Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety81#174/924
Economy28#668/925
Housing3#894/925
Health81#177/925
Healthcare32#626/923
Environment50#459/917
Education71#271/925
Infrastructure41#547/925
Community24#700/925
Leisure & amenities43#529/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where College Station-Bryan, TX metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Injury deaths · low50 /100k
99/100Texas 69 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
New homes permitted · high12.8 /1k
98/100Texas 6.3 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Drug overdose deaths · low6.9 /100k
95/100Texas 13.4 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Suicide rate · low11.9 /100k
92/100Texas 14.4 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Public transit commuters · high1.5%
90/100Texas 0.9%United States 3.2%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08301
Premature death · low6,549 /100k
88/100Texas 7,960 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Rent-burdened households · high60.2%
2/100Texas 51.7%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Rent as share of income · high36.3%
2/100Texas 30.9%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.510
3/100Texas 0.478United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Severe housing problems · high22.5%
4/100Texas 17.5%United States 16.8%2017-2021University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Poverty rate · high22.7%
5/100Texas 13.4%United States 12.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B17001
Hot days · high108 days
6/100Texas 111 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties

Trends

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

PopulationRising
268,973 (2020) → 287,476 (2025)
+6.9%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
Drought exposureWorsening
14% (2021) → 55% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+41 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
High ozone daysImproving
0 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Homicide rateImproving
6.3 /100k (2021) → 3.0 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−53%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
New homes permittedImproving
8.4 /1k (2021) → 12.8 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+51%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Property crime rateImproving
1,878 /100k (2020) → 1,021 /100k (2025)
−46%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k

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-Bryan, TX metro area improved on 13 of 32 measures with a comparison and declined on 6. 8 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved13

Violent crime−39%310 /100k → 188 /100k
Homicides−53%6.3 /100k → 3.0 /100k
Traffic deaths−8.8%12.4 /100k → 11.3 /100k
Property crime−46%1,878 /100k → 1,021 /100k
Real income+35%$44,133 → $59,449

Declined6

Price / income+0.9×3.7× → 4.7×
Libraries−7.4%0.3 /10k → 0.3 /10k
Suicides+20%9.9 /100k → 11.9 /100k
Commute+1.0 min18.6 min → 19.6 min
Pharmacies−15%1.2 /10k → 1.0 /10k

All 32 measures

Change of every measure of College Station-Bryan, TX metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.5 /10k2020	3.5 /10k2025	+1.5%	Little change	33%
Average commute time	18.6 min2015-2019	19.6 min2020-2024	+1.0 min	Declined	30%
Average weekly wage	$8852020	$1,0992025	+24%	Improved	59%
Bachelor's degree or higher	37.5%2015-2019	39.7%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Improved	36%
Broadband subscriptions	80.7%2015-2019	86.0%2020-2024	+5.3 points	Improved	10%
Child poverty rate	20.1%2015-2019	20.2%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	22%
Distance to an airport	74 mi2020	74 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	91%
Drug overdose deaths	9.1 /100k2020	6.9 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−24%	Improved	49%
Effective property tax rate	1.57%2015-2019	1.29%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	88%
Firearm deaths	10.8 /100k2020	10.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−2.8%	Little change	54%
Grocery stores	0.9 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	+5.8%	Improved	70%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.6 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	−6.4%	Declined	28%
High school diploma or higher	86.6%2015-2019	88.4%2020-2024	+1.9 points	Within the margin of error	57%
Home price to income ratio	3.7×2015-2019	4.7×2020-2024	+0.9×	Declined	14%
Homicide rate	6.3 /100k2020	3.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−53%	Improved	81%
Income adjusted for local prices	$44,1332019	$59,4492024	+35%	Improved	70%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.5052015-2019	0.5102020-2024	+0.005	Within the margin of error	41%
Median household income	$50,2402015-2019	$60,0872020-2024	+20%	Improved	12%
New business applications	8.3 /1k2020	10.8 /1k2025	+31%	Improved	28%
Pharmacies	1.2 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	−15%	Declined	33%
Poverty rate	22.7%2015-2019	22.7%2020-2024	+0 points	Within the margin of error	27%
Property crime rate	1,878 /100k2020	1,021 /100k2025	−46%	Improved	78%
Public libraries	0.3 /10k2019	0.3 /10k2024	−7.4%	Declined	16%
Public transit commuters	1.7%2015-2019	1.5%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	66%
Rent as share of income	35.4%2015-2019	36.3%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	40%
Rent-burdened households	57.2%2015-2019	60.2%2020-2024	+3 points	Within the margin of error	32%
Restaurants and bars	7.6 /10k2020	7.8 /10k2025	+2.3%	Little change	56%
Suicide rate	9.9 /100k2020	11.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+20%	Declined	26%
Traffic deaths	12.4 /100k2015-2019	11.3 /100k2020-2024	−8.8%	Improved	76%
Unemployment rate	5.7%2020	3.6%2025	−2.1 points	Improved	25%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	13.9%2015-2019	13.6%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Violent crime rate	310 /100k2020	188 /100k2025	−39%	Improved	87%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like College Station-Bryan, TX metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of College Station-Bryan, TX metro area 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-Bryan, TX metro area itself moved −1.1 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

