Ranger is a rural town with a dedication to its community
Ranger has changed. The rural Eastland County area was an oil boomtown in the 1920s, bringing more than 16,000 people to the region. Though its population has steadily declined to about 2,500 people since then, the city’s remaining residents are determined to keep the community’s spirit high. “There’s no stranger in Ranger,” says Diana McCullough, the librarian at the Ranger City Library. “That’s an old motto, and it’s true. We’re very helpful to one another, and it’s a great area geographically. We’re not rich, but we have things that money doesn’t buy.” The city offers access to nearby Lake Leon and relatively low housing prices.
New Traditional and ranch-style homes for below-median prices
New Traditional homes, brick ranch-style houses and older traditional properties sit throughout the region. Some come with a garage or carport. Yards often have medium- and large-sized trees and smaller bushes and shrubs. The car-dependent community’s roads can be asphalt, brick or dirt, and trees and farmland surround the outer streets. The median sale price is around $135,000, well below the national median, and homes often stay on the market for close to 85 days, which is longer than the U.S. average. “It’s cheaper real estate and beautiful land,” McCullough says. “It’s diverse. It’s not the [Texas] Hill Country, but it’s not West Texas either. It’s somewhere in between.”
Get a country-style breakfast, dance to live music or go thrifting
Several restaurants are along Texas State Highway 254. Shooters Cafe offers country-style breakfast and lunch options. Chela’s Cocina serves homestyle Mexican food in a casual environment. Wild Will’s Saloon and Dancehall, built out of a former peanut mill, hosts live music on Saturday nights. A handful of fast-food eateries are at the southern end of the city. The area has Spring Market and Dollar General locations, and H&R Feed Store sells ranch supplies. Churches like St. Rita Catholic Church are spread throughout town.
The Ranger Community Quarter Store lists most of its items for 25 cents. All proceeds go toward its Food for Thought meal program and food pantry. “Sometimes in the morning, there are 15 cars there,” McCullough says. “People donate all this stuff; they clean out a drawer or a closet and bring it there. It’s a cross between Dillard’s and a garage sale.”
The Ranger Independent School District and a school choice program
Students are served by the Ranger Independent School District. They can attend Ranger Elementary School, which earns a C-plus Niche grade. Ranger Middle School holds a C-minus score. Ranger High School offers dual-credit classes in partnership with Ranger College, a community college of more than 1,500 students. The high school gets a B rating.
Starting in 2026, Texas’ school choice voucher program will send approved families nearly $10,000 to use on private school tuition and other expenses. The closest private school with a Niche grade is Community Christian School, around 50 miles away in Mineral Wells, which receives a B.
Fishing and boating on Lake Leon, plus playgrounds and a skate park
Willow Park has a basketball court, playground equipment and picnic tables, while Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park provides plenty of open space for sports and other activities, plus two swing sets. Ranger Skate Park’s course, with street-style rails and vert-style quarter pipes, offers something for all abilities. A gazebo and tables sit at the corner of Main and Austin streets. Just over 10 miles south of the city center is Lake Leon, which has fishing and boating opportunities via Chock-a-Block Park and Lake Leon Dam. The area is known for its largemouth bass, but anglers can also catch catfish and crappie. Ranger City Library hosts an annual summer reading club and has computers for public use.
Easy access to Interstate 20 and Fort Worth, while tornadoes are rare
Texas State Highway 254 can take drivers south or east. It connects with Interstate 20 in both directions. A railroad runs north and south through the center of town. Fort Worth is close to 85 miles east, and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport is around a 110-mile drive. Eastland Memorial Hospital is about 10 miles southwest. McCullough says inclement weather, including tornadoes and flooding, affects the area similarly to the rest of Texas.
