If you’ve ever wanted to live in a small town with lots of charm, the 11.9 square mile stretch of country called Tomball could be the place for you. Formerly known as Peck, the town was renamed to Tomball in 1907 after congressman Thomas Ball, the man who helped to develop the port of Houston.
In the early 19th century, Tomball settlers found the area to be the perfect place for raising cattle and farming due to the high amount of rainfall, making the soil nice and fertile.
By 1906, a train stop for the Trinity and Brazos Valley Railroad was placed in Tomball since it was located between the hills and the Gulf plains. Because the topography created a slope toward the Galveston ports, the railroad cars could be loaded in Tomball and it would make for a more efficient and easy coast downhill to the next destination.
After Tomball’s new railway stop was introduced, many more people flocked to the town and businesses began popping up all over the place. Soon there were hotels, saloons, boarding houses, and merchant stores in the heart of the city.
The moment people heard the news that oil probes had sensed large reservoirs of oil underneath the city, that’s when the town began to really flourish. Although no oil was immediately found, a short while later, in 1933, a huge gusher of oil was finally struck and thousands of oil workers came flooding into the city, catapulting the city’s economy into success.
At the time, oil was so abundant in Tomball that the Humble Oil company made a deal where they gave the town free gas in exchange for the rights to drill for oil. This worked for a while, however, in 1988 oil reserves dwindled and the agreement came to an end.
After World War II, the population of Tomball grew as more Texas residents moved from big cities back to the countryside in order to lead more comfortable lives. The benefits of living in Tomball at that time was that they paid fewer taxes, had little to no traffic or crime, and people would still be close enough to their jobs and could experience the city when they wanted to.
An interesting fact about Tomball is that the city has partnered with the city of Telgte in Germany for a foreign exchange student program.
If you’re looking for a place to buy a home in Texas and want to maintain the peace and quiet of a small town, Tomball is a great place to start your search.
The cost of living in Tomball is pretty affordable compared to the surrounding big cities, which can allow you to enjoy your small town perks while still having easy access to the surrounding cities.
In Tomball, 36.16% of people are homeowners, and the average home costs $242,079, making it easy to buy a home and get a great deal on your mortgage.
Perhaps one of the best benefits to living in Tomball is the variety of family activities. These include hiking trails, plenty of golf courses, and yearly festivals and fairs. For example, the three day Tomball German Heritage Festival that honors its German heritage with great food, music, shopping, and entertainment that spans over four city blocks.
The festival hosts traditional German music and entertainment with hundreds of vendors including a carnival, a special entertainment area for kids, and admission is free!
Tomball is a great place to raise a family thanks to its wonderful school systems, both public and private. You don’t have to drive to the city to get a great education for your kids.
Most of Tomball’s schools are rated 9 or 10 by Greatschools.org. And with a student to teacher ratio of 16 to 1 at Tomball High School, you can bet your kids are going to get the attention and guidance they deserve.
Tomball High School participates in the Advanced Placement program and has an AP program participation rate of 37%. The benefits of having access to AP classes are huge. Many AP exam scores can count toward college credit, depending on the college, and taking AP classes tells colleges that a student is ready for and can succeed in the rigorous undergraduate environment.
Check out our home search tool and start your search today. You can search for homes across the entire Houston area for free with this robust tool. Whether you’re looking for a completely new environment to get away from the big city life, or if you’re used to the charm of small town living, Tomball is a great place to consider for your new home.
Between the great schools and the close-knit community, you’ll find Tomball to be a great place to live.
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