Bracken Boat Ramp, 2006
Tilden’s story
149 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1877Tilden is settled
TildenTX
Today 259 people live in this town, first settled in 1877.
Photo: Larry D. Moore · CC BY 4.0
Population
259
Census survey, 2020–24
Household income
$37K
median
Median age
37.7
years
Jobs based here
60
Balanced
Settled
1877
149 years ago
Is Tilden a good place to live?
Tilden’s midsummer high is 97°F, against 95°F in Texas’ towns and 85°F across U.S. towns. Tilden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
259 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Tilden.
Schools
The schools Tilden’s kids attend
Its one school is below. Tilden’s only public school teaches 280 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| McMullen County SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 280 | A |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Tilden is inland flooding, at a low overall level
31risk score of 100
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Tilden once, in 2003. Storm and flood damage is expected to run lower than in 69% of U.S. communities. 45% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 19%.
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesHurricanes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Tilden, expect mild winters and hot summers
98°summer high
July afternoons reach 97°, January nights drop to 43° and snow is almost unheard of.
Typical low → high °F
Winter45–69°
Spring60–84°
Summer74–97°
Fall61–84°
Dec 3
typical first frost
Feb 13
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
98°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Tilden has 0.8 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
8%work in town
The middle household income in Tilden is $37,000. Just 8% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. The top destinations are Poteet (11%), Corpus Christi (10%) and San Antonio (10%). For half of commuters, work is under 51 miles away.
| Tilden | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $37,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Tilden8%
Poteet11%
Corpus Christi10%
San Antonio10%
Three Rivers4%
51 mi
median commute distance
60
jobs based in Tilden
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
Tilden stands out in Texas and nationally, with more of its adults who have high blood pressure
Only 10 of the 642 Texas towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Tilden. 19% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in the town. The town beats the Texas average on 5 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 13. In Tilden, just over two in five adults get no exercise outside work, and 12% binge drink.
| Tilden | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 13% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 30% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 35% | 35% |
31 measures vs. Texas
5 better13 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Tilden | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.5% | 17% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 84.2% | 74.1% |
| More adults with heart disease | 11.5% | 5.6% |
Methodist Hospital Atascosa
31.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Tilden
14pages on Tilden
The big questions
Out and about
Getting set up
Moving to Tilden: who provides what
Tilden is unincorporated, so McMullen County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerNueces Electric Cooperative11.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMcmullen County Tilden water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesMcMullen CountyMcMullen 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 hereMcMullen County Early Voting ClerkMcMullen County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code7807278072 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.
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Tilden; the nearest are
Coastal Bend CollegeCommunity college · Public · Beeville48.2 mi$2,916 in-state tuitionTexas A&M University-San AntonioUniversity or college · Public · San Antonio58.4 mi$9,654 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Tilden residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
About Tilden
County seat and census-designated place in Texas, United States
Tilden is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of McMullen County, Texas, United States. Its population was 190 at the 2020 census. Tilden lies at the intersection of State Highways 16 and 72 in the north-central part of the county. It is located about 70 miles south of San Antonio.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 249 ft
- ZIP code
- 78072
Questions about Tilden
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Tilden, TX a good place to live?
Tilden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Tilden is in here
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