Dust Storm Texas 1935, 1935
Stratford’s story
125 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1935.
- 1901Stratford is settled
StratfordTX
A town of 1,978, settled in 1901. 4.6 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Texas town.
Photo: Willjay · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,978
2025 Census estimate · +2.2% since 2020
Typical home
$163K
+6.9% in a year
Household income
$49K
median
Median age
39.9
years
Jobs based here
522
A commuter town
Is Stratford a good place to live?
The best of Stratford’s subject grades is an A for civic life; the weakest is a C− for incomes. Stratford’s average trip to work is 17 minutes, where Texas’ towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 1 of the 643 Texas towns we compare have a lower January low than Stratford. Only 23 of Texas’ 791 towns score higher on civic life. Stratford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Stratford stand out
Where Stratford beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Stratford15.1
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical TX town3.3
Civic lifeA
4.6 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Texas town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Natural hazardsA−
Low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
How Stratford grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Stratford is from typical.
Jobs & incomeC−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 24% of U.S. communities; drought tops the listA−Open →SchoolsBOpen →Cost of livingC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 10.6 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →HealthMemorial Hospital 33.2 miles awayB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 1% conserved landCOpen →History1 notable person born hereCOpen →Civic life15.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Stratford: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Stratford, and how to reach them.
PowerXcel Energy13.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterStratford Municipal 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 Stratford’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 hereSherman County Early Voting ClerkSherman County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP code7908479084 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 Stratford.
HousingCost of living grade C+
Homes in Stratford are worth about $163K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Stratford home is worth about $163,000, up 6.9% in a year, 45% below the Texas typical home. 79% of Stratford households own their home, above both Texas’ towns (69%) and U.S. towns (73%).
$163KZillow home value
Typical home value
Stratford$163K
Texas$296K
+6.9%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsB
Stratford’s schools rank ahead of 61% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by Stratford ISD. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
61%of TX districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Allen ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 230 | B− |
| Stratford H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 160 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
With 0.7 jobs for every working resident, most of Stratford’s workers commute out
About one in 5 of Stratford’s working residents works in town. Stratford’s median household income is $49,000. Since 2013, Stratford has lost 120 jobs, to 522 in 2023.
22%work in town
| Stratford | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 22% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $49,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 8.1% | 12% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Stratford22%
Amarillo8%
Cactus4%
Dumas3%
Lubbock2%
27 mi
median commute distance
522
jobs based in Stratford
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 45% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Low risk in Stratford, with drought at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities.
24risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
DroughtCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Older than Texas overall
People 65 and older are 22% of residents (13% statewide); children under 18 are 17% of residents (25% statewide). 32% of Stratford adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Stratford has grown 2.2% since 2020, to 1,978 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
39.9median age · TX 35.6
| Stratford | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 14% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 23% | 29% |
| Median age | 39.9 years | 35.9 years | 40.5 years |
StratfordTexasUnited States
Ages · share of residents
19%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma16%
High school21%
Some college27%
Associate’s4%
Bachelor’s16%
Graduate16%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 37% and 61% women
The Census survey reached too few of Stratford’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±11.7 points. Across Texas, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Stratford | TX | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.5% | 13.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.3% | 11.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.3% | 9.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.7% | 14.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.5% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 3.9% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.6% | 11.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.5% | 8.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.6% | 5.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 15.9% | 14% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.2% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 26.7% | 20.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.3% | 7.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 16.4% | 21.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 15.5% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,000, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Four seasons and hot summers in Stratford
Stratford has chilly winters and hot summers, with very little rain. The July high in Stratford is 93°F.
17″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–51°
Spring41–71°
Summer62–91°
Fall42–72°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 21
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Stratford
Stratford's reported crime rate is well below Texas's. Most reported incidents are property crimes. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2024.
| Stratford | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 3.7 per 1,000 residents | 13.1 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.7 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Stratford0.5
Texas4
U.S.3.6
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Stratford3.7
Texas20.7
U.S.17.7
1
violent crimes reported in 2024
7
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
HealthB−
On CDC estimates, Stratford is less healthy than 51% of U.S. towns
Stratford beats the Texas average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 22% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Stratford.
49%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Stratford | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 22% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 74% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 14% | 14% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 17% | 16% |
31 measures vs. Texas
0 better29 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Stratford | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 17.5% | 12.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 7% | 6.1% |
Memorial Hospital
33.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.6%conserved
| Stratford | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.6% | 1.9% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
0.6%
conserved · 9 of 1,473 acres
0.6 mi
of trails · 0.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Stratford City Park | — | 9 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Stratford
19pages on Stratford
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 61% of TX districts · 3 schoolsSafety0.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2024)HealthB−Better than TX on 0 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingC+$163K typical home · up 6.9% in a yearWork & commuteC−$49K median household income · 522 jobs hereNatural hazardsA−FEMA risk higher than 24% of U.S. communities · drought
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Stratford; the nearest are
Oklahoma Panhandle State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Goodwell, OK30.1 mi$8,092 in-state tuitionFrank Phillips CollegeCommunity college · Public · Borger60.1 mi$3,712 in-state tuition
About 12 of every 100 Stratford residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
About Stratford
City in Texas, US
Stratford is a small city and county seat of Sherman County, Texas, United States. Its population was 1,939 at the 2020 Census, down from 2,017 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,691 ft
- ZIP code
- 79084
- Area code
- 806
Questions about Stratford
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Stratford, TX a good place to live?
4.6 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Texas town.
Is Stratford, TX expensive?
That is 2.7 years of the area's median household income ($61,250 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.