Sugar Land

Sugar Land is the largest city in Fort Bend County, Texas, located in the southwestern part of the HoustonThe Woodlands metropolitan area. The city's population increased more than 158% between 1990 and 2000, and 46% between 2000 and 2007. Sugar Land is home to the headquarters of Imperial Sugar; the company's main sugar refinery and distribution center were once based in the city. The trains running through Sugar Land are on the route of the oldest railroad in Texas. It runs through the center of what used to be known as the Imperial State Prison Farm. Between the end of the Civil War and end of 1912, more than 3,500 prisoners died in Texas as a result of racist convict leasing. Since the early 21st century, this area has been largely redeveloped as the community of Telfair, which has been planned as the suburban community of Mayfield. The town's population was 78,817 as of the 2010 census. Following the annexation of the Greatwood and New Territory communities in December 2017, the city's estimated population was estimated at 118,488 as of 2019. It is one of the most affluent and fastest-growing cities in Texas, with a population of more than 78,000 as of 2010. It was named after a Mexican land grant made to Anglo-American Stephen F. Austin in the early 19th century. In 1853, Benjamin Terry and William J. Kyle purchased the Oakland Plantation from the Williams family. In 1908, the partnership acquired the adjoining 12,500-acre (5,100 ha) Cunningham Plantation. The partnership changed the name to Imperial Sugar Company.

History

Sugar Land has roots in the original Mexican land grant made to Anglo-American Stephen F. Austin. One of the first settlers of the land, Samuel M. Williams, called this area "Oakland Plantation" In 1853, Benjamin Terry and William J. Kyle purchased the Oakland Plantation from the Williams family. Colonel E. H. Cunningham bought the 12,500-acre (5,100 ha) plantation soon after the Civil War. In 1908, the Kempner family of Galveston, under the leadership of Isaac H. Kempner, and in partnership with Logan J. Copenhaver, purchased the Ellis Plantation. The partnership changed the name to Imperial Sugar Company. Voters chose to make Sugar Land a general-law city in 1959, with T. E. Harman becoming the first mayor. The trains running through Sugar Land are on the route of the oldest railroad in Texas. They run adjacent to the sugar refinery, west of the town, and through the center of what used to be known as the Imperial State Prison Farm. Since the early 21st century, this area has been largely redeveloped as the suburban planned community of Telfair. In 1977, development began on a First Colony, encompassing 10,000 acres (4,000 ha). Developed by a consortium that became known as Sugarland Inc., the community would continue over the next 30 years as a master-planned homebuyers community. It is now known as First Colony Properties.

Geography

Sugar Land is located in northeast Fort Bend County, 20 miles (32 km) southwest of downtown Houston. It is bordered by Houston to the northeast, and by Stafford, Missouri City, and Meadows Place to the east. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city of Sugar Land has a total area of 34.0 square miles (88.1 km²) The elevation of most of the city is between 70 and 90 feet (21 and 27 m) above sea level. The area sunk about 1 foot between 1943 and 1964, while it sunk over 6 feet between 1988 and 2016. Currently, it is estimated that Sugar Land is subsiding at a rate of between 10 and 25 millimeters per year. The subsidence has significant human cost. For example, the historic flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey was worse than it would have otherwise been due to the effect, and houses and buildings in the city are sinking and having their foundations damaged. The region is earthquake-free. While the neighboring city of Houston contains 86 mapped and historically active surface faults with an aggregate length of 149 miles (240 km), the clay below the surface in Sugar Land precludes the buildup of friction that produces ground shaking in earthquakes. The city government has enacted a program to manage the aquifers. The Chicot and Evangeline Aquifers have been the primary source of municipal water for Sugar Land, Houston, Galveston and other surrounding areas. The Jasper Aquifer is the only one of the three that is not used to extract drinking water.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 111,026 people, 38,852 households, and 31,328 families residing in the city. Sugar Land has the highest concentration of Asian Americans in Texas. As of 2013, about one-third of the Asian population was Indian American. Catholicism account for over 30% of the city population with 11,998 households registered by St. Laurence, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Theresa parishes. The Sri Saumyakasi Chinmaya temple is the only Hindu temple in Sugar Land devoted to Shiva. The Indian grocery stores, temples, several mosques and many Ismaili Jamatkhanas are located in the area. The city is home to the national headquarters for the United States ismaili Community. The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Houston, a Hindu temple, occupies the 450-person, 9,000-square-foot (840 m2) Alief Krishna Vrundavana has a Sugar Land postal address, but is physically in the super neighborhood of Alief, in the Houston city limits. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the city's population will rise to 110,000 by the end of the decade, with a population growth rate of 1.7% from the previous decade. The population of Sugar Land in 2010 was 78,817, with 27,727 housing units, and a population density of 2,432.6 per square mile (939.4/km²).

