Make Your Home in Fort Bend County, Texas
It brings me joy to introduce you Fort Bend County, Texas. It’s an awesome place to live, work, launch a business, relax, and enjoy life. Young families, qualified workers, and lifestyle seekers are finding our county to be the perfect place to build a life. There are tremendous opportunities for businesses of all sizes. Fort Bend County ranks 3rd in Texas and 8th in the US in business growth, based on 2020 Fort Bend County Economic Development data.
Fast Facts about Fort Bend County
1. It’s located in the Houston metropolitan area of southeast Texas — spanning 875 squares miles of terrain that varies from level to gently rolling hills. Temperatures range on average to a low of 41-degrees in January and a high of 93-degrees in July. The average annual rainfall is 45.3 inches with a growing season of 296 days.
2. Fort Bend County is the 10th largest county in the state of Texas plus one of the fastest growing. The commercial sector has been fast growing with the residential sector keeping equal pace. Fortune 500 companies, international businesses, and home innovators headquarter their businesses here. The business growth in the past ten years has risen from 8,600 business establishments to nearly 15,000.
3. It’s situated only 50 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. The county has approximately 11 square miles of surface water in rivers, creeks and small lakes — numerous locations for fishing and water activities. Native trees to the area include pecan, oak, ash and cottonwood, with some old bottomland forests remaining along the waterways.
4. The county has 17 communities, each with their own feel and individualism:
o Arcola: Built on a league granted to one of the Old 300 settlers, Arcola is located about as far east as one can get in Fort Bend County. This parcel of land, acquired by Jonathan Dawson Waters in the 1800s, became one of the biggest sugar and cotton plantations in Texas.
o Beasley: In the 1890s, C.A. Beasley arrived in Fort Bend County to work as an agent and telegraph operator for the local railroad. As the railroad grew, so did Beasley, attracting many residents from the north. The community officially incorporated in 1970 and today, over 700 residents call Beasley home.
o Fairchilds: Located in southeastern Fort Bend County, is named for early settler Philo Fairchilds. In 1896, a colony of Mennonites bought a league of land on Big Creek and soon, several families settled the area. In 1990, Fairchilds reported a population of 150 and had a feed store, café, and general store.
o Fulshear: Located in northwest Fort Bend County where the Katy prairie meets the Brazos River bottom, Fulshear developed around a league of land granted to one of Stephen F. Austin’s original Old Three Hundred — Churchhill Fulshear. In 1888, Churchhill’s son allowed the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad to travel through his land. Fulshear’s economy boomed as supplies arrived by rail and families moved closer to the railroad. Today, the area is noted for its native pecan trees.
o Katy: It’s rumored that Katy earned its name after a local saloon keeper’s wife. After a hard day’s work, the builders and workers of the railroad would say they were heading to “Katie’s.” In 1896, the town officially made Katy its name. It’s located 30 miles west of downtown Houston, the fourth largest city in America.
o Kendleton: Originally called Oak Hill, this area was an early stop on the main stagecoach route between Columbia and San Antonio. In the 1860s, a land agent named William Kendall purchased land and divided it into small farms, which were then offered up for sale. Eventually, the community that formed became known as Kendleton.
o Meadows Place: Meadows Place, incorporated in 1983, is the safest city in, and the gateway to, Fort Bend County. Its excellent location, varied housing stock, autonomous government, exemplary schools, inviting parks, outstanding police department, strong code-enforcement policy and low taxes has given generations of residents the ideal family-friendly environment. Here, residents enjoy small-town tranquility within the Greater Houston Area.
o Missouri City: By any measure, Missouri City is an exceptional city in which to live and work. It has been named by CNN/Money Magazine one of America’s Best Places to Live and, by Congressional Quarterly, one of its safest cities.
o Needville: Cattle grazed freely in this part of Fort Bend County up until the 1890s. That’s when August Schendel built a home, a cotton gin and a store in the area, which he named Schendelville. When he tried to establish a post office, he joked that the town should be called “Needmore” since it needed more of everything. The post office replied that Needmore was already established, thereupon naming it Needville. Today, Needville is “where thousands live the way millions wish they could.”
o Orchard: Located in western Fort Bend County, Orchard is a beautiful stop on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe line. One of the first settlers, S.K. Cross, promoted the community in 1890 as he sold his land to German, Bohemian, and Polish settlers. These settlers began planting large fruit orchards and visitors were soon calling the area Fruitland. The post office application for Fruitland was denied because another existed, so the community reapplied with the name Orchard in 1892.
o Pearland: Pearland is actually a part of three counties: Brazoria, Fort Bend, and Harris. Native Indian inhabitants hosted European visitors here in 1528. Once promoted as an “Agricultural Eden,” Pearland got its name from the abundance of pear trees in the community. Today, Pearland is home to over 91,000 residents.
