Lyford is a city in Willacy County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,249 at the 2020 census. It may be included as part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas.
Geography
Lyford is located at 26°24'40" North, 97°47'24" West (26.411247, –97.789939).
According to the United States Census Bureau in 2000, the city had a total area of 1.1 square miles (2.8 km), of which 1.1 square miles (2.8 km) was land and 0.93% is water. Prior to the 2010 census, the city gained area by annexing the Bausell and Ellis CDP and part of the Lyford South CDP. The city's total area thus increased to , of which is now land and is water.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Lyford had a population of 2,249, 678 households, and 529 families residing in the city. The median age was 35.6 years, 27.7% of residents were under the age of 18, and 16.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 87.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.3 males age 18 and over.
97.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 3.0% lived in rural areas.
There were 678 households in Lyford, of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.4% were married-couple households, 14.3% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 828 || 36.8%
|-
| Black or African American || 41 || 1.8%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 19 || 0.8%
|-
| Asian || 3 || 0.1%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0.0%
|-
| Some other race || 370 || 16.5%
|-
| Two or more races || 988 || 43.9%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 2,150 || 95.6%
|}
2000 census
As of the census
Education
Lyford's public schools are operated by the Lyford Consolidated Independent School District.
Economy
Lyford's economic fortunes have been linked intimately with that of Mexico's after NAFTA went into effect on January 1, 1994. Prior to ratification of this agreement, economic activity in Lyford was centered on agriculture. Since then economic activity has diversified with the opening of a second convenience store.
In addition to the industrial activity, there is a retail sector that is dependent on purchases made by wealthy and middle-class Mexican consumers from Monterrey (connected to Reynosa by toll road) and Tampico. According to Cynthia Brown, director of UTPA's Center for Border Economic Studies, Mexicans invested $1.4 billion into the economy and paid for 41,000 jobs[1]. In 2003, the Rio Grande Valley showed a 13.3 percent increase from 2002 sales, topping $10 billion according to a report compiled by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership/Chamber of Commerce.