Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety72#4,427/15,637
Economy14#13,367/15,631
Housing3#14,468/14,977
Health78#3,505/15,609
Healthcare36#10,068/15,650
Environment73#4,189/15,453
Education72#4,453/15,649
Infrastructure33#10,409/15,650
Community9#14,310/15,651
Leisure & amenities39#9,540/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where College Station, Texas ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Brazos County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Injury deaths · low44 /100k
99/100Texas 69 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteBrazos County value
Drug overdose deaths · low6.1 /100k
95/100Texas 13.4 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimateProvisional dataBrazos County value
New homes permitted · high18.0 /1k
95/100Texas 6.3 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Natural hazard risk · low3.7
95/100Texas 39.62025Federal Emergency Management AgencyBrazos County value
Average commute time · low17.4 min
95/100Texas 26.7 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Bachelor's degree or higher · high56.5%
90/100Texas 33.8%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003

Weaknesses

Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.542
1/100Texas 0.478United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Rent-burdened households · high64.7%
1/100Texas 51.7%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Dental care shortage · high20.0
1/100Texas 5.8United States 5.7Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationBrazos County value
Poverty rate · high29.2%
2/100Texas 13.4%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Public libraries · low0.2 /10k
3/100Texas 0.3 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesBrazos County value
Rent as share of income · high39.4%
5/100Texas 30.9%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
113,686 (2015-2019) → 124,570 (2020-2024)
+9.6%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
New homes permittedImproving
8.5 /1k (2021) → 18.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+111%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Home price to income ratioWorsening
5.3× (2015-2019) → 6.8× (2020-2024)
+29%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Child poverty rateWorsening
12.3% (2015-2019) → 16.5% (2020-2024)
+4.2 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
61.3% (2015-2019) → 64.7% (2020-2024)
+3.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Median household incomeImproving
$45,820 (2015-2019) → $50,900 (2020-2024)
+11%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, College Station, Texas improved on 1 of 15 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 10 moved within the margin of error and 1 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved1

Household income+11%$45,820 → $50,900

Declined3

Price / income+1.5×5.3× → 6.8×
Child poverty+4.2 points12.3% → 16.5%
Unemployment+1.1 points4.0% → 5.1%

All 15 measures

Change of every measure of College Station, Texas between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	16.3 min2015-2019	17.4 min2020-2024	+1.1 min	Within the margin of error	36%
Bachelor's degree or higher	58.6%2015-2019	56.5%2020-2024	−2.1 points	Within the margin of error	16%
Broadband subscriptions	84.3%2015-2019	84.6%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	9%
Child poverty rate	12.3%2015-2019	16.5%2020-2024	+4.2 points	Declined	23%
Effective property tax rate	1.88%2015-2019	1.56%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	76%
High school diploma or higher	94.4%2015-2019	94.4%2020-2024	−0 points	Within the margin of error	33%
Home price to income ratio	5.3×2015-2019	6.8×2020-2024	+1.5×	Declined	8%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5462015-2019	0.5422020-2024	−0.005	Within the margin of error	55%
Median household income	$45,8202015-2019	$50,9002020-2024	+11%	Improved	18%
Poverty rate	29.6%2015-2019	29.2%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Public transit commuters	2.9%2015-2019	2.7%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	23%
Rent as share of income	38.7%2015-2019	39.4%2020-2024	+0.7 points	Within the margin of error	50%
Rent-burdened households	61.3%2015-2019	64.7%2020-2024	+3.4 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Unemployment rate	4.0%2015-2019	5.1%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Declined	27%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.6%2015-2019	9.1%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	40%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like College Station, Texas five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of College Station, Texas in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, College Station, Texas itself moved −6.7 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

124,570 residents (±53)

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69
50–59
40–49
30–39
20–29
10–19
Under 10

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 20–29 women (−1.5 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

124,570 residents (±53)

College Station, Texas
Texas share

White59%73,989
Black8.1%10,104
Hispanic or Latino19%23,585
Asian9.8%12,164
American Indian and Alaska Native0.1%†76
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.1%†156
Other or two or more races3.6%4,496

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: White (−5.1 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

54,136 residents (±918)

College Station, Texas
Texas share

No high school diploma5.6%3,050
High school or GED14%7,654
Some college17%9,228
Associate degree6.7%3,611
Bachelor's degree29%15,436
Graduate degree28%15,157

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: High school or GED (+2.8 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

46,214 households (±826)

College Station, Texas
Texas share

Under $25k27%12,413
$25k–50k22%10,383
$50k–75k12%5,603
$75k–100k11%5,005
$100k–150k12%5,764
$150k–200k6.2%2,842
$200k or more9.1%4,204

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under $25k (−5.5 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

46,214 households (±826)

College Station, Texas
Texas share

Own35%16,368
Rent65%29,846

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−2.3 points).

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

29,436 households (±983)

College Station, Texas
Texas share

Under $7508.2%2,418
$750–1,00023%6,849
$1,000–1,50036%10,627

Home values

16,368 homes (±844)

College Station, Texas
Texas share

Under $150k4.8%788
$150k–250k15%2,472
$250k–400k46%7,543

Age of homes

51,494 homes (±696)

College Station, Texas
Texas share

2010 or later28%14,357
2000–200920%10,343
1980–199934%17,460

Size of homes

51,494 homes (±696)

College Station, Texas
Texas share

Studio3.9%2,021
1 bedroom13%6,616
2 bedrooms28%14,215

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

59,991 workers (±1,292)

College Station, Texas
Texas share

Drive alone70%41,717
Carpool8.1%4,838
Public transit2.7%1,647
Walk4.0%2,425
Bike2.1%†1,257
Work from home12%7,346
Other1.3%761

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−8.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

52,645 workers (±1,530)

College Station, Texas
Texas share

Under 15 min43%22,665
15–29 min44%23,007
30–44 min8.3%4,361

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the College Station-Bryan, TX

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Brazos County, the county holding most of College Station's residents.

Brazos County has 4,972 employer establishments, 202 for every 10,000 residents (0.81× the US rate of 248; 0.92× Texas's), with 80,204 paid employees at an average annual pay of $47,910. The Census Bureau also counts 19,015 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 4,972; 19,015 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 202; US 248 · Texas 218
Paid employees: 80,204
Average annual pay: $47,910; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Brazos County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	450	18.3	0.99×About typical	11,523	$19,238	105
Ambulatory health care services	385	15.6	0.75×Fewer than typical	4,577	$87,583	779
Lessors of real estate	326	13.2	1.07×About typical	1,486	$45,843	1,906
Specialty trade contractors	287	11.6	0.75×Fewer than typical	2,930	$57,266	1,396
Limited-service restaurants	227	9.2	1.15×About typical	5,806	$18,328	37
Construction of buildings	185	7.5	0.99×About typical	1,344	$72,326	629
Services to buildings and dwellings	167	6.8	1.00×About typical	1,470	$37,876	1,234
Offices of physicians	152	6.2	0.95×About typical	1,045	$159,650	191
Full-service restaurants	151	6.1	0.80×Fewer than typical	4,609	$21,468	38
Building equipment contractors	128	5.2	0.86×About typical	1,699	$58,657	275
Religious organizations	125	5.1	0.91×About typical	1,452	$22,916	—
Management, scientific and technical consulting	109	4.4	0.66×Fewer than typical	609	$109,140	900

Rank places for an industry Open Brazos County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 246,477 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $17.6M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in College Station, Texas: $142 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $17.6M; −62% vs FY2025
Per resident: $142; US $1,994
Sole-source: 28%; US 30%
Single offer: 26%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Navy$7.3M41%
Department of the Army$4.5M26%
Agricultural Research Service$1.1M6.2%
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration$1.1M6.1%
National Archives and Records Administration$991.9K5.6%
Defense Logistics Agency$642.5K3.6%
Defense Threat Reduction Agency$479.7K2.7%
Food and Drug Administration$292.4K1.7%

Top recipients

TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION$4.8M27%
LYNNTECH INC.$3.7M21%
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM, THE$3.1M18%
TEXAS A & M UNIVERSITY$1.1M6.4%
TEXAS A&M TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE$961.4K5.4%

Spending by fiscal year

17.4MFY2017
14.7MFY2018
25.5MFY2019
284.9MFY2020
24.3MFY2021
31MFY2022
45.3MFY2023
41.8M

Top industries (NAICS)

Scientific research and development services · 5417$9.5M54%
Colleges, universities, and professional schools · 6113$3.4M20%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$828.2K4.7%
Other professional, scientific, and technical services · 5419$744.6K4.2%
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing · 3241$642.5K3.6%

Largest awards whose ZIP code lies mostly in College Station, Texas

COORDINATED AIR-GROUND MANEUVERING$5.6M
TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION· Brazos County, TX· Research & development· Sep 17, 2024 – May 4, 2026· W911NF24F0063
RAPID DESIGN OF HYPERSONIC VEHICLES$5.2M
TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION· Brazos County, TX· Research & development· Sep 26, 2024 – May 11, 2026· W911NF24F0064
ENABLING AND MANAGING RESILIENT NETWORK SERVICES (RWARE FOR PIN) TECHNICAL AREA 5$4.4M
TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION· Brazos County, TX· Research & development· Jun 29, 2024 – Jun 8, 2026· W911NF24F0052

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in College Station, Texas, so they do not add up across cities.

College Station, Texas's figures are part of those of Brazos County, TX ($482.9M in FY2026), never added to them: 3.7% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: College Station is mostly in Brazos County.

See federal money in Brazos County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

College Station, Texas is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Michael T. McCaulR-TX-10 · 100% of residentsWith party 96%Missed 14.4%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Brazos County50100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

College Station-Bryan, TX43

Other cities and towns in Brazos County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/4815976

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends