Are you thinking about moving out of the Houston metro area in order to avoid the hustle and bustle of a large city or, are you thinking about moving to the Houston area but do not want to live in the city? If either of these situations describes you, then it is well worth your time to consider the opportunities and advantages of living in Sugar Land and in Fort Bend County, Texas.

In the area there are approximately 29 individual neighborhoods including the fast growing, popular, and sophisticated gated communities. The number, proximity and quality of public schools is often a significant criteria for families looking for a place to call home.

Within the master-planned communities in Sugar Land, there are four different options to choose from in terms of education. These include the: Sienna Crossing Elementary, Scanlan Oaks Elementary, Billy Baines Middle School, Lawrence E. Elkins High School and Hightower High School.

Not only are there a number of school options in Sugar Land, the school districts in the area have been designated as some of the country's most outstanding places for children to learn. In fact, having outstanding educational options puts Sugar Land high on the list for families as they decide where they want to live.

Some basic demographics about Sugar Land are that it is in Fort Bend County which lies in the southeastern coastal plains of Texas and encompasses approximately 869 square miles. The county seat is Richmond and the average temperature for this area of the state ranges from 94 degrees in July to 44 degrees in January. Fort bend has on average about 45 inches of rain per year.

The growth rate of Fort Bend County, as determined from the difference in 1990 census data to 200 census data, has been phenomenal and it is now the 10th largest county in the state of Texas with an approximate population of almost 350,000. Fort Bend County boasts being the most culturally diverse county in Texas. In addition to these statistics, Fort Bend County is the host county for three of the 50 largest cities in Texas including a portion of Houston, Sugar Land, and Missouri City.

Being large can be both good and bad. In the case of Fort Bend County, the growth potential has been predicted and addressed by upgrades to transportation, schools, expansion of Houston and Wharton Community Colleges, development of a technical center and the completion of the Sugar Land campus of the University of Houston. Residential expansion has been planned around what is called master-planned communities and many have popped up around the county.

The primary reason for the expansion into Sugar Land has been said to be that people want to leave the overcrowding and bedlam of larger cities. They are leaving and looking for a calmer yet still culturally aesthetic lifestyle. Master-planned communities offer this combination. Add to this the fact that Fort Bend County has an abundance of community parks and recreational opportunities - which, of course, includes quality golfing.

This area, for many reasons is one of the top places to live in Sugar Land. Some of the most trendsetting features of this area include:

1. A fabulous 160 acre sports park built right up against the beautiful Brazos River. The park is being built in phases and the first phase is completed and consists of baseball and soccer fields, walking trails, concessions, a covered picnic area, and lots of fun play equipment in the playground. It has been projected that when Camp Sienna is finished, it will be one of the largest of its type in Texas.

2. Homes which start in the $160,000 range and go up to $2 million.

3. Various clubs which offer, tennis, swimming and exercise classes, picnicking and outdoor festivals, concerts and seminars on popular topics.

4. State of the art technology services meaning: 1) all homes have been built with advanced wiring systems for telephone and cable as well as category 5 (LAN) wiring enabling up to 4 different phone lines/telephone outlet and 2) pre-wiring for ground-floor alarm systems.

5. Golf Clubs in the area provide high quality courses which offer community social events as well as golfing.

If you are thinking about relocating to the suburbs, take a look at this area.