Bandera (Spanish: "flag", ) is a city in Bandera County, Texas, United States. It was founded by Polish Catholic settlers from Silesia in the 1850s.The county seat, it lies in the Texas Hill Country, a part of the Edwards Plateau located at the crossroads of the central, southern, and western parts of the state, Its population was 829 at the 2020 census.
Bandera calls itself the "Cowboy Capital of the World", a legacy dating to its days as a staging area for what is today known as Great Western Cattle Trail for the last cattle drives of the 1800s.
Bandera was founded in 1855 by Polish Roman Catholic immigrants from the Province of Silesia. They built St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, and many local residents are descended from them.
Bandera is the Spanish word for flag. How the town acquired the name is unknown. One theory is that the town is named after Bandera Pass.
Bandera was a staging area on the Great Western Cattle Trail, during the late 19th century.
The Cabaret Dance Hall opened in 1936. Throughout its history, the dance hall hosted Bob Wills, Doug Sahm, Ernest Tubb, and others. In 2008, the hall was listed as endangered by Preservation Texas. By at least 2013 the hall was closed. By at least 2015, the hall was demolished.
Bandera hosts a three-day Cowboy Mardi Gras that attracts over 15,000 people from all over the world to the town.
Bandera is located in east-central Bandera County, northwest of downtown San Antonio, on the Medina River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which (about 5 acres or 0.55%) is covered by water.
As of the 2020 census, Bandera had a population of 829. The median age was 51.1 years, 16.4% of residents were under t18, and 30.9% of residents were 65 or older. For every 100 females there were 86.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 80.9 males age 18 and over.
None of the residents lived in urban areas, while all lived in rural areas.
Of the 397 households in Bandera, 28.5% had children under 18 living in them, 33.0% were married-couple households, 19.1% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 39.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 35.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.6% had someone living alone who was 65 or older.
Of the 496 housing units, 20.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 56.7% were owner-occupied and 43.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was <0.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.9%.
As of the 2000 census, 957 people, 408 households, and 239 families were residing in the city. The population density was . The 488 housing units averaged . The racial makeup of the city was 94.98% White, 0.21% African American, 0.52% Native American, 2.51% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 21.84% of the population.
Of the 408 households, 24.5% had children under 18 living with them, 43.4% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were not families. About 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.22, and the average family size was 2.86.
In the city, the age distribution was 21.5% under 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 23.5% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 25.1% who were 65 or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 83.3 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 82.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,089 and for a family was $36,500. Males had a median income of $27,604 versus $17,813 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,502. About 11.0% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 17.1% of those age 65 or over.
Bandera is served by the Bandera Independent School District and home to the Bandera High School Bulldogs.