StaffordMaintenanceCenter, 2005
Stafford’s story
Stafford in pictures
Census counts: 1,485 in 1960, 17,666 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 4 maps from 1955 on.
Explore the history →StaffordTX
A town of 18,043.
Population
18,043
2025 Census estimate · +3.6% since 2020
Typical home
$296K
+0.4% in a year
Household income
$87K
median
Median age
32.3
years
Jobs based here
25,004
A job hub
TownGrade
C−
#353 of 640 in TX
Is Stafford a good place to live?
Stafford grades C− overall, 353rd of 640 graded towns in Texas, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 86% of U.S. towns. On the other side, it reports more crime per resident than 89% of U.S. towns, including 75 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. 39% of households own their home in Stafford, below both the Texas town median (69%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). Stafford is home to North American University.
What makes Stafford stand out
Where Stafford beats most towns.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here25,004
Residents who work8,225
Work
3 jobs for every working resident
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 98% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
WalkabilityA
More walkable than 86% of U.S. towns
5.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
The college
| College | Students |
|---|---|
| North American University | 573 |
A college in town
573 college students
at North American University
Students are 7% of residents.
A job hub
Every workday, about 24,544 people come to Stafford for work
Where Stafford’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
25,004jobs based in Stafford
6%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Stafford grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Stafford is from typical.
SafetyDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.9 of 20; 5.2% of households have no carAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →Cost of livingCOpen →Jobs & income$87K median household incomeB+Open →SchoolsC+Open →HealthHealthier than 56% of U.S. towns; St. Luke's Sugar Land Hospital 3.5 miles awayBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 1% conserved landC−Open →History2 notable people born hereDOpen →Civic life4 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 market59 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 32.3–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 62 attractions →Reliant Stadium and 46 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Stafford. Close and well known come first.
Big draw10 mi Stadium & arenaReliant Stadium
Big draw16 mi Stadium & arenaDaikin Park
13 mi MuseumRothko Chapel
15 mi Stadium & arenaToyota Center
15 mi Stadium & arenaTDECU Stadium
16 mi Stadium & arenaShell Energy StadiumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Reliant Stadium: User eschipul on Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Daikin Park: Delaywaves, CC BY 3.0 · Rothko Chapel: Unknown, Public domain · Toyota Center: Ed Uthman from Houston, TX, USA, CC BY 2.0 · TDECU Stadium: Brian Reading, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Shell Energy Stadium: HDFC PR, CC BY-SA 4.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Stafford: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Stafford, and how to reach them.
PowerCenterPoint EnergyEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterFort Bend County Wcid 2 water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Stafford’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 hereFort Bend County Early Voting ClerkFort Bend County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Oct 2024
ZIP code7747777477 99%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 Stafford.
Stafford draws workers from Houston and beyond and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, but it reports more crime than Meadows Place and its other graded neighbors.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B+
More than half of Stafford’s working residents commute to Houston
25,004 jobs are based in Stafford, 3 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Most working residents leave Stafford for work: only 6% work in town. Jobs based in Stafford grew to 25,004 in 2023, 2,840 more than in 2013. 8% of residents live below the poverty line in Stafford.
6%work in town
| Stafford | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 8% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.6% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Stafford6%
Houston54%
Sugar Land9%
Missouri City3%
Austin2%
12 mi
median commute distance
25,004
jobs based in Stafford
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 86% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsC+
Stafford’s public schools trail 59% of Texas districts
Each of its 4 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its C+, Sugar Land highest at B+.
Its public schools are run by the Stafford Msd school district. Two of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Stafford H S, with 1,108 students.
41%of TX districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stafford ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades 1–5 | Grades 1–5 | 938 | C− |
| Stafford H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,108 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
SafetyD
Stafford earns a D for safety
Each of the 3 graded towns on its borders reports less crime per resident, from Meadows Place (C) to Missouri City (B). Reported crimes fell from 729 to 524 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Stafford’s property crime rate is 25.6 per 1,000 residents. Stafford reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 89% report less. Stafford’s violent crime rate is 4.3 per 1,000 residents.
11%of U.S. towns report more crimeDSafety Grade
| Stafford | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 25.6 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Stafford4.3
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Stafford25.6
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
11th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
8th
percentile among TX towns
75
violent crimes reported in 2025
449
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Who lives here
More young adults than Texas overall
Only 38.7% of households own their home, against 62.6% across Texas.
