Walker's Bar-B-Q, 2007
Harper’s story
143 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2007.
- 1883Harper is settled
HarperTX
A town of 1,214, settled in 1883. Public schools that outperform most of Texas.
Photo: TigerPaw2154 at English Wikipedia · Public domain
Population
1,214
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$410K
−2.2% in a year
Median age
34.6
years
Jobs based here
327
A commuter town
Is Harper a good place to live?
The best of Harper’s subject grades is a B+ for schools; the weakest is a D− for walkability. On walkability, just 31 of Texas’ 999 towns do worse. Harper’s July high is 93°F, below the Texas town median (95°F) but above the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Harper has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
WeakestD−Walkability
What makes Harper stand out
Where Harper beats most towns.
Small town
1,214 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Harper grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Harper is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 3.8 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitD−Open →SchoolsB+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 32% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →Cost of livingBOpen →HealthPeterson Regional Medical Center 17 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 94° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market193 days on market–Open →Who lives here–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Harper: who provides what
Harper is unincorporated, so Gillespie County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPedernales Electric Coop12.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLcra Harper Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers77% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesGillespie CountyGillespie County provides services here
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 hereGillespie County Early Voting ClerkGillespie County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2021
ZIP code7863178631 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 Harper.
HousingCost of living grade B
A typical Harper home is worth about $410K
The typical Harper home is worth about $410,000, down 2.2% in a year, 38% above the Texas typical home.
$410KZillow home value
Typical home value
Harper$410K
Texas$296K
Market temperature
193
days on market
84.1%
sale-to-list price
−2.2%
value change, 1 year
5
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsB+
Public schools in Harper beat 74% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by Harper ISD. Its three schools are below.
74%of TX districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harper ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 223 | A |
| Harper H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 171 | B+ |
| Harper MiddleTop results in townGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 197 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Work & commute
Harper has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Harper for work: only 7% work in town. Since 2013, Harper has added 136 jobs, to 327 in 2023. At 29 minutes, Harper’s average trip to work is against 25 minutes in Texas’ towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns.
7%work in town
| Harper | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 12% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Harper7%
Fredericksburg16%
Kerrville15%
San Antonio14%
Austin3%
24 mi
median commute distance
327
jobs based in Harper
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 2% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Harper faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 68% of U.S. communities.
32risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesDrought
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Harper, expect mild winters and hot summers
Harper has mild winters and hot summers. The January low in Harper is 35°F.
94°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter36–62°
Spring53–77°
Summer69–92°
Fall53–78°
Nov 15
typical first frost
Mar 15
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
94°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Fewer middle-aged adults than Texas overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 31% of residents (38% statewide); children under 18 are 30% of residents (25% statewide). Harper’s median age is 34.6 years. 26% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 34% across Texas.
34.6median age · TX 35.6
| Harper | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 34.6 years | 35.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 26% | 23% | 29% |
HarperTexasUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma18%
High school31%
Some college11%
Associate’s14%
Bachelor’s4%
Graduate22%
Women and men · all residents
36% women, 64% men
About 175 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±8 points). Across Texas, 50.1% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 100% are men (TX 51%).
| Harper | TX | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 14.1% | 13.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 15.5% | 11.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.1% | 9.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.5% | 14.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.2% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.6% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 9.4% | 11.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.9% | 8.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.8% | 5.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 17.9% | 14% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30.7% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 11.1% | 20.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.1% | 7.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 4.4% | 21.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 21.8% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,200, single groups can be off by several points
HealthB−
Harper ranks healthier than 52% of the country’s towns
Harper beats the Texas average on 11 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 40% of Harper adults have high blood pressure.
52%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Harper | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 20% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 18% | 8.1% |
31 measures vs. Texas
11 better13 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Harper | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.5% | 16.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 11.3% | 19.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.6% | 6.1% |
Peterson Regional Medical Center
17 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 36,143 acres
3.5 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Harper Community Park | — | 12 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Harper
17pages on Harper
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Harper; the nearest are
Schreiner UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Kerrville18.3 mi$39,266 tuitionThe University of Texas at San AntonioUniversity or college · Public · San Antonio61.2 mi$9,011 in-state tuitionNortheast Lakeview CollegeCommunity college · Public · Universal City75.6 mi$3,412 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Harper residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
A growing town
Harper has grown 12% from 2010 to 2020
1,192 counted in 2010 and 1,332 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
About Harper
Census-designated place in Texas, United States
Harper is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP), located 23 miles (37 km) west of Fredericksburg on U.S. Highway 290, in Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 1,332 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 57 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,054 ft
- ZIP code
- 78631
- Area code
- 830
Questions about Harper
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Harper, TX a good place to live?
Public schools that outperform most of Texas.
Is Harper, TX expensive?
That is 5.4 years of the area's median household income ($76,162 across the Fredericksburg, 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 B.