The Town FilesWest Alto Bonito, Texas
Community in Starr County · population 615 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $82,300
- Household income
- $40,896
- Jan low / Jul high
- 45° / 99°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 29.9
West Alto Bonito is a community of 615 people in Starr County, Texas. The median home is worth $82,300, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks more of a college town than 81% of Texas towns, better for families than 78% of Texas towns, better for first-time buyers than 71% of Texas towns.
How West Alto Bonito 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 West Alto Bonito is worth $82,300, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 2.0 times the median household income of $40,896, which is more affordable than 80% of Texas towns. 74.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | West Alto Bonito | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $82,300 | $184,100 |
| Median rent | — | $1,086 |
| Median household income | $40,896 | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.0× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 74.2% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 1994 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in West Alto Bonito
| People | West Alto Bonito | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 29.9 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 7.7% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 17.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 11.0% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 44.9% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 0.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 60.1% | — |
| Work from home | 0.0% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 15.8 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.4% | 89.2% |
Weather in West Alto Bonito
July highs average 99.0°F and January lows 45.2°F. About 22.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.1 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 187 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 6 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of West Alto Bonito since 1950.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 10 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on May 30, 2002.
Severe weather in Starr County since 1996
Starr County has been included in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, freezing.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2025 | Flood | DR-4871: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| February 19, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-4586: Severe Winter Storms |
| February 14, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3554: Severe Winter Storm |
| July 26, 2020 | Hurricane | EM-3530: Hurricane Hanna |
| March 25, 2020 | Biological | DR-4485: Covid-19 Pandemic |
Jobs and pay in Starr County
Starr County had 14,746 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $39,754 a year. Unemployment was 9.3% in 2023; in West Alto Bonito itself the ACS puts it at 11.9%.
Towns near West Alto Bonito
- Valle Vista, TX0.5 mi · 545 people · home —
- Mikes, TX1.8 mi · 942 people · home $95,000
- East Alto Bonito, TX1.9 mi · 905 people · home $107,800
- La Grulla, TX3.1 mi · 1,222 people · home $54,400
- La Puerta, TX5.9 mi · 638 people · home —
- Garza-Salinas II, TX6.5 mi · 651 people · home $48,400
- Sullivan City, TX6.7 mi · 3,908 people · home $94,600
- Las Lomas, TX7.7 mi · 3,054 people · home $87,200
West Alto Bonito questions
Is West Alto Bonito, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, West Alto Bonito scores better for retirees than 1% of Texas towns and quieter than 32%. 7.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 29.9).
How much does a house cost in West Alto Bonito?
The median owner-occupied home in West Alto Bonito is valued at $82,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $40,896, so homes cost about 2.0 times income. Median rent is — a month.
What is the weather like in West Alto Bonito?
July highs average 99.0°F and January lows 45.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 22.5 inches of precipitation a year and 0.1 inches of snow.
Does West Alto Bonito get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of West Alto Bonito in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.
- 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)