Adults 18 to 34 are 33% of residents (24% statewide). 41% of Stafford adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Stafford has grown 3.6% since 2020, to 18,043 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
32.3median age · TX 35.6
| Stafford | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 23% | 29% |
| Median age | 32.3 years | 35.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 11% | 14% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 23% | 26% | 22% |
StaffordTexasUnited States
Ages · share of residents
22%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma14%
High school22%
Some college17%
Associate’s6%
Bachelor’s28%
Graduate13%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.8 points. Across Texas, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Stafford | TX | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.9% | 13.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.6% | 11.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.6% | 9.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 22.1% | 14.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.2% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.9% | 11.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.4% | 8.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.3% | 5.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 13.8% | 14% | 10.4% |
| High school | 22.2% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.7% | 20.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 5.9% | 7.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 28.1% | 21.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.3% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Climate
In Stafford, expect mild winters and hot summers
January nights average 44.1°, milder than in 96% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 93.4°.
Stafford has warm winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. The January low in Stafford is 44°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
94°summer high
| Stafford | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 44°F | 37°F | 22°F |
| July high | 93°F | 95°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter46–66°
Spring60–80°
Summer74–93°
Fall61–82°
Dec 13
typical first frost
Feb 9
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
94°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Stafford faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
77 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 12 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 66% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 77 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Stafford.
66risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesTornadoes
77
paid flood claims since 1981
9
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB
Stafford stands out in Texas and nationally, with fewer of its adults who have been diagnosed with depression
Stafford beats the Texas average on 4 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
56%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Stafford | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 22% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 39% | 36% |
31 measures vs. Texas
4 better27 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Stafford | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.6% | 6.1% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 16.4% | 19.1% |
St. Luke's Sugar Land Hospital
3.5 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
67th
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.7%conserved
| Stafford | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.1 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.7% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
0.7%
conserved · 33 of 4,493 acres
0.9 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Vaccaro Manor Park | 0.5 mi | 5 |
| 2. Gordon Fountain Lake Park | — | 12 |
| 3. First Street Park | 0.2 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade C
Stafford’s typical home value is about $296K
$296KZillow home value
Typical home value
Stafford$296K
Texas$296K
Market temperature
59
days on market
96.4%
sale-to-list price
+0.4%
value change, 1 year
8
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Stafford
20pages on Stafford
The big questions
SchoolsC+Behind 59% of TX districts · 8 schoolsSafetyD4.3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthBBetter than TX on 4 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingC$296K typical home · up 0.4% in a yearWork & commuteB+$87K median household income · 25,004 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 66% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
15 within 15 miles of the center of Stafford
North American UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · StaffordIn town$15,436 tuitionHouston Christian UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Houston5.7 mi$39,430 tuitionThe University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonUniversity or college · Public · Houston11.3 mi
About 7 of every 100 Stafford residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Texas.
College town
North American University calls Stafford home
College Scorecard · IPEDS
About Stafford
City in Texas, United States
Stafford is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, in the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area. The city is mostly in Fort Bend County, with a small part in Harris County. As of the 2020 census, Stafford's population was 17,666, down from 17,693 at the 2010 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 85 ft
- ZIP code
- 77477, 77497
- Area code
- 281
Stafford’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Stafford.
All 3 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its C−; Meadows Place (C) is closest. Sugar Land next door grades higher for schools (B+ to Stafford’s C+) and lower for cost of living (D to C).
Sugar LandFifth StreetMissouri CityMeadows PlaceStafford
How the neighbors grade
| Town | TX rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stafford | #353 | C− | C | D | C+ | B |
| Sugar Land | #102 | B | D | B | B+ | A |
| Fifth Street | — | — | B+ | — | B+ | B− |
| Missouri City | #197 | B− | D | B | B+ | B+ |
| Meadows Place | #283 | C | C− | C | B+ | A− |
Fifth Street has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Fifth Street reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Stafford with a neighbor →
Questions about Stafford
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Stafford, TX a good place to live?
Stafford grades C− overall, better than 24% of U.S. towns and #353 of 640 in Texas. It grades B for health, D for safety and C+ for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Stafford, TX expensive?
That is 3.6 years of the area's median household income ($82,168 across the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.