Wharton is a city in Wharton County, Texas, home to about 8,724 people across 8.3 square miles. Its ZIP code is 77488.
Homes sold for a median of $121 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Wharton. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Wharton’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | William P. Hobby Airport (HOU)54 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Houston, TX53 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Wharton; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Wharton had 8,627 residents in the 2020 census, down 7% since 2000.
It’s the 295th largest of 1,778 towns in Texas by population.
Wharton County grew from 16,942 residents in 1900 to 41,570 in 2020.
Wharton County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 96°F in summer, and winter lows average 42°F. About 49.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, El Campo, TX weather station (14 miles away).
11,159 jobs at 997 businesses in Wharton County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
73 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Wharton.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 9 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 18 |
| Dentists | 7 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 16 |
| Mental health providers | 15 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 3 |
| Optometrists | 3 |
| Chiropractors | 2 |
| Pharmacies | 9 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (3 nearby)
Grocery stores (1 nearby)
Pharmacies (2 nearby)
Museums (2 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1846.
Colleges and universities
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Wharton ISD. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C G Sivells ElWharton | Pre-K–1 | 399 | Public | 0.1 mi |
| Wharton ElWharton | 2–5 | 478 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Wharton J HWharton | 6–8 | 324 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| Wharton H SWharton | 9–12 | 566 | Public | 0.6 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faith Christian AcademyWharton | Pre-K–12 | 39 | Christian (no specific denomination) | 4.1 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.