East Bernard TX High School, 2012
East Bernard’s story
152 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,159 in 1970, 2,218 in 2020. The archive holds 16 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 3 maps from 1956 on.
- 1874East Bernard is settled
East BernardTX
Public schools that outperform most of Texas.
Population
2,256
2025 Census estimate · +1.5% since 2020
Typical home
$333K
+3.4% in a year
Household income
$98K
median
Median age
40.7
years
Jobs based here
1,319
Balanced
Is East Bernard a good place to live?
East Bernard’s best subject grade is an A for schools; its weakest is a D for cost of living. Only 39 of Texas’ 1,000 towns score lower on hazard risk. East Bernard's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 86% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is East Bernard Community Park, at 22 acres. East Bernard has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes East Bernard stand out
Where East Bernard beats most towns.
How East Bernard grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far East Bernard is from typical.
Cost of livingDOpen →SchoolsAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Jobs & income$98K median household incomeB+Open →HealthRice Medical Center 17.6 miles awayC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.8 of 20; 2.4% of households have no car; 1.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsDOpen →History3 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life3.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to East Bernard: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in East Bernard, and how to reach them.
PowerJackson Electric Coop14.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWharton County Wcid 2 water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have East Bernard’s trash rules yet
Register to voteIn personTexas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWharton County Early Voting ClerkWharton County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code7743577435 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in East Bernard.
SchoolsA
Public schools in East Bernard beat 89% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by East Bernard ISD. Its three schools are below. The largest public high school is East Bernard H S, with 302 students.
89%of TX districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Bernard ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 380 | A− |
| East Bernard H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 302 | A |
| East Bernard J HTop results in townGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 314 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Inland flooding leads a very high hazard risk in East Bernard
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 83% of U.S. communities. Since 2016, 33 flood insurance claims have been paid out in East Bernard.
83risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesCold waves
33
paid flood claims since 2016
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Texas overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 11% of residents (24% statewide); children under 18 are 32% of residents (25% statewide). At 40.7 years, East Bernard’s median age is where Texas’ towns sit at 35.9 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 34% across Texas.
40.7median age · TX 35.6
| East Bernard | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.7 years | 35.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 15% | 14% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 29% | 23% | 29% |
East BernardTexasUnited States
Ages · share of residents
26%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma10%
High school26%
Some college28%
Associate’s7%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±6 points. Across Texas, 50.1% of residents are women.
| East Bernard | TX | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6% | 13.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 25.5% | 11.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.6% | 9.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.2% | 14.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 22.6% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.5% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10% | 11.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.5% | 8.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.1% | 5.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10% | 14% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.1% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 28% | 20.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 6.5% | 7.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.9% | 21.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 9.5% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,300, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers in East Bernard
East Bernard has warm winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. At 94°F, East Bernard’s July high is near the Texas town median (95°F) and above the median of U.S. towns (85°F).
95°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter45–66°
Spring60–80°
Summer73–94°
Fall60–82°
Nov 30
typical first frost
Feb 28
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
95°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
East Bernard has 1.3 jobs for every working resident, and 1,207 people commute in
The average trip to work in East Bernard is 34 minutes. Jobs based in East Bernard fell to 1,319 in 2023, 297 fewer than in 2013. 5.2% of residents live below the poverty line in East Bernard.
11%work in town
| East Bernard | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 5.2% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $98,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In East Bernard11%
Houston22%
Rosenberg5%
El Campo3%
Sugar Land3%
37 mi
median commute distance
1,319
jobs based in East Bernard
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 49% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade D
A typical East Bernard home is worth about $333K
The typical East Bernard home is worth about $333,000, up 3.4% in a year, 12% above the Texas typical home. East Bernard’s median rent is $1,030 a month.
$333KZillow home value
Typical home value
East Bernard$333K
Texas$296K
+3.4%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
HealthC+
On CDC estimates, East Bernard is less healthy than 58% of U.S. towns
East Bernard beats the Texas average on 8 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 15% of East Bernard adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance.
42%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| East Bernard | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 20% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 74% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 35% | 35% |
31 measures vs. Texas
8 better19 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | East Bernard | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.4% | 19.3% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 10.1% | 16.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.8% | 6.1% |
Rice Medical Center
17.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 2,416 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. East Bernard Community Park | — | 22 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about East Bernard
19pages on East Bernard
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of East Bernard
About 3 of every 100 East Bernard residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
Famous people from East Bernard
3 notable people were born in East Bernard.
About East Bernard
City in Texas, United States
East Bernard is a city in Wharton County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,218 at the 2020 census. U.S. Highway 90 Alternate (US 90A) and Texas State Highway 60 (SH 60) intersect within the city limits. East Bernard has its own school district, two auto dealerships and a number of other businesses. The San Bernard River flows past the city's eastern side.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 125 ft
- ZIP code
- 77435
- Area code
- 979
Questions about East Bernard
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is East Bernard, TX a good place to live?
Public schools that outperform most of Texas.
Is East Bernard, TX expensive?
Yes. That is 5 years of the area's median household income ($66,924 across the El Campo, TX area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
What is East Bernard, TX known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Shane Lechler and Michael Bankston.