Haskell is a farming and ranch community with a slow pace of life
Haskell embraces its reputation as a farming and ranch community. The city is mainly residential, but it has a few restaurants spread throughout town, and there are places for relaxation and recreation. At its heart, Haskell is about a slower way of life, one where a day spent on nearby Lake Stamford is as wild as things usually get. “A lot of people come for the price and the small-town feel,” says Shelby Thomas, a broker associate with HCR Realty LLC and a lifelong Haskell resident. “It’s country living.”
Ranch-style and traditional homes for below-median prices
Many of Haskell’s predominantly brick homes were constructed before 1960. U.S. routes 380 and 277 divide the city into four areas; properties tend to sit in the upper-left section. Ranch-style homes and more traditional houses are prominent. The median sale price is around $92,000, far below the U.S. median and the median of larger surrounding cities like Abilene. Homes tend to sell after more than 100 days on the market, about double the national average.
Fresh donuts, international cuisine and a burger challenge
TM Donuts serves freshly baked pastries, and China Wok has a long menu of authentic entrees. Mi Familia Mexican Restaurant stays open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Inside the Kent Kwick convenience store is Rustic Cafe, which offers the "2 Pound Burger Challenge." Anyone who finishes the burger gets a free T-shirt and a spot on the eatery’s Wall of Fame. The city has Modern Way and Spring Market grocery stores, and Dollar General carries essentials.
Public students can take college-level courses, plus school choice
Students are served by the Haskell Consolidated Independent School District. They can attend Haskell Elementary School, which has a B Niche grade. Haskell Junior High School holds a B-plus score. Haskell High School partners with Vernon College to offer college-level classes on its campus. It earns a B-plus. Starting in 2026, Texas’ school choice voucher program will offer participating families around $10,000 for their children’s private education.
Space for athletics, hunting and the Wild Horse Prairie Days festival
Haskell Municipal Park has a beach volleyball court, a horseshoe pit, a playground and a pavilion. The Haskell Baseball & Softball Fields give youth athletes a place to play. Haskell Country Club has public tee times for its nine-hole golf course. Thomas says the area is popular with hunters. Seasons vary by animal and other factors, but most residents can hunt ducks from November through January. The Keep Haskell Beautiful organization works to improve the city through cleanups and other initiatives. Lake Stamford, a popular day trip for boating and fishing, is around 20 miles away.
Each June, the city hosts Wild Horse Prairie Days, a ranch rodeo festival, at Howard Hopkins Memorial Arena. Thomas says the celebration draws ranches from across the state. The region has several churches, including Haskell First United Methodist Church, whose current building opened in 1910.
Access with major highways without much traffic
Residents have convenient access to U.S. routes 380 and 277. Abilene is close to 55 miles south, as is Abilene Regional Airport. Fort Worth is around 160 miles east. “If there’s traffic, it’s because of a tractor or a truck coming through town,” Thomas says. “We only have one stoplight.”
Thomas says the city can experience power issues in the winter if it gets too cold.