Economy

Sugar Land is home to the headquarters of the Imperial Sugar Company. Schlumberger, an oil services company, moved its Houston-area offices from 5000 Gulf Freeway in Houston to a campus in Sugar Land in 1995. CVR Energy was listed as the city's only resident 2012 Fortune 500 company and the Houston Chronicle ranked it the No. 5 public company in the Houston area. Sugar Land also has a large number of international energy, software, engineering, and product firms. The city's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are: Western Airways, Minute Maid, and CVI Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CVI), and NalcoChampion's Energy Services division. It was once the home of the company's main (and sole) refinery and distribution center. The refinery and Distribution center have been closed since 2003. The company plans to build new buildings with a scheduled completion time of late 2017. They include a total of 250,000 square feet (23,000 m2) of class A office space and an "amenities" building with 100,000square feet (9,300 m2), both of which are scheduled to open in 2017. In 2015, Schlumbergers announced that it was moving its U.S. corporate headquarters to the Sugar Land facility from a Houston office building. In 1991, BMC Software leased about 120,000sq ft (11,000m2) at the Sugar Creek National Bank Building. BMC planned to vacate both Sugar Land facilities when its current headquarters, located in Westchase, opened; previously, it was headquartered in 2000 St James Place in Houston.

Government and infrastructure

Sugar Land operates under the Council-Manager form of government. Under this system, Council appoints the city manager, who acts as the chief executive officer of the government. The city manager carries out policy and administers city programs. Sugar Land is located in Texas's 22nd congressional district. It is represented in the US House of Representatives by Republican Troy Nehls, a former Fort Bend county sheriff. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice operates the Jester State Prison Farm complex (Jester I, Jester III, and Jester IV) in the Sugar Land area. The Central Unit was the only state prison within the city limits of Sugar Land. In 2011 the TDCJ announced that the Central Unit would be closing and would be vacant by the end of August of that year. With the prison's closing, Sugar Land became the first city to have its state prison close without a replacement facility. The U.S. Postal Service operates the United States Post Office at 225 Matlage Way at 225 First Colony Way. OakBend Medical Center serves as the county's charity hospital which the county contracts with. Fort Bend County does not have a hospital district. The Sugar Land Post Office is located at 225 Second Colony Way, at 225MatlageWay at 225 first Colony Way at225 First Colony Road at 225matlageway at 225 matlage way. The City of sugar Land has had 9 mayors: T. E. Harman (1959-1961), Bill Little (1962-1967), C.E. McFadden (1968-1972), Roy Cordes Sr. (1972-1981) and Joe Zimmerman (2016Present).

Culture and sports

Sugar Land is home to the Smart Financial Centre, an indoor concert hall that is the only such venue of its kind in Greater Houston. Sugar Land is the home of the Sugar Land Space Cowboys Minor League Baseball team, founded in 2012. The city was awarded the title of "Fittest City in Texas" for the population range 50,000100,000 in 2004, 2005 (in a tie with Round Rock) and 2006. The Sugar Land Skeeters won the 2016 and 2018 championship in the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. In 2021, the Skeeters will join the Triple-A West as the triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. After the 2021 season, the team rebranded as the Sugarland Space Cowboys. In 2014 the SugarLand Youth Cricket Club, a children's cricket club, was established. In 2016 it played its home games at Everest Academy in Stafford. In 2017, the city was named one of the top 100 places to live in the U.S. by HomeRoute, a national real estate marketing company which identifies top American cities each year through its Relocate-America program. Cities are selected based on educational opportunities, crime rates, employment and housing data. The magazine started with statistics on 271 U.S. cities provided by OnBoard LLC, a real estate information company. In 2004, the City of Sugar Land was ranked No. 1 in the United States by HomeRoute. In 2006, it was No. 2 in the country.

