Jul high
- 34° / 92°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 34.6
Harper is a community of 1,332 people in Gillespie County, Texas. The median home is worth $434,600, above the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks better for retirees than 100% of Texas towns, better for a vacation home than 100% of Texas towns, quieter than 97% of Texas towns.
How Harper 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 Harper is worth $434,600, above the typical Texas town ($184,100). 73.7% of households own their home.
| Housing | Harper | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $434,600 | $184,100 |
| Median rent | — | $1,086 |
| Median household income | — | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 73.7% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 1991 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 20.5% | — |
Who lives in Harper
| People | Harper | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.6 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 17.7% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 29.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.1% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 13.3% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 3.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 4.0% | — |
| Work from home | 19.6% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 28.5 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.9% | 89.2% |
Weather in Harper
July highs average 92.0°F and January lows 34.4°F. About 28.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 86 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 41 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Harper since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on May 11, 1999 about 4.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 1, 2007.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 53 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on May 1, 1989.
Severe weather in Gillespie County since 1996
Gillespie County has been included in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 1, 2026 | Flood | DR-4935: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| July 18, 2026 | Flood | EM-3649: Flooding |
| March 15, 2025 | Fire | FM-5570: Crabapple Fire |
| April 21, 2023 | Winter Storm | DR-4705: Severe Winter Storm |
| February 19, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-4586: Severe Winter Storms |
Jobs and pay in Gillespie County
Gillespie County had 12,476 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $49,711 a year. Unemployment was 2.6% in 2023; in Harper itself the ACS puts it at 0%.
Public schools in Harper
3 public schools with 612 students, about 13.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| HARPER EL | PK-4 | 244 | 16.3 |
| HARPER H S | 9-12 | 184 | 10.2 |
| HARPER MIDDLE | 5-8 | 184 | 13.1 |
Towns near Harper
- Ingram, TX13.2 mi · 1,787 people · home $198,000
- Kerrville, TX17.9 mi · 24,278 people · home $303,400
- Fredericksburg, TX23.7 mi · 10,875 people · home $460,300
- Center Point, TX26.6 mi · 1,263 people · home $324,200
- Comfort, TX29.9 mi · 2,211 people · home $330,200
Harper questions
Is Harper, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Harper scores better for retirees than 100% of Texas towns and quieter than 97%. 17.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.6).
How much does a house cost in Harper?
The median owner-occupied home in Harper is valued at $434,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of —. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Harper?
July highs average 92.0°F and January lows 34.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 28.3 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Harper get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Harper since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on May 11, 1999. 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)