City · Texas
Waelder, Texas
Waelder, city, in Gonzales County, Texas. Waelder had 954 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 933 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 603 (±261). GEOID 4876024.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
954
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 933 · ACS 2020-2024: 603 ±261
Median household income
$61,214
±$14,856 (90% margin)
Texas: $78,476
Median home value
$59,400
±$23,677 (90% margin)
Texas: $283,800
Median gross rent
$959
±$337 (90% margin)
Texas: $1,403
Where is Waelder and what county is it in?
Waelder is a city in Gonzales County, Texas. It covers 1.3 square miles of land, 729 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 Waelder, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 954 people lived in Waelder on July 1, 2025, up 2.0% since 2020, slower than Texas (+8.8%). The 2020 Census counted 933 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 603 (±261).
| Measure | Waelder | Gonzales County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 603 ±261 | 19,851 | −731 |
| Households | 264 ±111 | 7,926 | −224 |
| Average household size | 2.28 ±0.48 | 2.46 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 307 ±116 | 9,020 | −288 |
Waelder's population since 2000
From 947 in 2000 to 954 in 2025: up 0.7%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Waelder 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 Waelder?
The median resident of Waelder is 40.9 years old. The largest group is Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 87.6%, then non-Hispanic white residents at 5.3%. 18.4% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Waelder | Gonzales County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.9 ±4.1 | 39.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 12.8% ±6.5 pts | 25.5% | – |
| 65 years and over | 13.4% ±9.3 pts | 18.1% | – |
| Male | 56.7% ±9.3 pts | 50.2% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 87.6% ±11.1 pts | 51.1% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 5.3% ±5.3 pts | 40.6% | – |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 4.1% ±6.1 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.0 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.0 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.0 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 3.0% ±4.9 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±8.0 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 18.4% ±11.3 pts | 11.7% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 57.1% ±15.1 pts | 27.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 1.7% ±2.8 pts | 5.2% | – |
| With a disability | 10.1% ±5.9 pts | 17.4% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 34.3% ±15.9 pts | 18.0% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 70.6% ±14.8 pts | 75.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 15.4% ±10.7 pts | 11.9% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 10.7% ±8.6 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.4% ±4.8 pts | 92.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±8.1 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 Waelder earn?
Half of Waelder's 264 households earn less than $61,214 a year (±$14,856), against $58,672 in Gonzales County and $78,476 in Texas. In 2015-2019 it was $50,766 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Waelder | Gonzales County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,214 ±$14,856 | $58,672 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $68,755 ±$20,546 | $74,588 | – |
| Per capita income | $29,302 ±$7,944 | $29,113 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 13.4% ±9.8 pts | 15.8% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 18.2% ±24.0 pts | 19.8% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 5.3% ±10.2 pts | 16.3% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.3% ±3.9 pts | 92.7% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.5% ±11.1 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 Waelder?
Owners occupy 70.8% of Waelder's occupied homes and renters 29.2%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $59,400 by its owner (±$23,677). The median renter pays $959 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Waelder | Gonzales County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $59,400 ±$23,677 | $159,100 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $959 ±$337 | $840 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 33.8% ±38.5 pts | 39.7% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,177 ±$181 | $1,409 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 70.8% ±17.0 pts | 66.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 29.2% ±17.0 pts | 33.8% | – |
| Housing units | 307 ±116 | 9,020 | −288 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±23.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±41.9 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 63.2% ±16.2 pts | 64.4% | – |
| Mobile homes | 29.3% ±16.4 pts | 21.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±15.0 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 1.0% ±1.8 pts | 13.7% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 7.2% ±6.2 pts | 8.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 5.7% ±9.1 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 do people in Waelder work and get to work?
72.0% of Waelder's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 25.6 minutes.
| Measure | Waelder | Gonzales County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 77.1% ±11.9 pts | 59.4% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% ±6.0 pts | 4.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 72.0% ±18.9 pts | 82.1% | – |
| Carpooled | 3.0% ±4.1 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±12.7 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Walked | 14.7% ±13.0 pts | 3.6% | – |
| Worked from home | 10.3% ±10.7 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 25.6 min ±8.3 | 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 Waelder?
No census tract lies mostly in Waelder; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 1Gonzales County | 2,908 | $61,816 |
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 Waelder) · Census block assignment files
How does Waelder compare with other places in Texas?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Waelder is the 10,470th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 821st-most populous of 1,224 in Texas.
Waelder 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 | 821st | 1,224 |
Waelder's figures with every place in Texas (CSV)
Every place in Texas, sortable · Compare Waelder 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 Waelder?
27 of the 57 figures for Waelder 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 Waelder 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 Waelder.