City · Texas
Smiley, Texas
Smiley, city, in Gonzales County, Texas. Smiley had 501 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 3.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 475 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 543 (±197). GEOID 4868300.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
501
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 475 · ACS 2020-2024: 543 ±197
Median household income
$36,750
±$19,565 (90% margin)
Texas: $78,476
Median home value
$135,300
±$26,902 (90% margin)
Texas: $283,800
Median gross rent
$921
±$437 (90% margin)
Texas: $1,403
Where is Smiley and what county is it in?
Smiley is a city in Gonzales County, Texas. It covers 0.5 square miles of land, 912 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Smiley, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 501 people lived in Smiley on July 1, 2025, up 3.9% since 2020, slower than Texas (+8.8%). The 2020 Census counted 475 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 543 (±197).
| Measure | Smiley | Gonzales County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 543 ±197 | 19,851 | no clear change |
| Households | 205 ±70 | 7,926 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.65 ±0.56 | 2.46 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 220 ±72 | 9,020 | no clear change |
Smiley's population since 2000
From 453 in 2000 to 501 in 2025: up 10.6%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Smiley as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Smiley?
The median resident of Smiley is 36.7 years old; 18.4% are under 18 and 17.3% are 65 or older. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 65.7%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 33.0%.
| Measure | Smiley | Gonzales County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.7 ±14.5 | 39.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 18.4% ±11.2 pts | 25.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 17.3% ±10.5 pts | 18.1% | – |
| Male | 55.2% ±6.7 pts | 50.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 65.7% ±11.7 pts | 51.1% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 33.0% ±11.3 pts | 40.6% | +13.8 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.8 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.8 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.8 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.3% ±2.2 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.8 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 5.9% ±5.5 pts | 11.7% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 19.6% ±13.0 pts | 27.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.6% ±3.2 pts | 5.2% | – |
| With a disability | 23.4% ±8.8 pts | 17.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 16.8% ±10.1 pts | 18.0% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 88.6% ±8.3 pts | 75.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 2.8% ±3.6 pts | 11.9% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 0.0% ±11.8 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 98.7% ±2.3 pts | 92.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±8.8 pts | 0.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Smiley earn?
Half of Smiley's 205 households earn less than $36,750 a year (±$19,565), against $58,672 in Gonzales County and $78,476 in Texas. In 2015-2019 it was $62,689 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 20.6% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Smiley | Gonzales County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $36,750 ±$19,565 | $58,672 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $65,390 ±$20,248 | $74,588 | – |
| Per capita income | $20,938 ±$4,319 | $29,113 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 20.6% ±13.1 pts | 15.8% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 34.0% ±37.7 pts | 19.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 9.3% ±10.2 pts | 16.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 89.8% ±9.1 pts | 92.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.9% ±10.5 pts | 86.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Smiley?
Owners occupy 74.1% of Smiley's occupied homes and renters 25.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $135,300 by its owner (±$26,902). The median renter pays $921 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Smiley | Gonzales County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $135,300 ±$26,902 | $159,100 | +$74,381 |
| Median gross rent | $921 ±$437 | $840 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 53.2% ±44.1 pts | 39.7% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,507 ±$147 | $1,409 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 74.1% ±18.0 pts | 66.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 25.9% ±18.0 pts | 33.8% | – |
| Housing units | 220 ±72 | 9,020 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±27.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±50.5 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 68.2% ±15.7 pts | 64.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 31.8% ±15.7 pts | 21.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±20.2 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 4.5% ±4.8 pts | 13.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 7.7% ±8.4 pts | 8.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 4.9% ±6.3 pts | 7.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Smiley building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Smiley in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 6.6 across Texas.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Smiley work and get to work?
82.4% of Smiley's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 42.4 minutes.
| Measure | Smiley | Gonzales County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 52.8% ±10.5 pts | 59.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 8.6% ±10.6 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 82.4% ±15.6 pts | 82.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 17.6% ±15.6 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±20.0 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±20.0 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 0.0% ±20.0 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 42.4 min ±17.5 | 27.2 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Smiley?
No census tract lies mostly in Smiley; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 6Gonzales County | 2,530 | $74,671 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Smiley) · Census block assignment files
How does Smiley compare with other places in Texas?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Smiley is the 13,190th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 987th-most populous of 1,224 in Texas.
Smiley is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 987th | 1,224 |
Smiley's figures with every place in Texas (CSV)
Every place in Texas, sortable · Compare Smiley with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Smiley?
27 of the 57 figures for Smiley on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Smiley are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Smiley.