Fort Bend County · Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land · population 17,555
Where Stafford stands
At or near all-time high.
Home value trajectory · last 10 years
Zillow ZHVI · monthlyLifestyle scores
Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.
Rent trajectory · last 5 years
Zillow ZORI · monthlyHome value vs rent · indexed to 100
Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)Rent vs buy
At a 16.5 price-to-rent ratio, Stafford is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.
How the momentum score breaks down
methodology →Stafford has held up across the cycle: home values at $300,987 with +4.6% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.
Stafford's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.
About Stafford
Stafford is a city in Fort Bend County, Texas, with an estimated population of 17,555. It anchors the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro area. The median home value in Stafford is $300,987 as of 2026-04, down 0.6% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.6% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Stafford average $1,519 per month, down 1.6% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 56 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.
▲ Bull case
▼ Bear case
Playbook
Lifestyle fit matters more than market timing in a Stable market. Take your time on the home and neighborhood; the macro trend isn't urgent. Negotiate normally.
Price competitively from day one or risk a 60+ day listing. Staging, photography, and presentation matter more in Stable markets than in Hot ones.
Stable cap rates, no big appreciation story to lean on. Underwrite this as a pure cash-flow play — the math has to work on rent alone.
Local safety & alerts
No active National Weather Service alerts for Fort Bend County right now.
Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Fort Bend County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.
Neighborhoods of Stafford
3 tracked · ranked by median home valueCities like Stafford
Run the numbers for Stafford
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.
Climate & natural-disaster risk
State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.
Local sports teams
Major professional teams the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.
Current weather
Find rentals & listings
Open current Stafford listings on the major real-estate sites.
Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.
Local economy & environment
Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.
Cities similar to Stafford
Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.