o Pleak: Pleak gets its name from real estate developer A.E. Pleak. A successful oilman, he donated land for a school in 1912, which resulted in the formation of a small community in the area that still bears his name.
o Richmond: The seat of Fort Bend County, Richmond is located on the Brazos River, fifteen miles southwest of Houston. The area, which was originally known as the “fort on the bend,” is filled with woods and trails, looking much the way it did when it was discovered.
o Rosenberg: With the railroad’s arrival, Rosenberg got its true start. Thomas Barnett, a signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, was one of its first residents. In 1880, a train depot was named Rosenberg Junction to honor Henry von Rosenberg, president of the GC & Santa Fe Railroad. Rosenberg quickly became a boomtown in 1920 when oil was discovered here, earning the nickname “City of Mud.” Today, it’s known as “the city that works,” naturally attracting residents and businesses who value long-term commitments.
o Simonton: Named after James Simonton who came to Texas in 1850, this city became known for the quality artesian water beneath the entire area. Around 1888, the railroad was built and the population of Simonton increased, as it was one of the main water stops for the steam engines at that time. In the 1900s, potatoes and cotton became export crops. There was even a cotton gin located near the railroad until the 1980′s. Today, most of Simonton’s residents work in Houston, Katy or Richmond-Rosenberg.
o Stafford: In August of 1853, a day of festivities and an evening of barbecue were held to celebrate the fact that the railroad would soon run through town. Since then, Stafford has had plenty more to celebrate. In fact, the city has been named by Fortune as one of the Top 50 Best Places in the nation to live and launch a business.
o Sugar Land: In 2009, Sugar Land celebrated its 50th anniversary, along with it’s rich history. Stephen F. Austin’s secretary once owned land right where the city is located. In 1840, sugarcane was planted and quickly became the area’s cash crop. While the production of sugar isn’t the staple it once was, the city’s exponential growth and development are just as sweet, earning it the distinction of being named the “Best Place in the Southwest to Live” by CNN/Money Magazine (2006).
As described by Fort Bend County Economic Development:
Residents in Fort Bend County enjoy the benefit of a community diverse in its cultures, cities, people, and lifestyles. From metropolitan living in the lofts and retail mixed-use communities of Sugar Land, to the amenity rich master planned communities in Missouri City to the quiet charm of Fulshear, to the history rich communities of Richmond and Rosenberg, Fort Bend County is a mix of communities, cosmopolitan to rural, offering residents options and opportunity.
Excellent education systems, low crime rate, and some of the highest incomes in the state, Fort Bend communities, in their diversity of style and offerings, derive the benefits of an ever-growing business economy. Our communities vary in offerings, with unique features and amenities, but share common values of excellence, quality, inclusion, and safety.
Source: Fort Bend County Economic Development
Demographics Snapshot
· Estimated Population (2021): 900K
· Median Age: 35.6
· Diversity:
24.9% Hispanic or Latino
21.7% White
21% Asian
20.5% Black or African American
8.1% Other
0.4% Native American
· Total Dwelling Units (2017): 233,699
· Average Residential Value: $272,921
Source: 2021 Data, Fort Bend County website
A Sampling of Favorite Things in Fort Bend County
Sugar Land Skeeters
Baseball fans thrilled when the Astros announced they were moving the AAA league to Sugar Land. Come out and watch leading baseball hopefuls play here with dreams of moving up to the majors. This takes hometown baseball to a whole new level. The 2021 season begins May 6. Details found here.
Get into Nature
Our area has some beautiful parks and trails to choose from. Read more about these in my blog post, Let’s Hit the Nearby Parks, Trails, and Hikes.
Check Out the Museums
· The Fort Bend Museum, Richmond
· The Houston Museum of Natural Science, Sugar Land
· George Ranch Historical Park, Richmond
· Katy Heritage Museum, Katy
· Katy Veterans Memorial Museum, Katy
· Rosenberg Railroad Museum, Rosenberg
· Sugarland Foundation Museum, Sugarland
Whatever your interests and likes, Fort Bend County is sure to have the right location for you and your family. It would be my pleasure to help you make your home here. Schedule an appointment today. I have much to show you and am ready to introduce you to all the county offers.
Since 2004 Sara Lyn Nguyen continues to bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise about buying and selling real estate around the Houston area to those she serves. Sara is a multi-year award winning REALTOR® and relocation specialist where her clients trust her to have up-to-date information on the real estate market. She has been one of Gary Greene’s Multi-Million Dollar Top Producers and was the #2 Top Producing agent in 2020 citywide. When it’s time to buy, sell, invest, or relocate speak with a trusted professional knowledgeable in the homes and neighborhoods of Fort Bend/Sugar Land and the surrounding region.
