Kerrville is a great place to live, work, and play! We welcome the opportunity to support your innovation and investment.

Startup Scene

While the Kerrville community is still in the early stages of crafting our startup and venture capital scene, there’s never been a better time to get involved; the opportunities and potential are limitless.

A few reasons we believe we’re perfectly poised to become an even greater economic powerhouse include our values alignment amongst leadership agencies such as the City, the County, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, the local ISDs, Workforce Solutions Alamo, the Office of the Governor, the State of Texas Mexico Office, Schreiner University, Alamo Technical Colleges, and our top employers. 

We are very proud of our proven ability to work in creative and collaborative environments for the greater benefit of our overall economic health. We also recognize that a healthy startup environment plays a crucial role in attracting and retaining boomerang professionals. We are very excited about the growth and opportunities available at the KERV airport and neighboring commercial district. We look forward to specifically attracting and nurturing startups in the aviation and aerospace industries.

Venture Community

According to the Gillespie County Economic Development Commission, Kerrville has the second highest millionaires per capita in the state! “In Texas, Fredericksburg has the highest percentage of millionaires, where 701 households with more than $1 million in assets makes up nearly 6.5% of the area’s population. (Fredericksburg comes in at No. 47 on the national list.)

Kerrville is No. 2 on the Texas list, with millionaires making up nearly 6 percent of the area’s population.

With more than seventeen banks within the city limits of Kerrville (population ~25,000), one could logically conclude that funding is readily available and the appetite for good business deals is healthy!

As if that weren’t enough to brag about (as they say in Texas, “it ain’t braggin’ if it’s true”), according to the Vitner Project, Kerrville is home to Texas’ first ever wine incubator! In partnership with Schreiner University, John Rivenburgh of Kerrville Hills Winery, says, “The services offered by the incubator are quite extensive. Everything from growing grapes and managing a vineyard, to running a tasting room and marketing is fair game.”

Our community is also quite proud of the recent partnership between Schreiner University and Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing to create and launch an aviation studies program! We look forward to the opportunities this program will open up to startups and investors in our community and in further developing our aerospace and aviation initiatives at our local general aviation airport, KERV.

The Texas Venture Crawl, the largest Texas event featuring the greater venture capital ecosystem of startup support, is hosted by Kerr Economic Development Corporation. From the website: “The KEDC is tasked with fostering the growth of the community through the recruitment of industry, expansion of local business and up-skilling of our talent, all while making sure we retain the fabric of the Texas Hill Country.” — Gilberto Salinas, KEDC Executive Director

Business Environment

The creation and execution of the Kerrville 2050 strategic plan has contributed to a healthy and growing business climate that our community leadership is in strong support of. Our local Kerrville Area Chamber of Commerce is very vibrant and hosts a multitude of signature events annually, such as State of the City, Hill Country Economic Summit, Business Expo, and the State of Healthcare. They are also actively involved in addressing housing and development as well as sustainable childcare solutions.

While Kerr County enjoys a low unemployment rate generally hovering around 3.3%, we draw labor force from as far away as a 75 mile radius, according to TIP Strategies, contracted by the KEDC in early 2023. This results in approximately 10,000 folks that commute into our community for work daily. More demographic insights of our community can be found using the Size Up Tool under the resources section on our website.

General Culture

According to Ward North American, “Kerrville has a large retirement population, thanks to its pretty scenery and warm climate, Kerrville has become a retirement destination. About 27 percent of residents are of retirement age, and the city was listed by Retirement Watch USA as one of the top 10 places in the country to retire. As a result, expect access to good medical care with broad acceptance of Medicaid and Medicare plans, lots of golf courses, and an older, wiser population who contributes to the area’s quiet, safe, and welcoming feel.” 

Some of the items that attract retirees and families to Kerrville include, but aren’t limited to, the Guadalupe River and it’s 6+ mile River Trail, Historic Downtown Kerrville, a vibrant art and culture scene, the Kerrville Folk Festival, The Cross at Kerrville, access to quality education, and more!

Check out all the offerings on our Convention and Visitors Bureau website including all the details of the 2023 & 2024 solar eclipses that Kerrville is in the direct path of!