Local attractions

Sugar Land Town Square serves as the primary entertainment district in Sugar Land and Fort Bend County. The district offers an array of restaurants, sidewalk cafes, shopping venues, a Marriott Hotel and conference center, mid-rise offices and homes, a public plaza, and Sugar Land City Hall. The city also hosts the Sugar Land Ice and Sports Center (formerly Sugar Land Aerodrome), which offers ice skating and hockey lessons. Future developments in the city include new mixed-use developments on the grounds of the former Imperial Sugar refinery, Imperial Market, and in the southern part of the Telfair master-planned community with the Smart Financial Centre as an anchor. In May 2016, two sculptures in the Town Square's public plaza were installed as part of a 10-piece collection donated by a Sugar Land resident to the city. One of the statues, which depicts two girls taking a selfie, has received criticism and acclaim from the media and general public. It is open to the public as an ice skating facility. Also Olympic medalist Tara Lipinski trained at theugarland ice and sports center. The mall is anchored by two Dillard's stores, Macy's, JCPenney, and Barnes & Noble, along with over 130 stores. It recently expanded from its original indoor design to include an outdoor lifestyle component, several parking garages, and new signage that blends in with the surrounding area. The new city hall and public plaza received the "Best Community Impact" award from the Houston Business Journal at the fifth annual Landmark Awards ceremony.

Districts and communities

Sugar Land is home to the largest number of master-planned communities in the nation. Many of the communities feature golf courses, country clubs, and lakes. The largest economic and entertainment activities are in the areas of south and southeastern Sugar Land. The western portion of Sugar Land was also fully incorporated into the city limits in 2017. The city limits of Fort Bend County are home to more than 1,000 square miles (3,000 km²) of land. Sugar Land is the largest city in Texas with a population of more than 2,000,000. It is the most populous city in the United States, followed by Austin, Texas, with about 1,100,000 people. The population of Fort Worth, Texas is about 1.2 million (or 1.4 million people in the U.S. Census estimate). Sugar Land has the highest population growth rate of any Texas city or town in the last decade. It has one of the highest crime rates in the country, with more than 30 murders per 100,000 residents in 2010. It also has the lowest murder rate in the state, with only one murder per 1,200 residents. It was the first Texas prison to be closed without a replacement facility, and is being targeted by the city for future light industrial development. In 2011, the Texas Department of Corrections Central Unit became the first prison to close with no replacement facility. It closed in 2011 and was sold in 2003 and annexed to Sugar Land in 2004. The future North American headquarters of Schlumberger will be located in this area.

Architectural landmarks

Lakeview Auditorium is located on the campus of Lakeview Elementary School. The auditorium was a focal point for a vibrant and growing community. The stately auditorium still stands today and is a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, as of 2002. The original campus consisted of 11 buildings arranged in a semicircle with the large, airy auditorium in the center. All the buildings were finished in white stucco on the outside and had large windows that allowed fresh air to circulate and cool the buildings. The buildings were connected by a covered walkway supported by large, white columns. There was a circular driveway for buses and automobiles. The building was built in 1912 by the Imperial Sugar Company to serve as a school. It is one of the oldest public buildings still standing in the Sugar Land, Texas area. It was a hub of community activity until the 1970s when it was torn down and replaced by a new elementary school.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, Texas = 26. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 47. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 97. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Sugar Land = 5.8 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 1,974 individuals with a median age of 36.5 age the population grows by 25.70% in Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, Texas population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,927.94 residents per square mile of area (1,130.49/km²). There are average 3.03 people per household in the 26,110 households with an average household income of $89,610 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 6.10% of the available work force and has dropped -2.52% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 28.86%. The number of physicians in Sugar Land per 100,000 population = 155.9.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Sugar Land = 46.6 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.1 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 92. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 208. 94 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 42 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 23, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Sugar Land, Fort Bend County, Texas which are owned by the occupant = 83.12%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 19 years with median home cost = $239,980 and home appreciation of 2.39%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $24.03 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,206 per student. There are 16.5 students for each teacher in the school, 535 students for each Librarian and 518 students for each Counselor. 6.29% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 34.29% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 19.31% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).