278,335 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

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

Household income

105,688 households (±1,113)

College Station-Bryan, TX metro area
United States share

Under $25k22%23,373
$25k–50k21%22,397
$50k–75k14%15,323

Homes

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

Owners and renters

105,688 households (±1,113)

College Station-Bryan, TX metro area
United States share

Own51%53,974
Rent49%51,714

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

131,410 workers (±1,853)

College Station-Bryan, TX metro area
United States share

Drive alone73%96,575
Carpool9.7%12,810
Public transit1.5%2,028

Jobs and pay

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

The 10 largest occupations in College Station-Bryan, TX employ 30,710 people. 1 pay a median above the US median and 9 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in College Station-Bryan, TX by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Fast Food and Counter Workers5,270 jobs	5,270	$27,420US $31,200	−12%	1.59×
Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary4,370 jobs	4,370	$57,790US $42,910	+35%	31×
General and Operations Managers3,250 jobs	3,250	$87,910US $105,770	−17%	1.07×
Retail Salespersons3,120 jobs	3,120	$28,800US $35,410	−19%	0.93×
Registered Nurses2,950 jobs	2,950	$83,090US $97,550	−15%	1.01×
Customer Service Representatives2,500 jobs	2,500	$37,190US $44,770	−17%	1.12×
Cashiers2,440 jobs	2,440	$28,600US $32,880	−13%	0.92×
Stockers and Order Fillers2,430 jobs	2,430	$35,210US $37,330	−6%	0.99×
Waiters and Waitresses2,410 jobs	2,410	$22,800US $35,230	−35%	1.23×
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers1,970 jobs	1,970	$59,790US $69,500	−14%	1.59×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in College Station-Bryan, TX.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

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.

College Station-Bryan, TX has 5,631 employer establishments, 199 for every 10,000 residents (0.80× the US rate of 248), with 86,839 paid employees at an average annual pay of $48,701. The Census Bureau also counts 22,574 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 5,631; 22,574 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 199; US 248
Paid employees: 86,839
Average annual pay: $48,701; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of College Station-Bryan, TX by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	500	17.7	0.96×About typical	12,396	$19,307	127
Ambulatory health care services	408	14.4	0.69×Fewer than typical	4,672	$87,790	892
Lessors of real estate	351	12.4	1.01×About typical	1,518	$45,795	2,156
Specialty trade contractors	334	11.8	0.76×Fewer than typical	3,330	$57,038	1,785
Limited-service restaurants	246	8.7	1.08×About typical	6,187	$18,260	37
Construction of buildings	202	7.1	0.94×About typical	1,389	$72,622	793
Full-service restaurants	178	6.3	0.82×About typical	5,082	$21,593	52
Services to buildings and dwellings	170	6	0.89×About typical	1,482	$37,744	1,578
Religious organizations	162	5.7	1.03×About typical	1,627	$22,228	—
Offices of physicians	156	5.5	0.85×About typical	1,058	$161,957	205
Building equipment contractors	150	5.3	0.88×About typical	1,772	$58,179	360
Automotive repair and maintenance	122	4.3	0.86×About typical	989	$41,604	255

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 283,278 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $484M on contracts performed in College Station-Bryan, TX metro area: $1,684 per resident (US $1,995).

