The Town FilesSour Lake, Texas
City in Hardin County · population 1,773 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $173,800
- Household income
- $73,241
- Jan low / Jul high
- 42° / 92°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 20
- Median age
- 34.5
Sour Lake is a city of 1,773 people in Hardin County, Texas. The median home is worth $173,800, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks better for families than 93% of Texas towns, more upscale than 71% of Texas towns.
How Sour Lake 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 Sour Lake is worth $173,800, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 2.4 times the median household income of $73,241, which is more affordable than 69% of Texas towns. Median rent is $1,286 a month. 70.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sour Lake | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $173,800 | $184,100 |
| Median rent | $1,286 | $1,086 |
| Median household income | $73,241 | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.4× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 70.6% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 1979 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Sour Lake
| People | Sour Lake | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.5 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 14.7% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 31.6% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.9% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 12.6% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 6.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 4.9% | — |
| Work from home | 9.9% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 26.0 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.5% | 89.2% |
Weather in Sour Lake
July highs average 91.9°F and January lows 42.2°F. About 61.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.1 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 95 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 12 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sour Lake since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on January 1, 1999 about 6.1 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 15 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 Sour Lake itself the ACS puts it at 6.6%.
Public schools in Sour Lake
3 public schools with 2,156 students, about 15.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| HARDIN-JEFFERSON H S | 9-12 | 782 | 14.8 |
| SOUR LAKE EL | PK-5 | 760 | 15.2 |
| HARDIN-JEFFERSON J H | 6-8 | 614 | 15.7 |
Towns near Sour Lake
- Pinewood Estates, TX5.6 mi · 1,641 people · home $340,900
- China, TX7.3 mi · 1,260 people · home $186,500
- Bevil Oaks, TX8.0 mi · 1,089 people · home $232,700
- Hull, TX14.3 mi · 522 people · home —
- Daisetta, TX14.3 mi · 923 people · home $118,500
- Lumberton, TX14.3 mi · 13,554 people · home $291,900
- Beaumont, TX15.9 mi · 115,282 people · home $166,400
- Kountze, TX17.1 mi · 1,981 people · home $127,300
Sour Lake questions
Is Sour Lake, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sour Lake scores better for retirees than 33% of Texas towns and quieter than 69%. 14.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 34.5).
How much does a house cost in Sour Lake?
The median owner-occupied home in Sour Lake is valued at $173,800 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $73,241, so homes cost about 2.4 times income. Median rent is $1,286 a month.
What is the weather like in Sour Lake?
July highs average 91.9°F and January lows 42.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 61.9 inches of precipitation a year and 0.1 inches of snow.
Does Sour Lake get tornadoes?
20 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sour Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on January 1, 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)