Wharton County Courthouse Historic Commercial District · National Register of Historic Places
Wharton’s story
180 years in pictures
32 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1846Wharton is settled
WhartonTX
A town of 8,724, settled in 1846. Home to 32 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Photo: Djmaschek · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
8,724
−2.3% since 2010
Typical home
$226K
+2.2% in a year
Household income
$58K
median
Median age
35.8
years
Jobs based here
3,807
Balanced
What makes Wharton stand out
The 3 things Wharton does most differently from other towns.
Wharton County Courthouse Historic Commercial DistrictHistory
Settled in 1846
32 places on the National Register
Archive photos and papers going back 180 years.
$226Ktypical home
Housing
$226K typical home
25% below the TX typical home
Up 2.2% in a year.
100 U.S. towns● Wharton
Health
89% of U.S. towns are healthier
on CDC estimates
Better than TX on 1 measures, worse on 13.
College town
Wharton County Junior College calls Wharton home
College Scorecard · IPEDS
Wharton’s report card
Housing$226K25% below the TX typical homeHealthDHealthier than 11% of U.S. townsCommute42 miHalf of commuters travel lessSafetyC−Less crime than 24% of U.S. townsHazards77/100High risk of storm & flood damageSchoolsCBeats 27% of TX districtsClimate95°/44°Summer high · winter lowOutdoors1 miof trails · 1.9% conserved
Now in Wharton
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Residents weigh in
Wharton is #5 of 180 in TX for “Rent easiest to afford”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Wharton’s Town Square.
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The data
Ordered by what stands out in Wharton. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Wharton home is worth about $226K
The typical Wharton home is worth about $226,000, up 2.2% in a year, 25% below the Texas typical home.
$226KZillow home value
Typical home value
Wharton$226K
Texas$299K
Market temperature
42
days on market
96.8%
sale-to-list price
+2.2%
value change, 1 year
9
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Health
Healthier than 11% of U.S. towns
Wharton beats the Texas average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 13.
DHealth Grade
26 measures vs. Texas
1 better12 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Wharton | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 78.5% | 74.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.5% | 12.5% |
El Campo Memorial Hospital
13.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
16th
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Work & commute
About one in seven working residents works right in Wharton
Most working residents leave Wharton for work: only 15% work in town. The top destinations are Houston (22%), Rosenberg (5%) and El Campo (4%). Half commute less than 42 miles.
15%work in town
Where working residents work
In Wharton15%
Houston22%
Rosenberg5%
El Campo4%
Sugar Land3%
42 mi
median commute distance
3,807
jobs based in Wharton
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Safety
Less crime per resident than 24% of U.S. towns
Wharton reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 76% report less.
C−Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Wharton2.2
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Wharton17.2
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
24th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
20th
percentile among TX towns
19
violent crimes reported in 2025
151
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Natural hazards
High risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 77% of U.S. communities.
77risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesCold waves
339
paid flood claims since 1979
9
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Schools
Wharton’s public schools outperform 27% of Texas districts
The public schools Wharton’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 73% of Texas’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
CSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wharton El | 2–5 | 478 | C− |
| C G Sivells El | PK–1 | 399 | Not graded |
| Wharton J H | 6–8 | 324 | C+ |
| Ebisd Wcjjaep | 9 | 1 | Not graded |
| Wharton H S | 9–12 | 566 | B− |
| Wharton County Discretionary Jjaep | M | — | Not graded |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduationAll 8 schools →
Climate
Mild winters, hot summers
Wharton has warm winters and hot summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 94°, a January night drops to 44°, and snow is almost unheard of.
95°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter46–66°
Spring60–80°
Summer74–93°
Fall61–82°
Dec 5
typical first frost
Feb 23
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
95°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Outdoors
1.9% of Wharton is conserved land
1.1 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves.
1.9%conserved
1.9%
conserved · 104 of 5,322 acres
1.1 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Port of Wharton Riverfront Park | 0.3 mi | 13 |
| 2. Croom Park | 0.2 mi | 18 |
| 3. Harris Park | — | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Landmarks
32 places in Wharton on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Wharton
City in Texas, United States
Wharton is a city in and the county seat of Wharton County, Texas, United States. This city is 60 mi (97 km) southwest of Houston. Its population was 8,832 at the 2010 census and 8,627 at the 2020 census. Wharton is located on the Colorado River of Texas. U.S. Highway 59 passes west of it.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1846
- Population
- 8,627
- Area
- 7.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 102 ft
- ZIP code
- 77488
- Area code
- 979