Population 6,004 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Shepherd
Household size in Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.97 | 2.96 | 2.87 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.25 | 3.00 | 2.93 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 3.08 | 2.98 | 2.95 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.94 | 2.91 | 2.83 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | −0.05 | −0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Shepherd are large by national standards, averaging 2.94 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Households are largest in the southeast and smallest in the northwest.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.7 | 34.0 | 34.7 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 36.1 | 34.8 | 35.4 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 39.5 | 35.6 | 36.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.3 | 36.4 | 36.7 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.6 | +2.3 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in Shepherd are younger than 39.3 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. The population here is older than in the Houston area overall, where the median age is 36.4. Since 2006–10, the median age has crept up from 38.7, a smaller shift than nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.6% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 23.3% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 12.0% | 13.3% | 13.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.0% | 13.5% | 12.9% | 11.6% |
| Change | +1.4 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are common in Shepherd: 16.0% of all households, against 11.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has edged up 1.4 points, even as the national share fell.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Shepherd
Renters in Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.5% | 36.6% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 30.3% | 38.6% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 25.3% | 39.5% | 38.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 17.7% | 38.8% | 37.4% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.8 pts | +2.2 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Shepherd is largely a place of homeowners: only 17.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. About six in ten owners (60.2%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%. The renter share has fallen 5.8 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.3% | 11.3% | 11.8% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.0% | 10.1% | 10.9% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.5% | 9.3% | 10.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.1% | 8.6% | 9.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.8 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacant homes make up 23.1% of the housing in Shepherd, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 4.8 points, even as the national rate fell.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1983 | 1985 | 1983 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1986 | 1987 | 1985 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1988 | 1988 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1993 | 1993 | 1992 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +8 | +8 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Shepherd is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1993, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole. The median year built has moved up from 1983 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southeast, while the northwest has the oldest housing.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $652 | $1,018 | $921 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $736 | $1,103 | $1,005 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $723 | $1,300 | $1,178 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $949 | $1,649 | $1,560 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$297 | +$631 | +$639 | +$606 |
The median renter in Shepherd pays $949 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $297 a month from 2006–10, a 46% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 22.6% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. Renters on a budget will find the lowest rents in the north; the highest are in the southwest.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Shepherd
Bachelor's degrees in Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 4.8% | 29.2% | 27.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 4.2% | 30.4% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 32.5% | 30.0% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 35.9% | 34.0% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +6.7 pts | +7.1 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Shepherd: 8.0% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree has risen 3.2 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. Only nine of the 545 Texas cities with 5,000+ people have a lower share of college graduates.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 66.9% | 80.9% | 80.7% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 75.1% | 81.9% | 82.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.1% | 83.6% | 83.6% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 75.0% | 84.8% | 85.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +8.1 pts | +3.9 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
About a quarter of adults in Shepherd never finished high school, well above the national share: only 75.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally. The share with a diploma has risen 8.1 points since 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Shepherd has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five Texas cities.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Shepherd
| Period | Shepherd | Houston area | Texas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 13.2% | 6.9% | 7.0% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 16.3% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.6% | 5.6% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.2% | 6.2% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −7.0 pts | −0.6 pts | −1.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little harder to find in Shepherd than nationally: unemployment was 6.2%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 7.0 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Shepherd compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shepherd | 2.94 | 39.3 | 16.0% | 17.7% | 23.1% | 1993 | $949 | 8.0% | 75.0% | 6.2% |
| Urbana | 3.07 | 39.4 | 6.6% | 14.5% | 18.9% | 1988 | $1,070 | 5.7% | 73.4% | 9.5% |
| Dolen | 3.13 | 35.5 | 15.8% | 9.8% | 16.9% | 1993 | $1,039 | 13.7% | 75.9% | 9.5% |
| North Cleveland | 2.92 | 35.7 | 17.8% | 17.3% | 19.8% | 1973 | $1,197 | 9.0% | 66.1% | 5.5% |
| Romayor | 3.02 | 30.3 | 25.7% | 14.4% | 29.8% | 1981 | $887 | 11.2% | 87.2% | 8.3% |
| Evergreen | 2.95 | 35.8 | 8.5% | 12.9% | 19.6% | 1997 | $1,161 | 28.8% | 93.1% | 12.3% |
| Ace | 2.37 | 57.9 | 25.6% | 9.3% | 33.6% | 1982 | $1,096 | 23.2% | 77.3% | 0.0% |
| Cleveland | 3.65 | 29.9 | 14.9% | 17.3% | 15.0% | 2002 | $1,090 | 8.1% | 68.1% | 4.7% |
| Holly Grove | 2.49 | 43.8 | 23.4% | 12.0% | 21.7% | 1996 | $693 | 15.1% | 74.9% | 2.5% |
| Votaw | 2.23 | 47.5 | 20.4% | 1.9% | 20.8% | 1992 | $563 | 2.2% | 76.1% | 6.1% |
| Cut and Shoot | 3.01 | 31.1 | 15.6% | 24.4% | 12.8% | 1995 | $1,320 | 19.1% | 83.1% | 3.2% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Shallowater, TX · Greenup, KY · Greenville, KY · Greenwood, MO · Rothschild, WI · Sansom Park, TX · Santa Ynez, CA · Saranac, MI · Saunderstown, RI · Sawmills, NC
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Shepherd. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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