Housing data for Sour Lake, TX
Sour Lake, TX has an estimated 2,130 residents and 936 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Hardin County.
29.4% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,286 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 2,130 (±568)
- Housing units
- 936 (±182)
- Households that rent
- 29.4%
- Median gross rent
- $1,286
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −3.4%
What stands out in Sour Lake
Households that rent: 29.4% (±10.1 points) in Sour Lake, higher than in Hardin County (17.7%).
Homes built before 1980: 51.1% (±12.9 points) in Sour Lake, higher than in Hardin County (33.2%).
Median gross rent: $1,286 (±$221) in Sour Lake, higher than in Hardin County ($1,049).
Average commute: 26.0 minutes (±3.3) in Sour Lake, lower than in Hardin County (30.0 minutes).
- Renters and owners in Sour Lake
- Age of homes in Sour Lake
- Median rent in Sour Lake
- Commute and cars in Sour Lake
Housing in Sour Lake at a glance
- Median rent: $1,286 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,419 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 49.8% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 29.4% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $73,241 median household income
- Home values: $173,800 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,906 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $1,943 median real estate taxes a year (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Types of homes: 5.3% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 69.7% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 51.1% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 78.6% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 26.0 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 107 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −3.4% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 20.2% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 7.5% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Sour Lake against Hardin County, its state and the nation
| Sour Lake | Hardin County | Texas | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,130 (±568) | 57,642 (exact) | 30,188,424 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 936 (±182) | 25,100 (±34) | 12,128,515 (±1,574) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 29.4% (±10.1 points) | 17.7% (±2.2 points) | 37.4% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,286 (±$221) | $1,049 (±$52) | $1,403 (±$4) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $73,241 (±$23,336) | $75,808 (±$5,192) | $78,476 (±$263) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $173,800 (±$61,042) | $205,700 (±$10,130) | $283,800 (±$738) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,943 (±$1,051) | $2,238 (±$146) | $4,232 (±$19) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 51.1% (±12.9 points) | 33.2% (±3.1 points) | 33.2% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 26.0 minutes (±3.3) | 30.0 minutes (±1.4) | 26.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 94.5% (±5.2 points) | 86.2% (±1.9 points) | 91.4% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 34.5 years (±6.9) | 39.4 years (±0.6) | 35.6 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Sour Lake covers 2.3 square miles of land, about 925 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Sour Lake has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 2,206 (±485) | 2,130 (±568) | −3.4% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 905 (±136) | 936 (±182) | +3.4% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $913 (±$175) | $1,286 (±$221) | +40.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $97,400 (±$19,635) | $173,800 (±$61,042) | +78.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median household income | $56,065 (±$10,246) | $73,241 (±$23,336) | +30.6% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,097 (±$169) | $1,906 (±$503) | +73.7% | Up after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,329 (±$378) | $1,943 (±$1,051) | +46.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 29.1% (±8.5 points) | 29.4% (±10.1 points) | +0.3 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 10.3% (±11.4 points) | 0.0% (±18.8 points) | −10.3 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Sour Lake
In 2025, the Sour Lake Police Department reported 107 violent and 537 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Hardin County, the departments that report recorded 144 violent and 524 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
Places near Sour Lake
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pinewood Estates | 5.6 mi | — | $340,900 | 1.0% |
| Nome | 7.3 mi | — | $166,100 | 23.8% |
| China | 7.8 mi | $950 | $186,500 | 17.8% |
| Bevil Oaks | 8.0 mi | — | $232,700 | 6.6% |
| Rose Hill Acres | 13 mi | — | $214,000 | 3.0% |
| Devers | 13 mi | — | $120,700 | 7.7% |
| Lumberton | 14 mi | $1,067 | $291,900 | 14.5% |
| Daisetta | 14 mi | $1,278 | $118,500 | 27.7% |
Places in Texas most like Sour Lake
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chico | $1,317 | $170,300 | $75,739 | 33.1% |
| Hitchcock | $1,380 | $188,300 | $74,157 | 32.0% |
| Bridge City | $1,431 | $202,800 | $88,958 | 23.5% |
| Andrews | $1,350 | $196,300 | $73,690 | 23.3% |
| Alvord | $1,159 | $212,500 | $68,674 | 33.8% |
| La Marque | $1,443 | $206,900 | $71,102 | 31.3% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Texas.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Sour Lake, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $980 | $986 | $1,218 | $1,588 | $1,944 |
HUD income limits for Sour Lake, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $18,450 | $30,700 | $49,150 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $35,100 | $56,150 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $39,500 | $63,150 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $43,850 | $70,150 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $47,400 | $75,800 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $50,900 | $81,400 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $54,400 | $87,000 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $57,900 | $92,600 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $87,700.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Sour Lake
What is the average rent in Sour Lake, TX?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Sour Lake is $1,286 (±$221) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Sour Lake?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Sour Lake, TX is $559 (±$215) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Sour Lake?
Sour Lake has an estimated 235 (±96) renting households, 29.4% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Sour Lake?
The median household income in Sour Lake is $73,241 (±$23,336) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Sour Lake, TX?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $173,800 (±$61,042) for owner-occupied homes in Sour Lake (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Sour Lake?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Sour Lake, TX is $1,906 (±$503) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
Is Sour Lake growing?
In Sour Lake, the number of residents went from 2,206 in 2015–2019 to 2,130 in 2020–2024 (−3.4%), not a measurable change.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sour Lake city, Texas
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sour Lake city, Texas
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sour Lake city, Texas
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sour Lake city, Texas
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Sour Lake city, Texas
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Sour Lake city, Texas
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Sour Lake city, Texas
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX MSA
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX MSA
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Sour Lake Police Department (ORI TX1000300)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Sour Lake city, Texas (place:68828, in state:48).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .