The Town FilesWaelder, Texas
City in Gonzales County · population 933 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $59,400
- Household income
- $61,214
- Jan low / Jul high
- 40° / 94°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 40.9
Waelder is a city of 933 people in Gonzales County, Texas. The median home is worth $59,400, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks quieter than 98% of Texas towns, better for retirees than 82% of Texas towns, easier by car than 77% of Texas towns.
How Waelder 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 Waelder is worth $59,400, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 1.0 times the median household income of $61,214, which is more affordable than 99% of Texas towns. Median rent is $959 a month. 70.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Waelder | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $59,400 | $184,100 |
| Median rent | $959 | $1,086 |
| Median household income | $61,214 | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | 1.0× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 70.8% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 1970 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 2.3% | — |
Who lives in Waelder
| People | Waelder | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.9 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 13.4% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 12.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.4% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 13.4% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 1.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 18.4% | — |
| Work from home | 10.3% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 25.6 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.5% | 89.2% |
Weather in Waelder
July highs average 94.0°F and January lows 39.9°F. About 37.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.1 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 101 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 11 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Waelder since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on October 11, 1973 about 2.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on October 11, 1973.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 5 times; the largest was 2.75 inches on March 18, 2018.
Severe weather in Gonzales County since 1996
Gonzales County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| 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 Gonzales County
Gonzales County had 7,180 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,216 a year. Unemployment was 3.4% in 2023; in Waelder itself the ACS puts it at 3.9%.
Public schools in Waelder
1 public school with 297 students, about 11.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAELDER SCHOOL | PK-12 | 297 | 11.0 |
Towns near Waelder
- Flatonia, TX11.6 mi · 1,308 people · home $200,400
- Moulton, TX12.4 mi · 854 people · home $159,800
- Gonzales, TX15.4 mi · 7,165 people · home $208,500
- Rosanky, TX17.9 mi · 1,473 people · home $309,100
- Shiner, TX19.5 mi · 2,127 people · home $214,400
- Luling, TX21.0 mi · 5,599 people · home $210,300
- Smithville, TX23.4 mi · 3,922 people · home $254,400
- Schulenburg, TX23.4 mi · 2,633 people · home $205,900
Waelder questions
Is Waelder, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Waelder scores better for retirees than 82% of Texas towns and quieter than 98%. 13.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.9).
How much does a house cost in Waelder?
The median owner-occupied home in Waelder is valued at $59,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $61,214, so homes cost about 1.0 times income. Median rent is $959 a month.
What is the weather like in Waelder?
July highs average 94.0°F and January lows 39.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 37.9 inches of precipitation a year and 0.1 inches of snow.
Does Waelder get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Waelder since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on October 11, 1973. 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)