The Town FilesRoad Runner, Texas
Town in Cooke County · population 766 (2020 Census)
- Household income
- $43,224
- Jan low / Jul high
- 32° / 94°
- Snow a year
- 3 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 31
- Median age
- 33.2
Road Runner is a town of 766 people in Cooke County, Texas. It ranks more of a college town than 94% of Texas towns, better for retirees than 87% of Texas towns, more upscale than 79% of Texas towns.
How Road Runner ranks
Percentile among Texas towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Texas towns.
Homes and cost of living
Median rent is $793 a month. 54.0% of households own their home.
| Housing | Road Runner | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | — | $184,100 |
| Median rent | $793 | $1,086 |
| Median household income | $43,224 | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | —× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 54.0% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 1989 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Road Runner
| People | Road Runner | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 33.2 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.5% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 26.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 1.2% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 37.3% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 6.0% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 29.3% | — |
| Work from home | 3.2% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 37.9 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 63.7% | 89.2% |
Weather in Road Runner
July highs average 93.5°F and January lows 31.7°F. About 42.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 2.6 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 82 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 50 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
31 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Road Runner since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. 10 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on May 25, 2024 about 4.1 miles from the town center and killed 7. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 7 deaths and 93 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on May 25, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 98 times; the largest was 5.90 inches on June 15, 2023.
Severe weather in Cooke County since 1996
Cooke County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| May 17, 2024 | Flood | DR-4781: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding |
| February 19, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-4586: Severe Winter Storms |
| February 14, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3554: Severe Winter Storm |
| March 25, 2020 | Biological | DR-4485: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3458: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Cooke County
Cooke County had 16,535 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,891 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in Road Runner itself the ACS puts it at 0%.
Towns near Road Runner
- Valley View, TX4.2 mi · 737 people · home $250,500
- Lake Kiowa, TX7.3 mi · 2,254 people · home $526,900
- Sanger, TX8.5 mi · 8,839 people · home $295,400
- Pilot Point, TX9.5 mi · 4,381 people · home $292,500
- Tioga, TX9.8 mi · 1,142 people · home $317,700
- Gainesville, TX11.3 mi · 17,394 people · home $177,000
- Collinsville, TX11.5 mi · 1,866 people · home $241,700
- Lindsay, TX13.4 mi · 1,045 people · home $352,300
Road Runner questions
Is Road Runner, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Road Runner scores better for retirees than 87% of Texas towns and quieter than 72%. 16.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.2).
What is the weather like in Road Runner?
July highs average 93.5°F and January lows 31.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.8 inches of precipitation a year and 2.6 inches of snow.
Does Road Runner get tornadoes?
31 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Road Runner since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on May 25, 2024. The typical Texas town has had 21.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)