Comprised largely of master-planned communities, Sugar Land is an affluent Houston submarket that is now considered one of Texas’ fastest growing cities.

  • Sugar Land is the economic driver of Fort Bend County and is home to several large companies.

  • The city has the most master-planned communities in a development-rich county.
  • Schlumberger has a 200-acre campus in Sugar Land and is the city's largest employer.
Colony Lakes subdivision in Sugar Land/Flickr user pecooper98362

Colony Lakes subdivision in Sugar Land/Flickr user pecooper98362

Comprised largely of master-planned communities, Sugar Land is an affluent Houston submarket that is now considered one of Texas’ fastest growing cities.

With a population of nearly 87,000, Sugar Land is the largest city in Fort Bend County and has a median household income of more than $113,000, according to Onboard Informatics.

Sugar Land’s south region has experienced strong, steady growth since 2000, and the city’s recent boom played a significant role in Fort Bend County’s rapid population growth, which climbed 4.3 percent between July 2014 and July 2015.

A large Houston real estate submarket

The city is one of the more active Houston submarkets when it comes to existing home sales activity and new home construction. As of late April 1, 100 homes were listed in the city, according to Realtor.com, with the median listing price sitting at $433,000. The Houston Association of Realtors has the city’s average list price at $518,000.

New homes built in the city typically start at a minimum of $300,000, with more availability in the $400,000 to $450,000 range. Some real estate professionals focused on the market suggest the city lacks new home inventory, with completions not catching up to market demand.

Multifamily development within the city has been minimal of late, but a trio of projects are being proposed. Sueba and McCann Realty Partners are lining up deals that would feature 278 units and 350 units, respectively, and Newland Community has requested to build up to 999 rental units — but resident opposition to this project has been documented.

Economic center

As Fort Bend’s largest city, Sugar Land is the national headquarters of CVR Energy Inc. and Fluor and Schlumberger.

The latter recently announced plans to consolidate and reposition more than 500 jobs to its Sugar Land campus. Fluor and Schlumberger is also said to be investing more than $200 million toward capital improvements at the 200-acre campus, according to the City of Sugar Land’s Economic Development department.

Residents employed outside the city commute almost exclusively by car, as Sugar Land features no mass transit. The drive from downtown Sugar Land to Houston via Interstate 69 is roughly 21 miles.

Strong school district

Sugar Land families are located within the Fort Bend Independent School District, which encompasses 75 schools and roughly 71,000 students.

Niche gave the district an overall grade of “A” and considers it the 100th top district in the state. GreatSchools gave seven of the district’s elementary schools a score of 10/10. Two middle schools in the area also obtained the same score.

Email Erik Pisor

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