College Station-Bryan, TX
The numbers that matter most
What an investor checks first when sizing up a new metro — affordability ratio, rent vs income, cap rate proxy, and where the market is moving. Each metric shown vs. state and national medians for instant context.
moderate
Price to income
4.39×
The single most-cited 'is this market still cheap' check. Below 3× and you're in an affordability tailwind.
- vs Texas
- 2.95×
- vs U.S.
- 3.43×
Benchmark
ACS median home value ÷ median HHI
comfortable
Rent to income
23.8%
What share of a typical household's income goes to rent. Below 30% means tenants can absorb modest rent increases.
- vs Texas
- 23.2%
- vs U.S.
- 23.3%
Benchmark
(HUD FMR 2BR × 12) ÷ median HHI
tight
Cap rate proxy
3.53%
Rough first-pass yield assuming a 35% expense ratio. Not an underwriting number — a 'is this even worth modeling' filter.
- vs Texas
- 5.06%
- vs U.S.
- 4.35%
Benchmark
(FMR 2BR × 12 × 0.65) ÷ ACS median home value
shrinking
Net migration
-0.17%
Forward-looking demand signal. Positive net migration drives rent growth and absorbs new supply.
- vs Texas
- -0.00%
- vs U.S.
- 0.03%
Benchmark
IRS net migration ÷ population
strong
Permit pipeline
8.68
permits per 1,000 residents
Forward-supply indicator. Above ~5 means the metro is building meaningfully relative to its size; below 2 means supply is tight.
- vs Texas
- 5.01+3.67
- vs U.S.
- 3.52+5.16
Benchmark
Census BPS permits TTM ÷ population × 1,000
healthy
Unemployment
3.1%
Tighter unemployment means higher wages, more rental demand, lower vacancy.
- vs Texas
- 3.7%-0.6
- vs U.S.
- 3.9%-0.8
Benchmark
BLS LAUS, latest month
Where prices are and where they've been
5-year price appreciation
+48.3%
homeValues.yearOverYear
+2.4%
Median home value
$261,900
The rent ladder
| Bedroom | Monthly | Annual | % of median HHI |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 BR | $1,082 | $12,984 | 21.8% |
| 2 BR | $1,186 | $14,232 | 23.8% |
| 3 BR | $1,649 | $19,788 | 33.2% |
Labor market direction
Unemployment
3.1%
Median household income
$59,691
What's being built
Total TTM
2,338
+22.6% YoY
Single-family
1,678
2–4 unit
164
5+ unit
496
All 3 counties, ranked by population
| County | Population | Home value | Median HHI | Permits TTM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazos County | 234,548 | $279,700 | $58,388 | 2,277 | +23.1% |
| Burleson County | 17,958 | $174,000 | $72,888 | 33 | +6.5% |
| Robertson County | 16,912 | $172,700 | $66,250 | 28 | — |
Similar metros nationally
| Metro | Pop | Med HHI | P/I | Cap proxy | HPI 5y | Permits/1k | Unemp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ★College Station | 269,418 | $59,691 | 4.39× | 3.53% | +48.3% | 8.68 | 3.1% |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | 272,931 | $59,975 | — | — | +45.0% | — | 2.4% |
| Erie, PA | 270,495 | $61,476 | — | — | +61.3% | — | 4.2% |
| Laredo, TX | 267,282 | $62,506 | — | — | +48.0% | — | 4.1% |
| Charleston, WV | 257,927 | $58,089 | — | — | +36.3% | — | 4.4% |
| Waco, TX | 278,103 | $63,880 | — | — | +49.5% | — | 3.6% |
Where people are moving in from
Net migration
-471
-0.17% of population
| Origin county | Tax returns |
|---|---|
| Harris County, TX | 875 |
| Brazos County, TX | 395 |
| Travis County, TX | 249 |
| Montgomery County, TX | 220 |
| Williamson County, TX | 209 |
| Grimes County, TX | 207 |
Who lives in College Station
- Median age
- 28
- Bachelor's+
- 39.1%
- Owner-occupancy
- 51.0%
- Vacancy rate
- 12.4%
- Rent burdened (30%+)
- 55.2%
- Median household income
- $59,691
This page shows federally sourced data. A full editorial analysis with charts and investment commentary is in progress.