Obligations: $484M; +6.7% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,684; US $1,995
Sole-source: 94%; US 30%
Single offer: 3.2%; 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$458.8M95%
Department of the Army$5M1.0%
National Archives and Records Administration$3.5M0.7%
Defense Logistics Agency$2.5M0.5%
Agricultural Research Service$2.2M0.5%
Defense Threat Reduction Agency$1.7M0.3%
Transportation Security Administration$1.5M0.3%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$1.4M0.3%

Top recipients

BLUEFORGE ALLIANCE$442.5M91%
LYNNTECH INC.$12.8M2.7%
TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION$4.8M1.0%
TEXAS A & M UNIVERSITY$3.9M0.8%
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM, THE$3.1M0.6%

Spending by fiscal year

49.7MFY2017
60.1MFY2018
57.3MFY2019
316MFY2020
48.7MFY2021
61.4MFY2022
88MFY2023
609M

Top industries (NAICS)

Ship and boat building · 3366$442.5M91%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$20.8M4.3%
Colleges, universities, and professional schools · 6113$4.1M0.9%
Office furniture (including fixtures) manufacturing · 3372$2.6M0.5%
Petroleum and coal products manufacturing · 3241$2.2M0.5%
Facilities support services · 5612

Largest awards

US SIB SUB SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT$1.4B
BLUEFORGE ALLIANCE· Brazos County, TX· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Sep 10, 2024 – May 29, 2026· N0002424C2135
SBIR PHASE III TOPIC N132-093 DELIVERY ORDER PLACED UNDER BOA N68335-25-G-0017$10M
LYNNTECH INC.· Brazos County, TX· Research & development· Mar 12, 2026 – Mar 12, 2026· N6833526F1004
BASE EFFORT-ECR ION SOURCE & INJECT LINE$9.1M
TEXAS A & M UNIVERSITY· Brazos County, TX· Research & development· Sep 26, 2022 – Apr 7, 2026· HQ086022C6005
JOINT MULTI-CHANNEL INFUSION PUMP TECHNICAL MATURATION AND RISK REDUCTION

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.6B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for College Station-Bryan, TX metro area: $5,436 per resident (US $12,957).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.6B; −27% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,436; US $12,957
Loan face value: $90.3M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.9%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$733.6M47%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$145.9M9.3%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$87.1M5.6%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$70.5M4.5%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$66.8M4.3%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$34.4M2.2%
84.411 · Education Innovation and Research (Formerly Investing in Innovation (I3) FUND)$30M1.9%
93.859 · Biomedical Research and Research Training$20.3M1.3%

Top recipients (organizations)

TEXAS A & M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM$93.4M6.0%
COLLEGE STATION, TX
TEXAS A & M UNIVERSITY$70.8M4.5%
COLLEGE STATION, TX
TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE RESEARCH$59.7M3.8%
COLLEGE STATION, TX
TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION$58.8M3.8%
COLLEGE STATION, TX
TEXAS A & M RESEARCH FOUNDATION

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$905.4M58%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$171.1M11%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$125.7M8.0%
National Institutes of Health$74.9M4.8%
Department of Health and Human Services
National Science Foundation$45.9M

Assistance by fiscal year

1.6BFY2021
1.3BFY2022
1.4BFY2023
1.5BFY2024
2.2BFY2025
1.6BFY2026

County aggregates

69%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 6, 2026, loaded Oct 6, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in College Station-Bryan, TX

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Texas

Areas based in Texas, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M17780

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved13

Declined6

Metro and micro areas like College Station-Bryan, TX metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in College Station-Bryan, TX

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Texas

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved13

Declined6

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought