The Town FilesShepherd, Texas
City in San Jacinto County · population 2,105 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $157,300
- Household income
- $53,750
- Jan low / Jul high
- 39° / 91°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 7
- Median age
- 39.9
Shepherd is a city of 2,105 people in San Jacinto County, Texas. The median home is worth $157,300, below the typical Texas town ($184,100).
How Shepherd 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
The median home in Shepherd is worth $157,300, below the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 2.9 times the median household income of $53,750, which is more affordable than 53% of Texas towns. Median rent is $667 a month. 65.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Shepherd | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $157,300 | $184,100 |
| Median rent | $667 | $1,086 |
| Median household income | $53,750 | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | 2.9× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 65.6% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 1983 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Shepherd
| People | Shepherd | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 39.9 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 19.4% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 22.8% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 7.4% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 16.7% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 7.9% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 7.0% | — |
| Work from home | 9.5% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 36.1 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 86.8% | 89.2% |
Weather in Shepherd
July highs average 91.4°F and January lows 38.9°F. About 55.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 88 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 30 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Shepherd since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on October 23, 1975 about 3.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 27, 2014.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 18 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on May 25, 2011.
Severe weather in San Jacinto County since 1996
San Jacinto County has been included in 32 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| March 20, 2025 | Fire | FM-5573: Pauline Road Fire |
| July 9, 2024 | Hurricane | DR-4798: Hurricane Beryl |
| 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 |
Jobs and pay in San Jacinto County
San Jacinto County had 2,469 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $45,616 a year. Unemployment was 4.7% in 2023; in Shepherd itself the ACS puts it at 13.4%.
Public schools in Shepherd
4 public schools with 1,958 students, about 16.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| SHEPHERD H S | 9-12 | 630 | 14.0 |
| SHEPHERD PRI | PK-2 | 502 | 20.1 |
| SHEPHERD MIDDLE | 6-8 | 425 | 15.2 |
| SHEPHERD INT | 3-5 | 401 | 17.4 |
Towns near Shepherd
- Coldspring, TX10.4 mi · 819 people · home $216,800
- Cleveland, TX11.5 mi · 7,471 people · home $174,400
- Cape Royale, TX13.8 mi · 657 people · home $316,700
- Big Thicket Lake Estates, TX14.1 mi · 514 people · home $107,200
- West Livingston, TX14.9 mi · 8,156 people · home $153,600
- Livingston, TX15.9 mi · 5,640 people · home $200,100
- Splendora, TX20.2 mi · 1,683 people · home $254,500
- Plum Grove, TX20.5 mi · 1,245 people · home $200,800
Shepherd questions
Is Shepherd, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Shepherd scores better for retirees than 11% of Texas towns and quieter than 59%. 19.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 39.9).
How much does a house cost in Shepherd?
The median owner-occupied home in Shepherd is valued at $157,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $53,750, so homes cost about 2.9 times income. Median rent is $667 a month.
What is the weather like in Shepherd?
July highs average 91.4°F and January lows 38.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 55.5 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Shepherd get tornadoes?
7 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Shepherd since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on October 23, 1975. 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)