Apartments for Rent in Stafford, TX
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Renter's guide to Stafford, TX

Stafford is a suburb of Houston, Texas, and a city within the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metropolitan area, located mostly within Fort Bend County. This relatively small town offers a suburban feel, while providing plenty of amenities to keep residents occupied. It’s widely regarded as one of the best places to live in Texas, ranking as the most diverse suburb in the State, and the 18th best Texas suburb for young professionals.

With a population of 18,092, Stafford is among the smaller Houston suburbs. Neighboring Missouri City for example, has a population of 67,358, while nearby Sugar Land has 78,817. Stafford is also smaller in terms of area, with 7 sq. miles, making it almost 100 times smaller than Houston proper.

The city is located about 18 miles southwest of downtown Houston, which can be reached within 30 minutes via the US-90 Alternate, a highway that passes through the south of the city. Interstate 69 also passes through the city, and both connect with the Sam Houston Tollway, which circles Houston and provides routes in all directions. Interstate 69 can be followed west to Victoria, which is just over 100 miles away.

Stafford can be described as having a humid subtropical climate, which leads to hot, humid summers, and mild to cool winters. The city sees 51 inches of rain per year, 13 inches more than the national average, with May to October typically seeing the most rain. July is typically the hottest month, with highs of 94°F, while January normally sees lows of 43°F.

Tips for renting in Stafford, TX

Things to do in Stafford, TX

Stafford has around 35.6 acres of green space that is dedicated as municipal parks. Fountain Lake Park is popular with dog-walkers, joggers, and families, and it features a lit-trail, duck pond, playgrounds, and picnic areas. It’s also filled with trees, providing much-needed shade on those hot summer days.

The best place for shopping in Stafford is the Fountains on the Lake shopping mall. This strip mall is lined with a wide variety of stores, supplying everything from groceries to clothes, and much more. There are also a number of cafes, restaurants and bars located within the mall, plus the AMC movie theater.

You won’t find too many big brand chain restaurants in Stafford, instead you’re treated to a number of ma and pa joints, offering a variety of dishes, including Tex-Mex, seafood, and even African cuisine. If you like burgers, you’re in for a treat, and 2 stand-out restaurants include Tornado Burger and Best Burgers.

For music lovers, it’s worth checking out The Pub Fountains, which hosts regular gigs and an annual festival. It’s a must for beer fans as well, with a selection of over 50 local craft beers.

Stafford, TX employment & economy

With a median household income of $59,303, residents of Stafford earn about the same as the national, state, and county averages. The most common industry in the city is health care and social assistance, which employs over 17% of the workforce. Retail trade is the second most common industry, employing over 12%. The highest paying industries in Stafford are mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, which the city specializes in, followed by agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining.

The most common jobs include office & administrative support occupations (18.1%), management occupations (11.2%), and sales and related occupations (10.3%). However, the highest paid residents of Stafford work in computer and mathematical occupations.

Education in Stafford, TX

Stafford is served by the Stafford Municipal School District, the only municipal school district in Texas, with schools controlled by the city, rather than an independent school board. There are 24 public schools in the city, 5 high schools, 5 middle schools, and 14 elementary schools.

The top-rated high school is Stafford High School, which ranks among the best high schools for athletes in Texas. Stafford Intermediate School ranks as the top middle school, consistently performing above average, with high test scores. Meadows Elementary School is the top-rated elementary school, with ratings that are well above average in almost all areas.

Houston Community College has a well-equipped campus in Stafford and offers a huge range of degree programs and courses, as well as adult education.