Sawmill. Wells, Texas, 1939
Wells’s story
141 years in pictures
Census counts: 475 in 1930, 853 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1939 and 3 maps from 1951 on.
- 1885Wells is established
Population
893
2025 Census estimate · +4.2% since 2020
Median home value
$141K
Census ACS
Median age
31.1
years
Jobs based here
124
A commuter town
Is Wells a good place to live?
42% of residents live below the poverty line in Wells, above both the Texas town median (12%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Only 9 of the 643 Texas towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Wells. Wells has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
893 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Wells: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wells, and how to reach them.
PowerOncorEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Wells water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers62% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpWednesdayTrash dayTown 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 hereCherokee County Early Voting ClerkCherokee County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code7597675976 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 Wells.
Schools
The schools Wells’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by Wells ISD. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wells SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 239 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Wells has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Wells for work: only 3% work in town. Wells’ average trip to work is 22 minutes, below both Texas’ towns (25 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). The top destinations are Lufkin (16%), Houston (5%) and Tyler (5%).
3%work in town
| Wells | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.4% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Wells3%
Lufkin16%
Houston5%
Tyler5%
Longview3%
58 mi
median commute distance
124
jobs based in Wells
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Wells has mild winters and hot summers
Wells has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Wells’ July high is 94°F.
95°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter40–61°
Spring55–78°
Summer72–93°
Fall56–79°
Nov 10
typical first frost
Mar 19
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
95°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Wells
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 67% of U.S. communities.
33risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
5
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Health
A larger share of adults in Wells smoke cigarettes than in the typical Texas or U.S. town
20% of Wells adults smoke cigarettes. Wells beats the Texas average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 20. 34% of Wells adults get no exercise outside work.
| Wells | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 24% | 19% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
31 measures vs. Texas
1 better10 too close to call20 worse
| What stands out | Wells | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 77.7% | 74.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 11% | 5.7% |
Woodland Heights Medical Center
12.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 6 attractions →Caddo Mounds State Historic Site and 3 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wells. Close and well known come first.
14 mi MuseumCaddo Mounds State Historic Site15 mi Zoo & aquariumEllen Trout Zoo
20 mi MuseumOld Stone Fort Museum20 mi GardenMast ArboretumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Caddo Mounds State Historic Site: Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Old Stone Fort Museum: Ernest Mettendorf, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Wells
17pages on Wells
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Wells; the nearest are
Angelina CollegeCommunity college · Public · Lufkin19 mi$3,430 in-state tuitionStephen F Austin State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Nacogdoches19.7 mi$11,128 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Wells residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Wells for work
Where Wells’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
124jobs based in Wells
3%of working residents work in town
58 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Wells
Town in Texas, United States
Wells is a town in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 790 at the 2010 census, and 853 at the 2020 U.S. census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 325 ft
- ZIP code
- 75976
- Area code
- 936
Questions about Wells
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Wells, TX a good place to live?
Wells has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.