Relocating somewhere after retirement from military services is a great chance to live the rest of your life according to your preferred lifestyle. Though you still have the military blood inside you, don’t let it limit your lifestyle. Do the things you have never tried before. Retiring doesn’t only mean relaxing and getting away from work. It could also signal the beginning of an adventure.
The Bryan-College Station, consisting of twin cities Bryan and College Station, area has a low cost of living meaning that the most consumer products and utilities are affordable, therefore an ideal place to live in if you are budget-conscious and were not fortunate enough to retire as a 4 star colonel. It has a mean annual income of $31,730 attributing to all occupations. The unemployment rate is currently 6.9%.
Ninety miles away stands Fort Hood, a commissary and exchange military installment. You can visit the place if you miss your military life. You’ll find a lot of soldiers and local people there to talk to.
College Station is the largest city among the metropolitan areas in the area. The median income per year, per household is $21,180 and as per family, $53,147. In 2008, College Station has a low unemployment rate of 3 to 4%. This is credited to the contributions of Texas A&M University which employs about 16,248, making education the largest employer in the city. However, even with a low figured rate, unemployment is still undeniably a major problem. As to housing, College Station (1999) has a Median asking price for home of $189,875 and median value for a previous house is $199,500. Median property taxes paid is around $2,400. If you want to rent a house or an apartment, note that the median rent asked is $1,005 per month. In College Station, as of 1999, there are more renters than house owners which is the typical composition of a college town.
Next to College Station is the city of Bryan. Like the Texas A&M University, Bryan’s Independent School District comprises one of the largest employers in the city, also making the Education field the number one employer. The City of Bryan has a population of 65,660 as of 2000. The median age is 27.6, with those aged 20 to 34 having the largest portion of the population. Average income (1999) of household amounts to $23,855 and $15,072 for each family. Bryan has a lower asking price for a home amounting to $98,525; the median rent asked is $772. Median property taxes paid is $1,387. Unlike College Station, there are more home owners than renters in Bryan.
For your public transportation needs, the District has public bus transportation for the Bryan/College Station area. Texas A&M Transportation Services are specifically for students, faculty and non-teaching employees of the Texas A&M University. If you have time, you can watch football games of the students. There are two regional airports in Bryan/College Station. The Easterwood Airport has flights to Dallas and Houston. The other one, Coulter Field, is owned by Bryan City. There are also two international airports in the area. George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, both less than two hours away from College Station.
There is much more to learn about the College Station/Bryan area according to USAA’s 10 best places to retire for the military. You can learn more about traveling to the area below:
Check out the resources below to help you through your military retirement: