College Station gaining national recognition for growth

Financial technology company SmartAsset released their annual rankings of boomtowns in America, and clocking in at #16 was College Station.

Seven Texas cities fell in the top 20 boomtowns of America. The study was based on seven variables. The variables are population change, unemployment rate, GDP growth rate, one-year change in unemployment rate, five-year establishment growth, five-year housing growth, and five-year change in household income.

The Private Enterprise Research Center at Texas A&M University studies economic patterns in the Brazos Valley. Director Dennis Jansen said he wasn’t shocked that College Station was ranked number 16 in the county.

“The variables they chose seem quite reasonable,” said Jansen. “Things like population growth, GDP growth, so these are all indicators of economic growth. It’s not unreasonable that College Station would be ranked so highly.”

Copy Corner Owner Larry Hodges has seen College Station grow tremendously since he planted his roots here.

“So we opened copy corner in 1988,” said Hodges. “Now, we’re just another growing metropolis.”

Hodges said College Station fits his definition of a boomtown.

“I feel like we’re never going to have those really high highs, but we’re never going to have those low lows either,” said Hodges. “We have this steady growth, which I guess overtime makes us a boomtown.”

With all of the new growth, College Station’s Mayor Karl Mooney said you still have to remember where you started.

“It also means that we are tested to care of what’s new, while still taking care of the older parts of town,” said Mayor Mooney. “At the same time, we’re saying, ‘Okay how can we turn this up just a notch?’”

Hodges opened his business 31 years ago, and he is happy to see College Station flourish.

“I’m not surprised, but it is nice to see it come to fruition finally,” said Hodges.

If you would like to check out the boomtown rankings, see the Related Links section.