Two of its 5 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. The public schools here belong to Nixon-Smiley CISD. Public school enrollment locally: 441 students across 3 schools.

School	Level	Students	Letter
Nixon Smiley ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4	Grades PK–4	438	B⁻
Nixon-Smiley Cisd DaepLargest public high schoolGrades 4–10	Grades 4–10	2	–

Full pageSmiley’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsNIXON-SMILEY CISD Every school5 schools · Nixon Smiley El Questions“Are Smiley’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts

Work & commute

Smiley stands out in Texas and nationally: the average trip to work there is longer

The top destinations are Gonzales (12%), San Antonio (11%) and Nixon (9%). Smiley had 21 jobs in 2023, down 28 from 2013. Half the trips to work are shorter than 46 miles.

0%work in town

	Smiley	Texas towns	U.S. towns
Average trip to work	42 minutes	25 minutes	25 minutes
Below the poverty line	21%	12%	9.6%

Where working residents work

In Smiley0%

Gonzales12%

San Antonio11%

Nixon9%

Austin7%

46 mi

median commute distance

jobs based in Smiley

A commuter town

jobs vs. working residents

Full pageSmiley’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here21 jobs based here · A commuter town Where people work0% work in Smiley Commute times42 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 46 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Climate

Expect mild winters and hot summers in Smiley

In Smiley, the July high is 96°F, where Texas’ towns sit at 95°F and U.S. towns at 85°F.

97°summer high

Typical low → high °F

Winter43–66°

Spring59–81°

Summer73–95°

Fall59–83°

Nov 22

typical first frost

Mar 7

typical last frost

+0.9°

vs. the 20th-century average

97°

typical summer high

Full pageSmiley’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 96°, January lows 41°Rain & snow34″ of rain a year · Snow is almost unheard of Heating & coolingBoth heating and cooling Then and now+0.9° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Safety

Crime reported in Smiley

No violent or property crimes were reported in Smiley in 2025. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.

Smiley is small, so we show counts rather than rates.

violent crimes reported in 2025

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageSmiley’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by typeReported in 2025 Crime over the yearsReported crime since 2023 Questions“Is Smiley, TX safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

Health

Among adults in Smiley, 30% say their health is fair or poor. Against the Texas average, Smiley comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 31, and behind on 16. 38% of adults get no exercise outside work locally, above both the Texas town median (30%) and the median of U.S. towns (25%).

	Smiley	Texas towns	U.S. towns
No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES)	30%	18%	8.1%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)	18%	13%	12%
Get no exercise (CDC PLACES)	38%	30%	25%
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)	30%	24%	19%

31 measures vs. Texas

1 better14 too close to call16 worse

What stands out	Smiley	TX
More adults treating high blood pressure	78%	74.1%
More older adults who have lost all their teeth	21.5%	12.5%

Cuero Regional Hospital

24.1 mi away · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

Full pageSmiley’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore adults who get no exercise Hospitals & doctors nearby24.1 miles to an ER · Cuero Regional Hospital How adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than TX on 1 of 31

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Housing

The typical home in Smiley: about $273K

Smiley’s going rate for rent stands at $921 a month. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home lost 4.3% of its value. For households locally, the share who own their home is 74%.

$273KZillow home value

	Smiley	Texas towns	U.S. towns
Median rent	$921 a month	$1,208 a month	$1,185 a month
Households that own their home	74%	69%	73%

Typical home value

Smiley$273K

Texas$296K

−4.3%

value change, 1 year

Full pageSmiley’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsDown 4.3% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 7.4 years of income Rents$921 a month · Median rent

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Natural hazards

Moderate risk in Smiley, with inland flooding at the top

Of the losses FEMA expects in Smiley, 59% come from inland flooding and 18% from hurricanes. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 54% of U.S. communities. Federal aid has come to Smiley households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2021.

46risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageSmiley’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesModerate risk Flood claims0 paid flood claims · No paid flood claims on record Past disasters2 federal disasters · Paid out in Smiley Get ready3 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Outdoors

0% of Smiley is conserved land

There are 0.3 miles of trail across 1 park or preserve. In Smiley, the trail density is 0.6 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves locally: one, of 10 acres.

0%conserved

conserved · 0 of 333 acres

0.3 mi

of trails · 0.6 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Smiley School Park	—	10

Full pageSmiley’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map0.3 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk10 acres · Smiley School Park Conserved land0% conserved · 0 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Smiley?”

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Smiley

19pages on Smiley

The big questions

Schools5 schools Safety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthBetter than TX on 1 of 31 CDC measures Cost of living$273K typical home · down 4.3% in a year Work & commute$37K median household income · 21 jobs here Natural hazardsFEMA risk higher than 46% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

Outdoors0 mi of trails · 0% conserved land PlacesAttractions38 nearby · ZDT's Amusement Park 29 mi LibraryAphne Pattillo Nixon Public Library Colleges

The story

HistorySettled 1884 Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 167 residents Climate97° summer highs

Day to day

NewsWeatherHandbookZIP code 78159 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Smiley; the nearest are

Texas Lutheran UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Seguin29.4 mi$36,230 tuition Northeast Lakeview CollegeCommunity college · Public · Universal City45.4 mi$3,412 in-state tuition Texas State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · San Marcos46.5 mi$11,450 in-state tuition

About 8 of every 100 Smiley residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

A commuter town

100% of working residents leave Smiley for work

Where Smiley’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

21jobs based in Smiley

0%of working residents work in town

46 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

About Smiley

City in Texas, United States

Smiley is a city in Gonzales County, Texas, United States. Its population was 475 at the 2020 census, down from 549 at the 2010 census. Smiley was established in the early 1870s, when trader and sheepherder John Smiley settled by a long, narrow lake that became known as Smiley's, Smileys, or Smiley Lake. The city is served by the Nixon-Smiley Consolidated Independent School District.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area: 0.5 sq mi
Elevation: 312 ft
ZIP code: 78159
Area code: 830

Questions about Smiley

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Smiley, TX a good place to live?

Smiley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.

Post to Smiley

Check your email

SmileyTX

Is Smiley a good place to live?

501 people, and everyone knows the way

142 years in pictures

Moving to Smiley: who provides what

The data

The schools Smiley’s kids attend