The Town FilesKountze, Texas
City in Hardin County · population 1,981 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $127,300
- Household income
- $65,969
- Jan low / Jul high
- 39° / 93°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 10
- Median age
- 33.6
Kountze is a city of 1,981 people in Hardin County, Texas. The median home is worth $127,300, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks better for retirees than 77% of Texas towns.
How Kountze 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 Kountze is worth $127,300, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 1.9 times the median household income of $65,969, which is more affordable than 83% of Texas towns. Median rent is $873 a month. 66.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Kountze | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $127,300 | $184,100 |
| Median rent | $873 | $1,086 |
| Median household income | $65,969 | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.9× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 66.9% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 1995 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Kountze
| People | Kountze | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.6 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.7% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 27.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.3% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 11.5% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 7.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.9% | — |
| Work from home | 2.9% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 31.6 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 91.1% | 89.2% |
Weather in Kountze
July highs average 92.6°F and January lows 39.4°F. About 63.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 109 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 24 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Kountze since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. The strongest, an F1, struck on November 23, 2004 about 4.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 8, 2023.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 25 times; the largest was 3.50 inches on April 15, 2023.
Severe weather in Hardin County since 1996
Hardin County has been included in 32 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| July 9, 2024 | Hurricane | DR-4798: Hurricane Beryl |
| 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 |
| August 24, 2020 | Hurricane | EM-3540: Tropical Storms Marco And Laura |
Jobs and pay in Hardin County
Hardin County had 12,197 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $52,391 a year. Unemployment was 4.9% in 2023; in Kountze itself the ACS puts it at 5.3%.
Public schools in Kountze
6 public schools with 1,143 students, about 12.3 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| KOUNTZE EL | PK-2 | 332 | 14.4 |
| KOUNTZE H S | 9-12 | 331 | 9.7 |
| KOUNTZE INT | 3-5 | 255 | 14.2 |
| KOUNTZE MIDDLE | 6-8 | 223 | 12.4 |
| HARDIN CO ALTER ED | 9-9 | 2 | — |
| HARDIN CO ALTERNATIVE AEP | 4-12 | — | — |
Towns near Kountze
- Silsbee, TX8.5 mi · 6,935 people · home $148,400
- Lumberton, TX10.3 mi · 13,554 people · home $291,900
- Wildwood, TX13.2 mi · 1,121 people · home $221,300
- Pinewood Estates, TX14.0 mi · 1,641 people · home $340,900
- Bevil Oaks, TX15.6 mi · 1,089 people · home $232,700
- Evadale, TX16.0 mi · 1,246 people · home $92,700
- Sour Lake, TX17.1 mi · 1,773 people · home $173,800
- Warren, TX17.8 mi · 677 people · home $122,400
Kountze questions
Is Kountze, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Kountze scores better for retirees than 77% of Texas towns and quieter than 50%. 16.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.6).
How much does a house cost in Kountze?
The median owner-occupied home in Kountze is valued at $127,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $65,969, so homes cost about 1.9 times income. Median rent is $873 a month.
What is the weather like in Kountze?
July highs average 92.6°F and January lows 39.4°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 63.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Kountze get tornadoes?
10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Kountze since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on November 23, 2004. 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)