Brazos Valley Living·Town & Area Profiles·Caldwell
← Back to Town & Area ProfilesCaldwell is the county seat of Burleson County, Texas, sitting where State Highway 21 meets State Highway 36 in the Brazos Valley. It's a small town of about 4,000 people, roughly 30 minutes from Bryan and College Station. My office is here, so I work these roads every week.
Where Caldwell sits
Caldwell sits at the junction of State Highway 21 and State Highway 36, in the center of Burleson County, which it serves as the county seat. The Texas State Historical Association's Handbook of Texas describes Caldwell as the Burleson County seat at the intersection of those two highways, and the county uses that crossroads as the reference point for its addressing grid, so the town really is the hub of the area.
We're in the Brazos Valley, part of the Bryan-College Station metropolitan area. Highway 21 runs northeast about 23 miles to Bryan, with College Station and Texas A&M right alongside, so the drive into Bryan/College Station is roughly 30 minutes for most errands. Austin is about an hour west on Highway 21, and Highway 36 carries you north and south through the rest of the county.
How big is Caldwell
Caldwell is a small town. The U.S. Census counted 3,993 residents in the city at the 2020 Census. For context, all of Burleson County was 17,642 at that same 2020 count. A more recent estimate, the Census Bureau's American Community Survey 2024 five-year estimate, puts the city around 4,394, but that's a rolling estimate rather than a full head count, so I'd treat the 2020 figure of about 4,000 as the firm number. If you want current numbers for a specific neighborhood, I'm happy to pull what's available when we talk.
Caldwell ISD
Public schools in town are part of Caldwell Independent School District (Caldwell ISD). I don't rate or rank schools; here are the facts. The district serves grades PK-12 across four campuses (an elementary, an intermediate, a junior high, and Caldwell High School). Enrollment was 1,952 students per the National Center for Education Statistics Common Core of Data for the 2024-2025 year. On state accountability, Caldwell ISD holds an overall rating of B from the Texas Education Agency (2024 ratings, released August 2025 after litigation delayed the 2023 and 2024 cycles). Ratings update year to year, so for the current district and campus grades, look up Caldwell ISD on the state's TXschools.gov.
What I see around Caldwell
Caldwell TX real estate is a real mix. In town, the homes for sale are mostly single-family residential, from older houses near the square to newer builds on the edges. Step just outside the city limits and the inventory shifts to land: acreage tracts, small farms, working cattle and hay ground, and larger rural and ag parcels spread across Burleson County. Because Home & Ranch Real Estate is right here, a lot of what crosses my desk is acreage and country property rather than subdivisions. I can't promise what any property will do in value, but I can tell you honestly what's available and walk the land with you.
What Caldwell is known for
The big one is the Kolache Festival, held on the square in downtown Caldwell on the second Saturday of September. The Texas Legislature designated Caldwell the "Kolache Capital of Texas" back in 1989 (House Concurrent Resolution No. 171), a nod to the area's strong Czech heritage. It's a real draw: KBTX reported the 2024 festival pulled in around 15,000 people, with an estimated quarter million kolaches sold. Baking contests, polka music, and a 5K fill the downtown square each year.
The other anchor is the Burleson County Courthouse, a 1927 Classical Revival building on Courthouse Square that sits at the center of downtown. Between the courthouse square and Highways 21 and 36 running through, downtown Caldwell is where a lot of local life happens.
The Caldwell market
Prices and inventory shift month to month, so rather than quote a number that goes stale, I keep current Caldwell and Burleson County figures on my monthly market updates. Take a look there for the latest, or reach out and I'll send what fits what you're after.
Caldwell, answered
01 What county is Caldwell, Texas in? +
Caldwell is in Burleson County, and it's the county seat. It sits at the junction of State Highway 21 and State Highway 36, near the center of the county in the Brazos Valley region of Central Texas. The Burleson County Courthouse, built in 1927, anchors the downtown square in Caldwell.
02 How far is Caldwell from College Station? +
Caldwell is close to Bryan/College Station and Texas A&M. State Highway 21 runs northeast about 23 miles to Bryan, and College Station sits right alongside it, so the drive into the Bryan/College Station area is roughly 30 minutes for most folks. Austin is about an hour the other direction, west on Highway 21.
03 What is Caldwell, Texas known for? +
Caldwell is known as the "Kolache Capital of Texas," a title the Texas Legislature gave it in 1989 (House Concurrent Resolution No. 171) for the area's Czech heritage. Each year it hosts the Kolache Festival on the downtown square on the second Saturday of September. It's also the seat of Burleson County, home to the 1927 county courthouse.
04 Are there acreage properties for sale around Caldwell? +
Yes. Outside the Caldwell city limits, Burleson County has a good amount of rural land: acreage tracts, small farms, cattle and hay ground, and larger ag parcels. Availability changes constantly, so the best move is to tell me your acreage range and what you want to do with the land, and I'll pull current listings that match. I work a lot of country property through Home & Ranch Real Estate.
05 Is Caldwell a good place to buy land? +
Whether it fits you is your call, but I can give you the facts. Land around Caldwell ranges from small acreage homesites to working farms and ranches across Burleson County, and the town sits at the Highway 21 and 36 crossroads about 30 minutes from Bryan/College Station. I can't promise what any tract will do in value, but I'll show you what's available, walk it with you, and share honest specifics on each property.
The population, school, and community facts on this page come from public sources and were current when I wrote it. I describe places and report figures with their source; I do not rate or rank schools or communities. Ratings and figures change, so check the source directly for the latest. This page is general local information, not legal, tax, or financial advice.
Sources
- Population: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census, Caldwell city 3,993 and Burleson County 17,642; later American Community Survey 5-year estimate (Census Reporter) ~4,394.
- County seat, highways, and history: Texas State Historical Association, Handbook of Texas.
- Schools: enrollment and grade span from the NCES Common Core of Data; accountability rating from the Texas Education Agency (2024 ratings released August 2025), via the Texas Tribune Schools explorer. Current grades: TXschools.gov.
- Kolache Festival: Burleson County Chamber of Commerce (date); attendance and kolache figures from KBTX coverage of the 2024 festival. "Kolache Capital of Texas" designation: Texas Legislature, House Concurrent Resolution No. 171 (1989).
- Burleson County Courthouse: 1927 Classical Revival, on Courthouse Square (texascourthouses.com).
Thinking about Caldwell?
My office is right here on Buck Street. Call or text and I'll tell you straight what's available, in town or out on the land.