The Town FilesPrairie View, Texas
City in Waller County · population 8,184 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $167,600
- Household income
- $21,060
- Jan low / Jul high
- 41° / 94°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 15
- Median age
- 21.0
Prairie View is a city of 8,184 people in Waller County, Texas. The median home is worth $167,600, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks better transit than 96% of Texas towns, more of a college town than 91% of Texas towns, better for young professionals than 80% of Texas towns.
How Prairie View 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 Prairie View is worth $167,600, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 8.0 times the median household income of $21,060, which is more affordable than 1% of Texas towns. Median rent is $1,002 a month. 25.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Prairie View | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $167,600 | $184,100 |
| Median rent | $1,002 | $1,086 |
| Median household income | $21,060 | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.0× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 25.1% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 1987 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 3.2% | — |
Who lives in Prairie View
| People | Prairie View | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 21.0 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 4.8% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 8.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 46.1% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 38.1% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 0.4% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 6.6% | — |
| Work from home | 6.5% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 23.5 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 69.1% | 89.2% |
Weather in Prairie View
July highs average 94.1°F and January lows 40.9°F. About 43.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 108 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 14 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Prairie View since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. 5 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on October 14, 1957 about 2.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 16, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 18 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on April 25, 1997.
Severe weather in Waller County since 1996
Waller County has been included in 29 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| 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 Waller County
Waller County had 26,681 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $61,149 a year. Unemployment was 4.6% in 2023; in Prairie View itself the ACS puts it at 21.9%.
Towns near Prairie View
- Waller, TX2.8 mi · 2,682 people · home $156,900
- Hempstead, TX6.1 mi · 5,430 people · home $160,700
- Pinehurst, TX17.9 mi · 5,195 people · home $271,600
- Bellville, TX19.3 mi · 4,206 people · home $284,400
- Brookshire, TX20.8 mi · 5,066 people · home $159,300
- Tomball, TX21.4 mi · 12,341 people · home $364,300
- Katy, TX21.8 mi · 21,894 people · home $401,700
- Navasota, TX22.1 mi · 7,643 people · home $208,100
Prairie View questions
Is Prairie View, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Prairie View scores better for retirees than 6% of Texas towns and quieter than 37%. 4.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 21.0).
How much does a house cost in Prairie View?
The median owner-occupied home in Prairie View is valued at $167,600 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $21,060, so homes cost about 8.0 times income. Median rent is $1,002 a month.
What is the weather like in Prairie View?
July highs average 94.1°F and January lows 40.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 43.9 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Prairie View get tornadoes?
15 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Prairie View since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on October 14, 1957. 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)