Brady gives small-town country living in the heart of Texas
The Central Texas city of Brady offers residents a walkable downtown while maintaining a tight-knit, ranching environment. Known as the “Heart of Texas,” the city was once a stop for driving livestock into Kansas. “Brady is a rural town with country folks,” says Gina Long-Hepburn, a Realtor with James Long Real Estate, who has been involved in the Brady business scene since 1990. “This area is mainly full of ranchers, and we used to have a few farms, but it's mainly just ranching and recreational land.”
Lower-cost housing with low HOA activity
The median home price is $136,000, far lower than the state and national numbers. Homes include ranch styles, Arts and Crafts, New Traditional and Queen Annes. The area also has low HOA activity. Properties in the downtown core often have smaller lot sizes with live oaks and mesquite trees accenting lawns. “We don’t have a lot of custom builds, we don’t have subdivisions, we've got one property owner association and that’s at the Brady Lake, called the Simpson Lake Club, and I don’t foresee we will have another POA or HOA,” says Long-Hepburn. “The infrastructure is pretty well built out.”
Brady Independent School District is the main option for students
Students attend the Brady Independent School District, ranked C-plus on Niche. They can start at Brady Elementary School, rated B-minus, and continue onto B-graded Brady Middle School. Brady High School earns a B-minus and offers classes in agriculture and business.
Cultural events, country music, and Lake Brady
The annual July Jubilee has been held for almost 100 years and features a parade downtown, a barbecue and dancing. Brady also hosts the World Championship Barbecue Goat Cookoff during Labor Day weekend. The event also has live music, games and an arts and crafts fair.
Brady’s country music scene includes the Heart of Texas Country Music Museum downtown, featuring multiple exhibits and memorabilia detailing Texas’s impact on the genre. A country music festival is held every March. The Palace Theatre, in Brady’s Main Square, opened in 1927 and was refurbished in 2017, acting as both a concert venue and movie theatre. The Heart of Texas Historical Museum displays artifacts from local history.
Brady Lake, east of downtown, has 25 miles of shoreline, perfect for swimming, camping and fishing. Local green spaces include Richards Park, featuring a playground and frisbee golf. Earnest O. Martin Memorial Park has multiple amenities, including an aquatic center, baseball diamonds, courts and a hummingbird and butterfly garden.
Dining and shopping on Bridge Street
The bulk of Brady’s dining is along Bridge Street. The Big Easy Station serves burgers, salads and pizza. Mexico City Café has breakfast along with dishes from south of the border. Brady’s Restaurant offers southern dishes such as chicken-fried steak and catfish.
Downtown has several boutique clothing and antique shops. Lowe’s Grocery Store is on West 17th Street, while Walmart and other big box stores are on the southern end of the community on U.S. Highway 87. Smaller convenience stores and grocery stores are also present.
The Heart of Texas Healthcare System has a hospital on Nine Road.
Weather and flood risks in Brady
Brady is typically dry most of the year, but does experience severe storms and tornadoes. “[Tornadoes are] always a possibility out here," Long-Hepburn says. "The wind’s always blowing.” The National Weather Prediction Service says Brady Creek does have a risk of flooding.
U.S Highway 87, but the nearest airport is a fair distance away
Greyhound provides intercity bus connections. U.S. Highway 87 connects to Interstate 10 to the south and San Angelo to the northwest. San Angelo Regional Airport is 80 miles northwest but only has flights to Dallas-Fort Worth International.
