Downtown Bandera 1 Wiki (1 of 1) · Renelibrary / CC BY-SA 4.0First Baptist Church of Bandera, TX Picture 093 · Billy Hathorn at English Wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0Frontier Times Museum, Bandera, TX Picture 091 · Billy Hathorn at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0Cowboy mural in Bandera, TX Picture 099 · Billy Hathorn at en.wikipedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
Bandera is a small town of 565 in Texas, with a median household income of $32,125
and a 10.5% unemployment rate.
Its cost of living index is 94 (US average = 100), which is
6% below the national average.
Strengths:
Bandera stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, short average commutes.
Trade-offs:
Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Bandera is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Bandera city data on this page comes from official government sources —
the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 93.7
Bandera's overall cost of living index is 93.7,
where 100 represents the US national average.
Living in Bandera costs roughly 6% less than the average American city.
Metric
Bandera, TX
National Avg
Median Home Value
$186,400
$244,900
Median Monthly Rent
$1,071
$1,163
Homeownership Rate
54.3%
65.9%
Median Household Income
$32,125
$74,755
Crime & Safety
Very Safe
Bandera's violent crime rate is 111.6 per 100,000 residents
— 71% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Violent Crime
111.6 /100k
Property Crime
1339.3 /100k
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Bandera is served primarily by BANDERA ISD.
The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.2:1
(better than the national average of ~16:1).
Metric
Bandera, TX
National Avg
School District
BANDERA ISD
—
Elementary Schools
2
—
Middle Schools
1
—
High Schools
1
—
Student/Teacher Ratio
14.2:1
16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
19.7%
35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher
87.5%
91.1%
Weather & Climate
Bandera sees average highs of 62.9°F in January
and 94.2°F in July,
with 35.4 inches of annual precipitation
and 0.2 inches of snow per year.
Bandera's cost of living index is 94, where 100 is the national average.
That makes Bandera roughly 6% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage.
The median home price is $186,400 and median rent is $1,071/month.
Bandera's violent crime rate is 111.6 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 1339.3 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Bandera are operated by BANDERA ISD.
The district has 2 elementary, 1 middle, and 1 high schools.
The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.2:1. 19.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Bandera, TX has a population of 565, a median household income of $32,125, and an unemployment rate of 10.5%.
It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Bandera averages 62.9°F in January and 94.2°F in July. Annual rainfall is 35.4 inches
with about 0.2 inches of snow per year.
Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
The population of Bandera, Texas is 565 with a median age of 38.8. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Bandera: cost of living index 94 (100 = US average), median home $186,400, median household income $32,125, crime index 43 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated C+. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Bandera side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.
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