The city of Alvin, Texas of Brazoria County came into existence with the establishment of the bull ranches sometime in the middle of the 19th century. When the Santa Fe Railroad made its way through the town, a small settlement was formed and was named Morgan at first by the town's residents after the original resident, Alvin Morgan. They later discovered Morgan had already been taken as another town's name and quickly changed it to Alvin. The town was very well known after Hall of Fame Baseball player Nolan Ryan moved to Alvin in 1947. The Nolan Ryan Museum is located on the campus of the Alvin Community College.
Alvin, with its close proximity to the Houston metropolitan area, is a practical living location for people not wanting to live in the large city of Houston but hold jobs in that area. It is only 30 miles from Alvin to downtown Houston, making it an excellent option for people willing to commute to work. As of 2009, Alvin had 23,284 residents. This is an 8.7% increase in population since the year 2000. This population size helps support a hardware store, a few locally owned markets, a Walmart, dollar store, a western store, drug stores, and all the other typical stores of a well established community. Alvin is also home to many entertainment venues including bowling, several country clubs and golf courses.
With a lower than United States average crime index rating average over the past eleven years of 277.2, Alvin can be considered a relatively safe and well rounded community. If you are someone looking to start up a family, this town should definitely be looked into. Alvin has a strong public school system with three PK through 3rd grade schools, seven PK through 6th grade elementary schools, three 3rd through 6th grade schools, five 7-8th grade junior highs, and two high schools. There is also an academy and two private schools in Alvin, giving parents many education options for their children. Additionally, Alvin has a 5,700 student community college which was opened in 1948 and is located to the south east of Morgan Park.
Alvin has three zip codes which have more than 24,000 households between them with relatively low costs of living. In 2009, 53 new house construction building permits were obtained with an average cost of $133,600. The median household value is $137,000, making it an affordable living option for families with different incomes.
Related Links