The Town FilesHawley, Texas
City in Jones County · population 545 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $120,300
- Household income
- $78,393
- Jan low / Jul high
- 29° / 96°
- Snow a year
- 3 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 35
- Median age
- 40.9
Hawley is a city of 545 people in Jones County, Texas. The median home is worth $120,300, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks quieter than 96% of Texas towns, better for a vacation home than 87% of Texas towns, better for retirees than 81% of Texas towns.
How Hawley 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 Hawley is worth $120,300, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 1.5 times the median household income of $78,393, which is more affordable than 94% of Texas towns. Median rent is $850 a month. 80.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Hawley | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $120,300 | $184,100 |
| Median rent | $850 | $1,086 |
| Median household income | $78,393 | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.5× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 80.5% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 1973 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Hawley
| People | Hawley | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.9 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 11.5% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 14.0% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.3% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 19.8% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 14.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.2% | — |
| Work from home | 7.4% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 21.9 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 93.4% | 89.2% |
Weather in Hawley
July highs average 95.6°F and January lows 29.4°F. About 25.4 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 3.3 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 111 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 56 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
35 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hawley since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. 10 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on May 2, 2024 about 1.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 2, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 113 times; the largest was 4.50 inches on May 13, 1989.
Severe weather in Jones County since 1996
Jones County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| 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 Jones County
Jones County had 3,056 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $50,611 a year. Unemployment was 4.6% in 2023; in Hawley itself the ACS puts it at 13.8%.
Public schools in Hawley
4 public schools with 834 students, about 9.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAWLEY EL | PK-5 | 406 | 11.6 |
| HAWLEY H S | 9-12 | 214 | 6.9 |
| HAWLEY MIDDLE | 6-8 | 208 | 10.9 |
| HAWLEY CENTER FOR ACCELERATED LEARNING | 9-12 | 6 | 6.0 |
Towns near Hawley
- Tye, TX11.2 mi · 1,176 people · home $62,600
- Abilene, TX11.3 mi · 125,182 people · home $183,700
- Anson, TX11.4 mi · 2,294 people · home $74,800
- Merkel, TX15.1 mi · 2,471 people · home $115,100
- Potosi, TX20.1 mi · 3,947 people · home $354,200
- Buffalo Gap, TX22.4 mi · 543 people · home $201,300
- Clyde, TX22.6 mi · 3,811 people · home $151,200
- Hamlin, TX27.1 mi · 1,831 people · home $73,200
Hawley questions
Is Hawley, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Hawley scores better for retirees than 81% of Texas towns and quieter than 96%. 11.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.9).
How much does a house cost in Hawley?
The median owner-occupied home in Hawley is valued at $120,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $78,393, so homes cost about 1.5 times income. Median rent is $850 a month.
What is the weather like in Hawley?
July highs average 95.6°F and January lows 29.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 25.4 inches of precipitation a year and 3.3 inches of snow.
Does Hawley get tornadoes?
35 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hawley since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on May 2, 2024. 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)