Shepherd Methodist Church Shepherd Texas 2023, 2023
Shepherd’s story
147 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2023.
- 1879Shepherd is settled
ShepherdTX
A town of 1,942, settled in 1879.
Population
1,942
2025 Census estimate · −7.3% since 2020
Typical home
$187K
−6.2% in a year
Household income
$54K
median
Median age
39.9
years
Jobs based here
793
Balanced
Is Shepherd a good place to live?
The best of Shepherd’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a D for health. Shepherd’s average trip to work is 36 minutes, against 25 minutes in Texas’ towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. On cost of living, just 83 of Texas’ 998 towns do better. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 87% of U.S. towns. Only 86 of Texas’ 1,000 towns score lower on the outdoors. Shepherd's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 80% of U.S. towns. Shepherd has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Shepherd stand out
Where Shepherd beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
How Shepherd grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Shepherd is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →HealthHCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood 11.2 miles awayDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.5 of 20; 9.7% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Jobs & income$54K median household incomeDOpen →SchoolsC−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →History3 notable people born hereC−Open →Civic life3.5 library visits per resident; 2.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 94° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 39.9; 7% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Shepherd: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Shepherd, and how to reach them.
PowerEntergy Texas13.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Shepherd water system2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers87% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Shepherd’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 hereSan Jacinto County Early Voting ClerkSan Jacinto County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code7737177371 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 Shepherd.
HealthD
On CDC estimates, Shepherd is less healthy than 91% of U.S. towns
For Shepherd, that is where Texas’ towns sit at 14% and U.S. towns at 14%. Shepherd beats the Texas average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 19. 20% of adults report frequent mental distress in Shepherd.
9%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Shepherd | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 14% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 19% |
31 measures vs. Texas
1 better11 too close to call19 worse
| What stands out | Shepherd | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 77.3% | 74.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 24.2% | 12.5% |
HCA Houston Healthcare Kingwood
11.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsC−
Public schools in Shepherd fall behind 76% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by Shepherd ISD. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Shepherd H S, with 616 students.
24%of TX districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shepherd PriLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 504 | – |
| Shepherd H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 616 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade A
Homes in Shepherd are worth about $187K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Shepherd home is worth about $187,000, down 6.2% in a year, 37% below the Texas typical home.
$187KZillow home value
Typical home value
Shepherd$187K
Texas$296K
−6.2%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers in Shepherd
Shepherd has warm winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Shepherd is 93°F.
94°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter43–64°
Spring58–79°
Summer73–93°
Fall58–80°
Nov 20
typical first frost
Mar 7
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
94°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
About one in eight working residents works right in Shepherd
Most working residents leave Shepherd for work: only 12% work in town. 17% of Shepherd residents live below the poverty line. Since 2013, Shepherd has added 52 jobs, to 793 in 2023.
12%work in town
| Shepherd | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Work from home | 9.5% | 9.7% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Shepherd12%
Houston21%
Cleveland5%
Conroe4%
Livingston4%
38 mi
median commute distance
793
jobs based in Shepherd
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 13% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Compared with most of Texas and the rest of the country, violent crime in Shepherd is lower
Shepherd’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents. Shepherd's reported crime rate is well below Texas's. Shepherd’s property crime rate is 2 per 1,000 residents.
| Shepherd | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Shepherd0
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Shepherd2
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
4
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Moderate risk in Shepherd, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 14 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Shepherd.
52risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
14
paid flood claims since 1979
9
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Shepherd
19pages on Shepherd
The big questions
SchoolsC−Behind 76% of TX districts · 4 schoolsSafety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than TX on 1 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingA$187K typical home · down 6.2% in a yearWork & commuteD$54K median household income · 793 jobs hereNatural hazardsC+FEMA risk higher than 52% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Shepherd; the nearest are
Grace School of TheologyUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Conroe34 mi$7,720 tuitionSam Houston State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Huntsville35.9 mi$9,228 in-state tuitionLee CollegeCommunity college · Public · Baytown52.1 mi$2,520 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Shepherd residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Texas.
Famous people from Shepherd
3 notable people were born in Shepherd.
Questions about Shepherd
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Shepherd, 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 Shepherd, TX known for?
3 notable people were born here, including Travian Smith and Jonathan Marshall.