The Town FilesGainesville, Texas
City in Cooke County · population 17,394 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $177,000
- Household income
- $58,809
- Jan low / Jul high
- 32° / 94°
- Snow a year
- 3 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 39
- Median age
- 36.5
Gainesville is a city of 17,394 people in Cooke County, Texas. The median home is worth $177,000, close to the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks hipper than 88% of Texas towns, better for cycling than 87% of Texas towns, better for first-time buyers than 86% of Texas towns.
How Gainesville 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 Gainesville is worth $177,000, close to the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 3.0 times the median household income of $58,809, which is more affordable than 49% of Texas towns. Median rent is $1,038 a month. 57.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Gainesville | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $177,000 | $184,100 |
| Median rent | $1,038 | $1,086 |
| Median household income | $58,809 | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.0× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 57.6% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 1971 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 1.2% | — |
Who lives in Gainesville
| People | Gainesville | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.5 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.6% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 24.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.4% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 19.1% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 6.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 10.4% | — |
| Work from home | 5.6% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 22.2 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 85.1% | 89.2% |
Weather in Gainesville
July highs average 93.5°F and January lows 31.7°F. About 42.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 2.6 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 82 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 50 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
39 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Gainesville since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. 8 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on March 31, 1959 about 4.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on December 13, 2022.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 131 times; the largest was 4.50 inches on April 21, 1996.
Severe weather in Cooke County since 1996
Cooke County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2024 | Flood | DR-4781: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| February 19, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-4586: Severe Winter Storms |
| February 14, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3554: Severe Winter Storm |
| March 25, 2020 | Biological | DR-4485: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3458: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Cooke County
Cooke County had 16,535 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,891 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in Gainesville itself the ACS puts it at 8.1%.
Public schools in Gainesville
9 public schools with 3,853 students, about 16.1 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| GAINESVILLE H S | 9-12 | 872 | 14.8 |
| W E CHALMERS EL | 2-4 | 714 | 17.0 |
| EDISON EL | PK-1 | 618 | 15.8 |
| CALLISBURG EL | PK-5 | 556 | 15.4 |
| GAINESVILLE INT | 5-6 | 463 | 16.0 |
| GAINESVILLE J H | 7-8 | 421 | 14.5 |
| LONE STAR H S NORTH | 8-12 | 140 | — |
| WALNUT BEND EL | PK-8 | 64 | 10.7 |
| DAEP | 6-12 | 5 | — |
Towns near Gainesville
- Whitesboro, TX14.1 mi · 4,074 people · home $249,800
- Sanger, TX17.8 mi · 8,839 people · home $295,400
- Pilot Point, TX20.0 mi · 4,381 people · home $292,500
- Marietta, OK20.6 mi · 2,719 people · home $113,600
- Aubrey, TX24.8 mi · 5,006 people · home $345,000
- Krum, TX26.2 mi · 5,483 people · home $336,500
- Denton, TX29.1 mi · 139,869 people · home $348,200
- Providence Village, TX29.8 mi · 7,691 people · home $351,000
Gainesville questions
Is Gainesville, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Gainesville scores better for retirees than 51% of Texas towns and quieter than 31%. 16.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.5).
How much does a house cost in Gainesville?
The median owner-occupied home in Gainesville is valued at $177,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $58,809, so homes cost about 3.0 times income. Median rent is $1,038 a month.
What is the weather like in Gainesville?
July highs average 93.5°F and January lows 31.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.8 inches of precipitation a year and 2.6 inches of snow.
Does Gainesville get tornadoes?
39 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Gainesville since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on March 31, 1959. The typical Texas town has had 21.
- 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)