McDade Pottery workers, 1863
McDade’s story
155 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1863.
- 1871McDade is settled
McDadeTX
A town of 1,070, settled in 1871.
Photo: Darrylpearson · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,070
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$456K
−0.5% in a year
Household income
$50K
median
Median age
39.5
years
Jobs based here
116
A commuter town
Is McDade a good place to live?
McDade’s weakest subject grade is a D for health. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 85% of U.S. towns. McDade has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Small town
1,070 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How McDade grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far McDade is from typical.
HealthAscension Seton Smithville 20.3 miles awayDOpen →SchoolsDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.1 of 20; 2.4% of households have no car; 1.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Cost of livingC+Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 45% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB−Open →Jobs & income$50K median household incomeB−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, 97° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 39.5; 13% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to McDade: who provides what
McDade is unincorporated, so Bastrop County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerBluebonnet Electric Coop11.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBastrop County Wcid 1 water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers87% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesBastrop CountyBastrop 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 hereBastrop County Early Voting ClerkBastrop County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2018
ZIP code7865078650 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 McDade.
HousingCost of living grade C+
Homes in McDade are worth about $456K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical McDade home is worth about $456,000, about the same as a year ago, 54% above the Texas typical home. 93% of households own their home in McDade, where Texas’ towns sit at 69% and U.S. towns at 73%.
$456KZillow home value
Typical home value
McDade$456K
Texas$296K
−0.5%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in April
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsD
McDade’s public schools trail 87% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by McDade ISD. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
13%of TX districts it outscoresDSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| McDade ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 208 | B− |
| McDade H SLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 169 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests
HealthD
Health in McDade trails 90% of U.S. towns
McDade beats the Texas average on 6 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 22% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in McDade, against 18% in Texas’ towns and 8.1% across U.S. towns. 35% of adults get no exercise outside work in McDade.
10%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| McDade | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 30% | 25% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 37% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 24% | 19% |
31 measures vs. Texas
6 better13 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | McDade | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 15.6% | 19.3% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 13.3% | 16.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 9.3% | 5.7% |
Ascension Seton Smithville
20.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
With 0.4 jobs for every working resident, most of McDade’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave McDade for work: only 2% work in town. The average trip to work in McDade is 31 minutes. Jobs based in McDade grew to 116 in 2023, 60 more than in 2013.
2%work in town
| McDade | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.3% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.1% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In McDade2%
Austin29%
Bastrop7%
Elgin6%
Houston4%
31 mi
median commute distance
116
jobs based in McDade
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 15% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in McDade
McDade has mild winters and hot summers. McDade’s July high is 95°F.
97°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter41–64°
Spring57–79°
Summer72–95°
Fall58–81°
Nov 24
typical first frost
Mar 4
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
97°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
McDade faces a moderate natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 55% of U.S. communities.
45risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about McDade
16pages on McDade
The big questions
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of McDade; the nearest are
Austin Community College DistrictCommunity college · Public · Austin27.7 mi$2,550 in-state tuitionThe University of Texas at AustinUniversity or college · Public · Austin29 mi$11,688 in-state tuitionBlinn College DistrictCommunity college · Public · Brenham51.1 mi$4,890 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 McDade residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave McDade for work
Where McDade’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
116jobs based in McDade
2%of working residents work in town
31 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About McDade
Census-designated place in Bastrop County, Texas, United States
McDade is a census-designated place (CDP) in northern Bastrop County, Texas, United States, located along U.S. Route 290. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 720. It is 9 miles (14 km) east of Elgin and 34 miles (55 km) east of Austin. It is 21 miles (34 km) west of Giddings.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 4.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 515 ft
- ZIP code
- 78650
Questions about McDade
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is McDade, TX expensive?
That is 4.5 years of the area's median household income ($100,431 across the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.