Traweek House · National Register of Historic Places
Matador’s story
140 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1886Matador is settled
MatadorTX
A town of 555, settled in 1886.
Traweek House · Photo: Renelibrary · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
555
2025 Census estimate · −1.8% since 2020
Median home value
$88K
Census ACS
Household income
$70K
median
Median age
44.6
years
Jobs based here
70
A commuter town
Is Matador a good place to live?
Traweek House is on the National Register of Historic Places. Matador has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
555 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 Matador: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Matador, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy13.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Matador water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Matador’s trash rules yet
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 hereMotley County Early Voting ClerkMotley County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Mar 2019
ZIP code7924479244 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 Matador.
Schools
The schools Matador’s kids attend
Motley County ISD runs its public schools. Its one school is below. 179 students attend Matador’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motley County SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 179 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
The average trip to work in Matador is shorter than in the typical Texas or U.S. town
12% of Matador working residents work locally. Among residents in the town, 16% live below the poverty line, against 12% in Texas’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Jobs based in the town fell to 70 in 2023, 34 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Lubbock (14%), Roaring Springs (6%) and Amarillo (5%).
12%work in town
| Matador | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Matador12%
Lubbock14%
Roaring Springs6%
Amarillo5%
Lockney3%
68 mi
median commute distance
70
jobs based in Matador
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Matador faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by drought
Matador’s FEMA risk score comes in at 76 of 100. FEMA puts 40% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to drought, and 17% to wildfires. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Matador once, in 2021.
76risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtWildfireHail
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
7″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter30–57°
Spring48–76°
Summer68–94°
Fall49–76°
Nov 4
typical first frost
Apr 5
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Matador is
The share of adults in Matador who binge drink: 15%. This Texas town does better than the Texas average on 11 of 31 CDC measures and worse on 11. Among adults in the town, 41% have high blood pressure, where Texas’ towns sit at 35% and U.S. towns at 35%.
| Matador | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 35% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 13% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 16% |
31 measures vs. Texas
11 better9 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Matador | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 11.5% | 16.4% |
| Fewer adults facing a utility shut-off | 7.6% | 10.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.6% | 6.1% |
Crosbyton Clinic Hospital
34.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
0% of Matador is conserved land
There are 0.6 miles of trail across 1 park or preserve. Matador has one park or preserve, 2 acres in all. Its trail network density comes in at 0.5 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 832 acres
0.6 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Matador City Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Matador
18pages on Matador
The big questions
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Matador; the nearest are
Wayland Baptist UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Plainview53.4 mi$23,782 tuitionClarendon CollegeCommunity college · Public · Clarendon64.4 mi$3,720 in-state tuitionTexas Tech UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Lubbock67.5 mi$11,852 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Matador residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
A commuter town
88% of working residents leave Matador for work
Where Matador’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
70jobs based in Matador
12%of working residents work in town
68 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Matador
Town in Texas, United States
Matador is a town in and the county seat of Motley County, Texas, United States. Its population was 569 at the 2020 census. In 1891, it was established by and named for the Matador Ranch. It is located 95 miles (153 km) east of Lubbock, Texas.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1891
- Area
- 1.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,382 ft
- ZIP code
- 79244
- Area code
- 806
Questions about Matador
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Matador, TX a good place to live?
Matador has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Matador, TX known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Karen Elliott House and Jesse Powell.