The College Station area is known for Aggie pride and small- — but not that small — town feel. There are both ranches and retail, farmland and museums.
You’ll also find, in increasing numbers, expat Houstonians.
Since the pandemic, one out of three calls inquiring about homes in Mission Ranch, a master-planned community on the city’s southern edge, are from Houston, according to the subdivision’s developer, Caldwell Communities.
“We’ve definitely seen more interest,” said Marci Raley, the subdivision’s welcome center coordinator.
The pandemic — which recently thrust Houston into the national spotlight for its surge in COVID-19 cases and strained hospital systems — is only the latest in a confluence of trends pulling people from Houston’s hustle and bustle to smaller towns an hour or two away. Terrible commutes, repeated flooding and a disconnect from nature are also driving people from the city.
Many have headed to Brazos County, home of College Station. An estimated 3,800 people moved to Brazos County from Harris in 2017, the most recent year for which the Census data is available, making it the most popular destination for people moving out of Houston after Travis County, where Austin is located.
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>> Photo Credit: Melissa Phillip, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer.
>> Photo Details: Mike Baker and Linda Baker are shown at the lake area of Mission Ranch Friday, Aug. 7, 2020, in College Station. The couple recently moved from Houston to College Station and are building a home in the master planned community.