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Place dossier plate
SheetTX-STAFFORD-TX · Stafford, TX 17,279 pop · income 67th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Stafford
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Stafford on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Groves · lowest
70,485
Groves · lowest
70,485 median HH income
29.8% of the leader · rank #1
Stafford · this city
85,910
Stafford · this city
85,910 median HH income
36.4% of the leader · rank #2
Napeague · near
85,912
Napeague · near
85,912 median HH income
36.4% of the leader · rank #3
Breezy Point · near
85,913
Breezy Point · near
85,913 median HH income
36.4% of the leader · rank #4
Rosemont · near
85,913
Rosemont · near
85,913 median HH income
36.4% of the leader · rank #5
Rush Valley · near
85,917
Rush Valley · near
85,917 median HH income
36.4% of the leader · rank #6
Bellaire · highest
236,311
Bellaire · highest
236,311 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Stafford on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 17,279.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Stafford - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Stafford lands in the 67th percentile for household income and the 10th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
67th
percentile, household income
55th
percentile, home value
40th
percentile, median rent
10th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: Stafford, TX
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 17,279 residents in Stafford, a small town within Texas. Median household income here is $85,910 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.9%. Home values in Stafford run a median of $247,900, and the median resident age is 32.8 years. About 40.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 68.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 484 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 6814% from five years earlier. Stafford's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 3520.5 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Texas tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Texas at 97.1 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Near Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,149 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Texas run around $223, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Natural-hazard exposure scores 49.0 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (Low).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Stafford's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from housing and income to comparison shortlist to schools and households to work and mobility to reported crime to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Stafford, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, annual population history.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
How far does income reach against housing in Stafford?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 2.9 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 6.9%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
Which cities make useful reference points for Stafford?
Within Texas, the closest population matches are Royse City (17,357 residents, $116,424 income); Glenn Heights (17,175 residents, $79,739 income); Addison (17,128 residents, $82,858 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Amesbury, MA (17,277 residents); Clayton, MO (17,282 residents); Cameron Park, CA (17,283 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
The NCES join finds 5 public schools within the city match. 40.7% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
What does the journey to work look like in Stafford?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 76.9%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Reported crime
What can the FBI record say about safety in Stafford?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 3520.5 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 54% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
3201.5
Violent rate
319.0
Total reported rate
3520.5
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Is Stafford growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +664 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +3.8% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 484 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+3.8%
2025 estimate
18,043
2020 estimate
17,379
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Above median income · poverty 6.9% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
97.1 (US=100)
Near national cost · BEA RPP 2024, Texas average
C
City profile score · Stafford, TX
55/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share B+
40.7%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income B-
$85,910
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate C-
6.9%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Cost of living C-
97.1 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Violent crime F
319 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Stafford profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 76/100 (B+) · 40.7%
Household income: 65/100 (B-) · $85,910
Poverty rate: 53/100 (C-) · 6.9%
Cost of living: 53/100 (C-) · 97.1 index
Violent crime: 30/100 (F) · 319 /100k
Where Stafford sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Stafford's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Stafford highlighted among 9 peers.Read the chart values
Stafford, TX (this city): home $247,900, crime 3,521/100k
Amesbury, MA : home $475,400, crime 670/100k
Clayton, MO : home $799,200, crime 897/100k
Royse City, TX : home $288,400, crime 1,002/100k
Glenn Heights, TX : home $252,200, crime 1,079/100k
Addison, TX : home $466,000, crime 5,862/100k
Bellaire, TX : home $978,300, crime 2,612/100k
Melissa, TX : home $430,300, crime 377/100k
Groves, TX : home $153,800, crime 1,405/100k
How does Stafford compare to other US cities?
Here's how Stafford stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income67% higher than other cities
Home value55% pricier than other cities
Median rent40% pricier than other cities
Safety10% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just Texas and the picture shifts: Stafford ranks #584 of 624 Texas cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Stafford against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Texas only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Texas-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Stafford near the bottom of Texas's cities
Among the 1,663 Texas cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Stafford ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Stafford only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#381 of 1,520
75th percentile in Texas
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,663
0th percentile in Texas
Median Home Value
#395 of 1,505
74th percentile in Texas
Poverty Rate
#962 of 1,663
42nd percentile in Texas
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#218 of 1,663
87th percentile in Texas
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Texas only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
67th percentile nationally for median household income · 10th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Stafford's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Stafford's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How Stafford's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$247,90045th percentilemore affordable than 45% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
Stafford's home-value-to-income ratio: 2.9×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
affordable
< 3.0×
National rank
#6,031 of 15,516
More affordable than 61% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#735 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 2.9×, Stafford sits in the affordable band:
national rank #6,031 of 15,516 and #735 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
The multiple is comparatively compact among tracked cities, but a low ratio can still coexist with slow demand or household-level hardship.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$85,910Stafford, TX median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Stafford, TX median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Stafford, TX.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)40.7%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)6.9%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)68.8%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
17,279
Median Income
$85,910
Median Home Value
$247,900
Median Age
32.8
Poverty Rate
6.9%
Labor force participation
68.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
40.7%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
3520.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
319.0
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3201.5
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Schools
Total Schools
5
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Stafford's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
17,379 residents
2021
17,158 residents
2022
17,246 residents
2023
17,201 residents
2024
17,159 residents
2025
18,043 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
484
housing units authorized
Single-Family
29
detached homes
Multifamily
455
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
28
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
7
7
0
$1.5M
2020
3
3
0
$0.7M
2021
49
49
0
$11.7M
2022
39
39
0
$9.3M
2023
39
39
0
$9.3M
2024
484
29
455
$65.6M
Permit volume increased 6814% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
76.9%
Carpool
6.1%
Public Transit
0.5%
Walk
3.3%
Work from Home
8.7%
Other
4.5%
Based on 8,963 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Texas statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $223
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Texas at $223 (electricity about $130 , water and sewer about $48 ).
These are Texas statewide averages, not a meter reading for Stafford. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Texas's BEA cost-of-living index is 97.1 (Near Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Stafford is $1,149/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Texas statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 49.0 / 100 (Low).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Texas statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Stafford sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Stafford compares to similar-size Texas cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.