ElLagoTXMap
El Lago’s story
65 years in pictures
Census counts: 2,308 in 1970, 3,090 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 6 maps from 1916 on.
- 1961El Lago is established
Population
2,984
2025 Census estimate · −2.8% since 2020
Typical home
$312K
−0.2% in a year
Household income
$96K
median
Median age
43.9
years
Jobs based here
248
A commuter town
TownGrade
B+
#85 of 640 in TX
Is El Lago a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. El Lago grades B+ overall, 85th of 640 graded towns in Texas. The median household earns $96K. It is healthier than 78% of U.S. towns and its schools rank ahead of 78% of Texas towns. The catch is cost: the typical home is worth about $312K, 3.8 years of the Houston metro’s $82K median household income. 52% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in El Lago, where Texas’ towns sit at 23% and U.S. towns at 29%. Only 26 of Texas’ 1,000 towns score lower on history.
What makes El Lago stand out
Where El Lago beats most towns.
A growing town
El Lago has grown 11% since 2010
2,706 counted in 2010 and 3,090 in 2020; an estimated 2,984 in 2025.
Since 2020 the trend has turned: down 2.8%, after 14.2% growth in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How El Lago grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far El Lago is from typical.
Jobs & incomeAOpen →Cost of livingDOpen →HealthHouston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital 2.8 miles awayA−Open →SchoolsA−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.5 of 20; 0.6% of households have no car; 1.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transitBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3% conserved landC+Open →HistoryEstablished 1961D−Open →Civic life0.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market$312K typical home, down 0.2% in a year; 210 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 43.9–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to El Lago: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in El Lago, and how to reach them.
PowerEntergy Texas13.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterHarris County Wcid 50 El Lago water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpAmeriWasteTrash haulerTown site
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 hereHarris County Early Voting ClerkHarris County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2026
ZIP code7758677586 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 El Lago.
El Lago has a longer frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and sends most of its workers to Houston and beyond, but it has a long record of flood insurance claims.
HealthA−
El Lago earns an A− for health
20% of adults get no exercise outside work in El Lago. El Lago beats the Texas average on 12 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 15% of adults report frequent mental distress in El Lago.
78%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| El Lago | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 30% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 17% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 24% | 19% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 18% | 8.1% |
31 measures vs. Texas
12 better16 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | El Lago | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 11.5% | 19.1% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 12.6% | 19.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9% | 6.1% |
Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital
2.8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
81st
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsA−
El Lago earns an A− for schools
Its public schools are run by Clear Creek ISD. Its one school is below.
78%of TX districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ed H White ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 644 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
About one in three of El Lago’s working residents commute to Houston
El Lago has 248 jobs for its 1,300 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here fell from 322 in 2013 to 248.
Most working residents leave El Lago for work: only 1% work in town. 2.4% of El Lago residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, El Lago has lost 74 jobs, to 248 in 2023.
1%work in town
| El Lago | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2.4% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $96,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 1% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In El Lago1%
Houston34%
League City7%
Pasadena6%
Webster4%
14 mi
median commute distance
248
jobs based in El Lago
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B
Walkability grade: more walkable than 55% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
El Lago faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
402 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 45 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 71% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 402 flood insurance claims have been paid out in El Lago.
71risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes
402
paid flood claims since 1979
6
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
A typical July afternoon in El Lago is 91°F, against 95°F in Texas’ towns and 85°F across U.S. towns
The Houston Nwso weather station, 7 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 317 days, longer than in 96% of U.S. towns. January nights average 45.7°, milder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 90.5°.
El Lago’s January low is 46°F. El Lago has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
91°summer high
| El Lago | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 46°F | 37°F | 22°F |
| July high | 91°F | 95°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter48–64°
Spring62–77°
Summer76–90°
Fall64–80°
Dec 14
typical first frost
Jan 31
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade D
El Lago earns a D for cost of living
The median property tax bill is $6,464, against $4,232 across Texas, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The typical El Lago home is worth about $312,000, about the same as a year ago, 5% above the Texas typical home. The median rent in El Lago is $1,374 a month.
$312KZillow home value
| El Lago | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 80% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,374 a month | $1,206 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
El Lago$312K
Texas$296K
Market temperature
210
days on market
96.1%
sale-to-list price
−0.2%
value change, 1 year
5
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
2.7%conserved
2.7%
conserved · 12 of 453 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. McNair Memorial Park & Pavilion | — | 7 |
| 2. Witty Memorial Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 59 attractions →Reliant Stadium and 53 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around El Lago. Close and well known come first.
Big draw23 mi Stadium & arenaReliant Stadium
Big draw23 mi Stadium & arenaDaikin Park
4 mi MuseumSpace Center Houston
12 mi LandmarkSan Jacinto Monument
23 mi Stadium & arenaToyota Center
24 mi MuseumRothko ChapelSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Reliant Stadium: User eschipul on Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Daikin Park: Delaywaves, CC BY 3.0 · Space Center Houston: Shujianyang, CC BY 4.0 · San Jacinto Monument: Tijuana Brass at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Toyota Center: Ed Uthman from Houston, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Rothko Chapel: Unknown, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about El Lago
18pages on El Lago
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
6 within 15 miles of the center of El Lago
University of Houston-Clear LakeUniversity or college · Public · Houston3.3 mi$7,770 in-state tuitionRemington College-Houston Southeast CampusCommunity college · Private nonprofit · League City6.6 mi$16,926 tuitionLee CollegeCommunity college · Public · Baytown11.8 mi$2,520 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 El Lago residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave El Lago for work
Where El Lago’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
248jobs based in El Lago
1%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About El Lago
City in Harris County, Texas, United States
El Lago is a city in Harris County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,090 at the 2020 census. El Lago has particular historical significance, as it sits on the site of one of the main hide-outs for the French pirate and privateer Jean Lafitte.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 10 ft
- Area code
- 281
El Lago’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with El Lago.
Pasadena next door grades lower for schools (C to El Lago’s A−) and higher for cost of living (C+ to D).
SeabrookTaylor Lake VillagePasadenaEl Lago
How the neighbors grade
| Town | TX rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| El Lago | #85 | B+ | D | — | A− | A− |
| Seabrook | #181 | B− | D | B− | A− | A |
| Taylor Lake Village | #7 | A | C | — | A− | A |
| Pasadena | #562 | D | C+ | D | C | C− |
El Lago and Taylor Lake Village report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare El Lago with a neighbor →
Questions about El Lago
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is El Lago, TX a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. El Lago grades B+ overall, better than 68% of U.S. towns and #85 of 640 in Texas. It grades A− for health and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is El Lago, TX expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.