LEE COUNTY QUALITY OF LIFE

THE PERFECT BLEND FOR BUSINESS AND FAMILY

Giddings and the Lee County area provide all the benefits of a small community, while also having easy access to all of the major population centers in the state. The good country values and commitment to the community are characteristic of the people of this area.

The combination of these characteristics and the central location on the major transportation routes between Houston, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, and San Antonio produce the perfect blend of good business opportunity and quality family living.

LOCATION

Giddings, the county seat of Lee County , is located in south central Texas between the metropolitan areas of Houston and Austin . U.S. Highway 77, connecting the Dallas area to the Gulf Coat area, and U.S. Highway 290, the main connection between Houston and Austin, intersect at Giddings.

The central location and excellent highways connecting Giddings with the major population centers are conducive to convenient, quality, and cost-efficient transportation. Whether your needs include travel or the exportation and importation of goods, Lee County's location provides a great advantage when evaluating time and expense.

Giddings has bus services provided by Kerrville Bus Company, and railroad services by Southern Pacific. The local airport, located 3 miles west of Giddings, is equipped with a 4,000-foot, lighted runway, and has a full-service FBO and flight school. The nearest commercial airline services are 56 miles from Giddings at Austin Bergstrom Airport..

Distance in miles from:
Austin - 48 miles
San Antonio - 120
Houston - 100
Dallas/Ft. Worth - 200

Communications

Giddings has one local weekly newspaper, The Giddings Times & News, and has delivery available for newspapers from Houston and Austin. The area has cable television services. Verizon provides telephone services, and local internet services are provided by several companies.

Utilities

Water and sewer facilities are publicly owned within the City of Giddings and have capacity for growth. Electricity is furnished by the City of Giddings within the city limits and by Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative in the rest of the county. Natural Gas is supplied by Center Point Energy - Entex. Also available throughout the county is a rural water system.

Economic Resources

The Lee County area is blessed with varying resources in agriculture, industry, minerals, and tourism.

The major agriculture product for the area is peanuts. Other products include grain, crops, and livestock. Products produced by industries in our area consist of feed products, fiberglass, furniture, Teflon, and textiles. Also available in our area are the mineral resources of oil and gas.

Climate

Annual Average Temp: 67
Monthly Avg. High Temp: Jan. 42 July: 96
Monthly Avg. Low Temp: Jan. 38 July: 74
Annual Average Precipitation: 35.88"
Annual Average Snowfall: 0
Elevation: 465 ft. Prevailing Winds: Southeast
Growing Season: 273 days

Population

The city of Giddings has an estimated population of 5,105 while Lee County has an estimated population of 14,442. The population has shown a positive growth pattern throughout the decade.

Work Force

The area has a current work force of approximately 7,352 individuals from the age of 16, Lee County draws in adequate labor from a 60-mile radius. The attitudes and customs of the people stimulate them with characteristic loyalty and pride in their work.

Education

Lee County's educational systems help to develop a high-quality work force. Lee County has three public school districts. Each has a low pupil-to-teacher ratio and a lower-than-state average dropout rate. In addition, there are three parochial schools in Lee County providing education from kindergarten through eighth grade. The public schools in the area provide a comprehensive Special Education Curriculum, and a Community Education Program with activities for pre-school through senior citizen ages. Blinn College courses are also offered in evening classes. Quality pre-school/day-care centers are also accessible for working parents throughout the area. Click here for a list of schools.

Higher Education

Another asset to the Lee County area is the quality higher education institutes within commuting distance (60 miles of less): Blinn College (Brenham); Texas A&M University (College Station); Prairie View A&M (Prairie View); University of Texas ( Austin );

Concordia Lutheran College (Austin); Austin Community College (Austin); St. Edward's University (Austin); Huston-Tillotson College (Austin); SouthWestern University (Georgetown); Texas State University (San Marcos); and Sam Houston State (Huntsville).

Schools

Enrollment Ratio
Elementary (1) 807 14:1
Intermediate (1) 364 14:1
Middle/Jr. High (1) 380 14:1
Senior High (1) 572 14:1
Private (3) 151 14:1

Residential

Residential development is a major industry in Lee County . The cost of living in Giddings, and Lee County in particular, remains very low. Lee County is well serviced by quality police, fire protection, and other services.

Recreation

The City of Giddings operates a city park with a playground, lighted ball-fields, tennis courts, basketball courts, a public pool, and picnic facilities. The area also offers a bowling alley, dance hall, public golf course, mountain-bike trail system, driving range, and a public library. Various leagues offer a variety of organized sports for the area youth including soccer, basketball, softball, flag football, and summer track. Within a 15-minute drive from Lee County , three state parks provide beautiful camping and recreational vehicle facilities. Click here for details

Tax Structure

The State of Texas and the City of Giddings impose no state or city income taxes. There is an 8.25 percent sales tax. Ad Valorem property taxes are levied by the state, county, city and school district, and hospital district. The area tax rate is low in comparison to other tax areas in central Texas .

Industrial Supports

As with the devoted work force in our community, the suppliers of industrial support also care about the community and its success. Therefore, they provide the area with quality, economical services and equipment.