Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Stephenville grades B− overall, ranked 155th of 640 in Texas, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its public schools beat 75% of Texas towns on state tests and graduation and it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 89% of U.S. towns. On the other side, the typical home is worth about $320K, 4.9 years of the Stephenville area’s $65K median household income. 34% of working residents work locally in Stephenville, above both Texas’ towns (8.3%) and U.S. towns (8%). Stephenville is home to Tarleton State University.
Where Stephenville beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Chamberlin El | 1–2 | 503 |
| Hook El | 3–4 | 485 |
| Central El | PK–K | 405 |
17,123 counted in 2010 and 20,897 in 2020; an estimated 21,793 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Stephenville is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 120 in 1860, 20,897 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1889 and 2 maps from 1961 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Stephenville, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Stephenville.
Stephenville is shaped by its college students, carries less natural-hazard risk than most of Texas (mostly cold waves) and fares better on crime within Texas than nationally.
27.8% of residents are enrolled in college, against 6.2% statewide, which pulls the median age down.
Nearly a fifth of residents are under 18 in Stephenville. The Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate puts Stephenville at 21,793 residents, up 4% since 2020. Adults 18 to 34 are 48% of residents (24% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 22% of residents (38% statewide).
| Stephenville | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 25.1 years | 35.9 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 19% | 26% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 11% | 14% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 33% | 23% | 29% |
53% women, 47% men
About 88 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.4 points). Across Texas, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 24.7, men 25.5.
| Stephenville | TX | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.8% | 13.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.8% | 11.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 31.3% | 9.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.9% | 14.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.3% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.3% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 6.5% | 11.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 6.5% | 8.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.7% | 5.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 10.2% | 14% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.7% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.6% | 20.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.2% | 7.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.1% | 21.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.2% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Of its 7 schools, three are listed below, each with the reason. The largest public high school is Stephenville H S, with 1,079 students. Stephenville ISD runs its public schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gilbert IntLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–6 | Grades 5–6 | 562 | B+ |
| Stephenville H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,079 | A− |
| Henderson J HTop results in townGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 544 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 88% of Texas towns, with expected losses of about $352 per resident a year; that rating is what its A− for hazard risk is built on.
Stephenville has had 8 paid flood insurance claims since 1990. In Stephenville, the FEMA hazard score is 17 of 100. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Stephenville after 6 declared disasters, most recently in 2021. Expected losses in Stephenville break down as 42% from cold waves and 31% from inland flooding.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Stephenville weather station records that about 98 days a year reach 90°, more than in 95% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 94.7°, hotter than in 96% of U.S. towns; January nights average 33.5°.
Stephenville’s January low comes in at 34°F. Snowfall is close to zero. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Stephenville | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 95°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 34°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 8,952 working residents takes 16 minutes, against 26.7 across Texas.
The top destinations are Fort Worth (6%), Dallas (4%) and Abilene (3%). About one worker in three stays in Stephenville for work. The town’s mean commuting time stands at 16 minutes. Jobs based in Stephenville grew to 11,584 in 2023, 1,020 more than in 2013.
| Stephenville | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 16 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 20% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 4% | 9.7% | 11% |
| Median household income | $53,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Stephenville City Park, at 131 acres with 1.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Trails total 2.3 miles in 10 parks and preserves. The density of trails in the town is 0.2 miles per square mile.
| Stephenville | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.2 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.3% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Stephenville City Park | 1.1 mi | 131 |
| 2. Optimist Jaycee Park | — | 23 |
| 3. Bosque Park | — | 14 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 6,792 U.S. towns with household incomes like Stephenville’s, it is healthier than 92%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income.
Among adults in Stephenville, 33% have obesity. Only 2 of the 641 Texas towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Stephenville. On the CDC’s 31 measures, Stephenville is ahead of Texas on 8 and behind on 7.
| Stephenville | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 74% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.6% | 13% | 12% |
| What stands out | Stephenville | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 8.6% | 12.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 2.5% | 3.2% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 22.4% | 16.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Stephenville home is worth about $320,000, down 0.8% in a year, 8% above the Texas typical home. In Stephenville, 44% of households own their home. On the market in the town: a median 53 days to sell.
| Stephenville | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 44% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,134 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
At 17 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 67% of Texas’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 284 to 193 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
For Stephenville, the violent crime rate is 0.9 per 1,000 residents. The property offense rate for Stephenville comes to 7.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Stephenville | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7.7 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of Stephenville
College town 28 of every 100 Stephenville residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
5 places in Stephenville on the National Register of Historic Places.
15 notable people were born in Stephenville.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Stephenville grades B− overall, better than 55% of U.S. towns and #155 of 640 in Texas. It grades B for health, B− for safety and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
15 notable people were born here, including Ben Hogan and Jeb Hensarling.
