Ward county courthouse 2009, 2009
Monahans’s story
135 years in pictures
Census counts: 816 in 1930, 7,836 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 3 maps from 1969 on.
- 1891Monahans is settled
Photo: Shane.torgerson · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
7,427
2025 Census estimate · −5.3% since 2020
Typical home
$198K
+2.7% in a year
Household income
$71K
median
Median age
33.3
years
Jobs based here
2,753
Balanced
TownGrade
C+
#240 of 640 in TX
Is Monahans a good place to live?
Monahans gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $198K for a typical one, or 3 years of the county’s $66K median household income. It grades C+ overall, ranked 240th of 640 in Texas. The low prices come with trade-offs. Residents are less healthy than 77% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, natural-hazard risk is low. 31% of working residents work locally in Monahans, above both the Texas town median (8.3%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Monahans is more walkable than 70% of U.S. towns.
What makes Monahans stand out
Where Monahans beats most towns.
Typical home value
Monahans$198K
Texas$296K
Cost of livingA−
3 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 81% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Natural hazardsA−
Low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
WalkabilityB+
More walkable than 70% of U.S. towns
2.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
A growing town
Monahans has grown 7% since 2010
6,953 counted in 2010 and 7,836 in 2020; an estimated 7,427 in 2025.
Since 2020 the trend has turned: down 5.3%, after 12.7% growth in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Monahans grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Monahans is from typical.
Cost of livingA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 24% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listA−Open →HealthWinkler County Memorial Hospital 12.3 miles awayC−Open →SafetyCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 9.7 of 20; 4.6% of households have no carB+Open →Jobs & income$71K median household incomeC+Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landB−Open →History8 notable people born hereDOpen →Civic life4.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market$198K typical home, up 2.7% in a year–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 33.3; 12% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Monahans: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Monahans, and how to reach them.
PowerOncorEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Monahans water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressTown pickup · day by addressTown site
SchoolsMonahans-Wickett-Pyote Independent School DistrictWink-Loving Independent School District2 districts serve Monahans; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
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 hereWard County Early Voting ClerkWard County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code7975679756 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 Monahans.
Monahans trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and has seen reported crime fall by a fifth or more.
HealthC−
Monahans earns a C− for health
26% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Monahans. Monahans beats the Texas average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 25% of adults worry about having enough food in Monahans.
23%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Monahans | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 20% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 30% | 25% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 74% | 79% |
31 measures vs. Texas
0 better21 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Monahans | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 25.9% | 19.1% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 25% | 19.3% |
| More adults facing housing insecurity | 20.5% | 16.4% |
Winkler County Memorial Hospital
12.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
36th
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB−
Public schools in Monahans beat 54% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by Monahans-Wickett-Pyote ISD. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Monahans H S, with 624 students.
54%of TX districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parkway ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades 3–6 | Grades 3–6 | 646 | C+ |
| Monahans H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 624 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsB−
Monahans has set aside 0.8% of its land for conservation
10 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves.
#241for trails in TX
| Monahans | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.8% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
0.8%
conserved · 145 of 18,450 acres
10 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hill Park | 0.3 mi | 5 |
| 2. Allen Park | — | 10 |
| 3. Rudy Park | — | 5 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade A−
Monahans earns an A− for cost of living
Homes are within reach (about $198K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 33 miles. Values rose 2.7% in the past year while the Texas typical home fell 1.5%.
The typical Monahans home is worth about $198,000, 33% below the Texas typical home.
$198KZillow home value
| Monahans | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,110 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 69% | 73% |
Typical home value
Monahans$198K
Texas$296K
+2.7%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SafetyC
More crime per resident in Monahans than in 73% of U.S. towns
Reported crimes fell from 167 to 128 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Monahans’ property crime rate is 16.1 per 1,000 residents.
27%of U.S. towns report more crimeCSafety Grade
| Monahans | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16.1 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.7 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Monahans1.7
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Monahans16.1
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
27th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
31st
percentile among TX towns
12
violent crimes reported in 2025
116
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Low risk in Monahans, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities.
24risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingStrong windHail
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Monahans has mild winters and hot summers
The Monahans weather station, 14 miles away, records that about 144 days a year reach 90°, more than in 99% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 98.1°, hotter than in 99% of U.S. towns; January nights average 30.4°.
Monahans has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. The July high in Monahans is 98°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
98°summer high
| Monahans | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 98°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 30°F | 37°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter32–63°
Spring50–83°
Summer70–98°
Fall51–80°
Nov 6
typical first frost
Mar 26
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
98°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
Most of Monahans’ workers commute out: the town has 0.8 jobs for each of them
The average commute for its 3,641 working residents takes 20.7 minutes, against 26.7 across Texas. Jobs based here grew from 1,844 in 2013 to 2,753.
About one in 3 of Monahans’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Monahans grew to 2,753 in 2023, 909 more than in 2013. 16% of Monahans residents live below the poverty line.
31%work in town
| Monahans | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 12% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Monahans31%
Odessa9%
Midland8%
Southwest Sandhill5%
Town of Pecos2%
33 mi
median commute distance
2,753
jobs based in Monahans
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 70% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Monahans
19pages on Monahans
The big questions
SchoolsB−Beat 54% of TX districts · 6 schoolsSafetyC1.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than TX on 0 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingA−$198K typical home · up 2.7% in a yearWork & commuteC+$71K median household income · 2,753 jobs hereNatural hazardsA−FEMA risk higher than 24% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Monahans; the nearest are
Odessa CollegeCommunity college · Public · Odessa43.3 mi$2,688 in-state tuitionThe University of Texas Permian BasinUniversity or college · Public · Odessa46.8 mi$9,236 in-state tuitionNew Mexico Junior CollegeCommunity college · Public · Hobbs, NM75.2 mi$1,440 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Monahans residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
Famous people from Monahans
8 notable people were born in Monahans.
About Monahans
City in and county seat of Ward County, Texas, United States
Monahans is a city in Ward and Winkler counties in Texas, United States, that is the county seat of Ward County. A very small portion of the city extends into Winkler County. The population was 6,953 at the 2010 census. In 2020, the population was estimated at 7,836.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 29 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,621 ft
- ZIP code
- 79756
- Area code
- 432
Monahans’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Monahans.
Southwest SandhillThorntonvilleMonahans
How the neighbors grade
| Town | TX rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monahans | #240 | C+ | A− | C | B− | C− |
| Southwest Sandhill | — | — | A+ | — | B− | C− |
| Thorntonville | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Southwest Sandhill has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Southwest Sandhill reports no FBI crime data of its own. Thorntonville isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Monahans with a neighbor →
Questions about Monahans
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Monahans, TX a good place to live?
Monahans grades C+ overall, better than 42% of U.S. towns and #240 of 640 in Texas. It grades C− for health, C for safety and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a C−.
Is Monahans, TX expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
What is Monahans, TX known for?
8 notable people were born here, including Guy Clark and Deanna Dunagan.