The Town FilesOvilla, Texas
City in Ellis County · population 4,304 (2020 Census) · spans 2 counties
- Median home
- $446,700
- Household income
- $131,434
- Jan low / Jul high
- 34° / 95°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 50
- Median age
- 44.4
Ovilla is a city of 4,304 people in Ellis County, Texas. The median home is worth $446,700, above the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks better for families than 93% of Texas towns, more upscale than 91% of Texas towns, more of a college town than 89% of Texas towns.
How Ovilla 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 Ovilla is worth $446,700, above the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 3.4 times the median household income of $131,434, which is more affordable than 32% of Texas towns. 95.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Ovilla | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $446,700 | $184,100 |
| Median rent | — | $1,086 |
| Median household income | $131,434 | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.4× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 95.3% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 1996 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Ovilla
| People | Ovilla | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.4 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 19.8% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 29.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 50.9% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.9% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 5.3% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 4.3% | — |
| Work from home | 27.1% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 31.7 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 98.4% | 89.2% |
Weather in Ovilla
July highs average 94.7°F and January lows 33.9°F. About 40.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 96 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 33 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
50 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ovilla since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. 13 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F4, struck on April 25, 1994 about 8.8 miles from the town center and killed 3. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 3 deaths and 132 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on April 4, 2022.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 216 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on June 12, 2023.
Severe weather in Ellis County since 1996
Ellis County has been included in 24 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, other.
| 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 |
| August 24, 2020 | Hurricane | EM-3540: Tropical Storms Marco And Laura |
| March 25, 2020 | Biological | DR-4485: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Ellis County
Ellis County had 62,721 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $57,911 a year. Unemployment was 3.7% in 2023; in Ovilla itself the ACS puts it at 6.2%.
Public schools in Ovilla
1 public school with 674 students, about 15.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| DOLORES MCCLATCHEY EL | PK-5 | 674 | 15.7 |
Towns near Ovilla
- Glenn Heights, TX1.8 mi · 15,819 people · home $309,600
- DeSoto, TX4.2 mi · 56,145 people · home $319,400
- Cedar Hill, TX5.3 mi · 49,148 people · home $302,700
- Red Oak, TX6.2 mi · 14,222 people · home $366,100
- Lancaster, TX7.4 mi · 41,275 people · home $246,300
- Duncanville, TX7.4 mi · 40,706 people · home $255,500
- Midlothian, TX8.0 mi · 35,125 people · home $411,800
- Waxahachie, TX9.9 mi · 41,140 people · home $336,500
Ovilla questions
Is Ovilla, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Ovilla scores better for retirees than 35% of Texas towns and quieter than 34%. 19.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.4).
How much does a house cost in Ovilla?
The median owner-occupied home in Ovilla is valued at $446,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $131,434, so homes cost about 3.4 times income. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in Ovilla?
July highs average 94.7°F and January lows 33.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 40.8 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Ovilla get tornadoes?
50 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Ovilla since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F4 on April 25, 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)