The Town FilesSundown, Texas
City in Hockley County · population 1,283 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $96,400
- Household income
- $58,594
- Jan low / Jul high
- 25° / 92°
- Snow a year
- 6 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 22
- Median age
- 37.0
Sundown is a city of 1,283 people in Hockley County, Texas. The median home is worth $96,400, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks easier by car than 88% of Texas towns, better for first-time buyers than 87% of Texas towns, better for families than 85% of Texas towns.
How Sundown 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 Sundown is worth $96,400, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 1.6 times the median household income of $58,594, which is more affordable than 91% of Texas towns. Median rent is $675 a month. 74.1% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sundown | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $96,400 | $184,100 |
| Median rent | $675 | $1,086 |
| Median household income | $58,594 | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.6× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 74.1% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 1986 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Sundown
| People | Sundown | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 37.0 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 12.2% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 23.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.3% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 14.6% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 2.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 3.6% | — |
| Work from home | 0.0% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 21.4 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.5% | 89.2% |
Weather in Sundown
July highs average 92.4°F and January lows 25.2°F. About 18.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 6.2 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 87 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 98 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sundown since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF2, struck on June 19, 2013 about 4.3 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 6, 2025.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 56 times; the largest was 4.00 inches on April 17, 1970.
Severe weather in Hockley County since 1996
Hockley County has been included in 16 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, tornado.
| 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 Hockley County
Hockley County had 8,879 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $65,382 a year. Unemployment was 3.6% in 2023; in Sundown itself the ACS puts it at 14.2%.
Public schools in Sundown
4 public schools with 551 students, about 9.5 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUNDOWN EL | PK-5 | 242 | 10.5 |
| SUNDOWN H S | 9-12 | 174 | 8.3 |
| SUNDOWN J H | 6-8 | 132 | 10.2 |
| RACE (ROUGHNECK ALTERNATIVE CENTER FOR EDUCATION) | 10-11 | 3 | 3.0 |
Towns near Sundown
- Levelland, TX11.3 mi · 12,652 people · home $140,400
- Meadow, TX18.4 mi · 601 people · home $80,900
- Brownfield, TX23.2 mi · 8,936 people · home $100,600
- Morton, TX24.1 mi · 1,690 people · home $42,600
- Plains, TX26.7 mi · 1,355 people · home $133,300
- Wolfforth, TX28.2 mi · 5,521 people · home $260,200
Sundown questions
Is Sundown, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sundown scores better for retirees than 60% of Texas towns and quieter than 70%. 12.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.0).
How much does a house cost in Sundown?
The median owner-occupied home in Sundown is valued at $96,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $58,594, so homes cost about 1.6 times income. Median rent is $675 a month.
What is the weather like in Sundown?
July highs average 92.4°F and January lows 25.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 18.3 inches of precipitation a year and 6.2 inches of snow.
Does Sundown get tornadoes?
22 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sundown since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF2 on June 19, 2013. 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)