# Stafford, Texas electricity: CenterPoint wires and 14,071 competitive homes

_Updated October 19, 2026. Data: ERCOT Oct 5, 2026; Power to Choose Oct 19, 2026, 7:59 AM CT._

**In short:** ERCOT counts 14,071 active residential meters with a Stafford address, all on CenterPoint's wires (October 5, 2026). Nearly every Stafford address in our data is on CenterPoint's wires and can pick a retail provider.

## Moving to Stafford

Local numbers for setting up a home in Stafford, each checked on the official source. More contacts: https://powerhopper.energy/texas-electricity/stafford/move-in-information

- **City hall (ask about water service):** City of Stafford: City Hall (main line), 281-261-3900.
- **Natural gas:** CenterPoint Energy: gas customer service (Houston area), 713-659-2111.
- **Public schools:** Stafford Msd.
- **Driver license:** Texas DPS Driver License Office: Houston Gessner CDL, 512-424-2600.

## Who delivers electricity in Stafford?
ERCOT counts 14,071 active residential meters with a Stafford address, all on CenterPoint's wires (October 5, 2026).

## Can every address in Stafford choose?
None of the ZIP codes holding Stafford's 14,071 competitive homes is flagged split, so most Stafford streets can shop.

## What is different about Stafford?
- The Census Bureau's July 1, 2025 estimate for Stafford is 18,043 people, up 3.6% on the 2020 estimates base of 17,417. The largest one-year change was +884 people, from July 2024 to July 2025. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025_48.csv)
- The Stafford mailing area is bigger than the city: ERCOT lists 14,071 competitive homes under the Stafford postal city, 2.12 for each of the city's 6,643 Census households. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- CenterPoint share: 0.5% of its 2,585,110 competitive residential meters carry a Stafford address. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- 588 of the 16,405 home meters in Stafford's main ZIP codes (3.6%) were de-energized on October 5, 2026, typically a vacant unit awaiting its next account. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- Nearly all Stafford-addressed competitive homes (14,071) are in one ZIP code, 77477, which it shares with Meadows Place (1,746 homes). ZIP-wide, ERCOT counts 15,817 competitive meters for 13,198 Census households, a 1.20 ratio. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- By competitive homes on its postal city, Stafford is number 9 of the 17 cities and towns touching Fort Bend County, just behind Fulshear (19,118). (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- 40.6% of homes in 77477 are in buildings with five or more units (ACS 2020-2024), the highest share among Stafford's main ZIP codes; apartment renters there usually set up their own electricity account. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- In 77477, the ZIP holding most Stafford homes, the ACS 2020-2024 survey finds a median household income of $75,744, 63.3% renters and 18.9% of households with $250+ monthly electric bills. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- Nearby, Meadows Place (2 mi) has 0.95 competitive homes per household, while Sugar Land counts 58,411 on its postal city. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)

## By the numbers
- Population (July 1, 2025 estimate): 18,043
- Population (2020 estimates base): 17,417
- Occupied households (ACS 2020-2024): 6,643
- Active residential meters with a Stafford address: 14,071
- Active business meters with a Stafford address: 3,176
- Residential meters per Census household: 2.12
- Delivery utilities (homes): CenterPoint 14,071
- Counties: Fort Bend, Harris
- ZIP codes touching Stafford: 1
- Split ZIP codes (flagged below): 0

## Plan prices (median ¢/kWh at 500 / 1,000 / 2,000 kWh)
- CenterPoint: 14 / 13.2 / 13; delivery 6.5333¢/kWh + $4.90/mo

## ZIP codes
**Not every address in these ZIP codes has retail choice; check your exact address.**

| ZIP | Postal cities | Land in city | Competitive homes | Households | Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77477 | Stafford 89%, Meadows Place 11% | 68% | 15,817 | 13,198 | 1.2 | Near-full coverage.  |

## Business electricity in Stafford
3,176 active business meters. Power Hopper compares offers from retail electric providers and direct suppliers; for high-consumption businesses we can run a competitive bid. No savings or bidder count is promised. Businesses in Texas retail-choice areas can request a rate review online.

## Questions
**Can Stafford residents pick their own electric company?** Yes, where CenterPoint's wires reach the house, which in Stafford is most of the city: 14,071 homes with a Stafford mailing address were on the competitive market on October 5, 2026, 2.12 for each Census household. None of Stafford's ZIP codes is flagged split, though an address check is still the only sure answer.
**Where do most Stafford electricity customers live?** 77477, with 15,817 competitive homes in ERCOT's data (14,071 addressed to Stafford) against roughly 13,198 Census households, a 1.20 ratio.
**How many businesses in Stafford are on the competitive electricity market?** Yes, where CenterPoint delivers: 3,176 Stafford-addressed business meters are on the competitive market in ERCOT's data, and large accounts can also buy from commercial suppliers directly.
**How do I start electric service at a new Stafford address?** Start with the address check: CenterPoint-delivered Stafford homes choose among the plans offered there and set a start date. Turnover is real in 77477, where 16.9% moved in the past year (ACS); ERCOT logged 6 vacant-to-active meters in 77477 Oct. 7-18, 2026.
**Why are there more electric meters than households in Stafford?** 14,071 Stafford-addressed meters against 6,643 city households is 2.12 per household: the Stafford postal area extends past city limits, and new homes get meters before the Census counts them. It doesn't mean every nearby address can choose.
**Where do I report a Stafford power outage?** Call CenterPoint (centerpointenergy.com/outage), the wires utility for Stafford's 14,071 competitive homes; a retail provider can't fix lines.

## Sources
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203): full extract as of Oct 5, 2026; daily files Oct 7-18, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B25003 households, B01003 population): https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/
- Census Vintage 2025 city and town population estimates: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025_48.csv
- Census 2020 ZCTA-to-place and ZCTA-to-county relationship files: https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/rel2020/zcta520/
- EIA-861 (2024) utility service territories by county: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861/
- PUCT Power to Choose residential offer export, Oct 19, 2026, 7:59 AM CT: https://www.powertochoose.org/en-us/Plan/ExportToCsv
- PUCT: Choosing an Electric Plan: https://www.puc.texas.gov/consumer-help/electricity/electric-plan/
- PUCT broker directory (BR260201): https://www.puc.texas.gov/industry/electric/directories/brk/alpha_brk/
- CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric: https://www.centerpointenergy.com/
- CenterPoint delivery tariff (effective October 1, 2026): https://ftp.puc.texas.gov/public/puct-info/industry/electric/rates/tdr/tdu/CenterPoint_Rate_Report.pdf
- Census Bureau Vintage 2025 city and town population estimates: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025_48.csv
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203), Oct 5, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25003: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203), Oct 5, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203), Oct 5, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203), Oct 5, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25003: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203), Oct 5, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25003: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25003: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203), Oct 5, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25003: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/

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