The Town FilesSonora, Texas
City in Sutton County · population 2,502 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $143,200
- Household income
- $71,848
- Jan low / Jul high
- 31° / 96°
- Snow a year
- 1 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 2
- Median age
- 30.5
Sonora is a city of 2,502 people in Sutton County, Texas. The median home is worth $143,200, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks better for first-time buyers than 78% of Texas towns, better for retirees than 72% of Texas towns.
How Sonora 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 Sonora is worth $143,200, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 2.0 times the median household income of $71,848, which is more affordable than 80% of Texas towns. Median rent is $772 a month. 71.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Sonora | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $143,200 | $184,100 |
| Median rent | $772 | $1,086 |
| Median household income | $71,848 | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.0× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 71.2% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 1971 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 2.6% | — |
Who lives in Sonora
| People | Sonora | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30.5 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 17.7% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 28.1% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 15.9% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.4% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 5.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 8.0% | — |
| Work from home | 4.9% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 27.8 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 85.6% | 89.2% |
Weather in Sonora
July highs average 95.6°F and January lows 30.8°F. About 22.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 1.1 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 111 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 69 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sonora since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. The strongest, an F1, struck on May 2, 1991 about 8.2 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 17, 1999.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 26 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on April 26, 2009.
Severe weather in Sutton County since 1996
Sutton County has been included in 18 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 1, 2026 | Flood | DR-4935: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| July 18, 2026 | Flood | EM-3649: Flooding |
| July 6, 2025 | Flood | DR-4879: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding |
| February 19, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-4586: Severe Winter Storms |
| February 14, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3554: Severe Winter Storm |
Jobs and pay in Sutton County
Sutton County had 1,153 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $65,129 a year. Unemployment was 5.8% in 2023; in Sonora itself the ACS puts it at 1.7%.
Public schools in Sonora
2 public schools with 654 students, about 10.9 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| SONORA EL | PK-6 | 365 | 13.5 |
| SONORA SECONDARY SCHOOL | 7-12 | 289 | 8.8 |
Sonora questions
Is Sonora, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Sonora scores better for retirees than 72% of Texas towns and quieter than 57%. 17.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 30.5).
How much does a house cost in Sonora?
The median owner-occupied home in Sonora is valued at $143,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $71,848, so homes cost about 2.0 times income. Median rent is $772 a month.
What is the weather like in Sonora?
July highs average 95.6°F and January lows 30.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 22.7 inches of precipitation a year and 1.1 inches of snow.
Does Sonora get tornadoes?
2 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Sonora since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on May 2, 1991. 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)