Lake Jackson still benefits from the work of Alden B. Dow
Lake Jackson is known for its abundance of trees and quirky, sometimes confusing street names from “This Way” to “That Way” and “Any Way.” All of these “way” streets lead to its midcentury-modern downtown offering a selection of tried-and-true local eateries and boutiques. Though Lake Jackson has “lake” in its name, it’s formed around an oxbow-shaped tributary of the Brazos River. Fishing is naturally a pastime here and the city's Sea Center of Texas actively restocks surrounding waterways by producing over 20 million fish annually. Other cultural highlights of the city are the Lake Jackson Historical Museum and Brazosport College.
The Dow Chemical Company has a corporate office off Abner Jackson Parkway, serving not only as a major employer in the area, but also as a catalyst for the town's development in the early 1940s. Alden B. Dow, the son of the company’s founder, was the principal architect of the city. "[His father] started doing research and development on taking sea water and cleaning it out so people could drink it," says Lake Jackson Public Information Officer Lora-Marie Bernard, who has written several books about the town. "After that, that's when [they] started building the town."
Home to around 30,000 people, many have lived in Lake Jackson their entire lives. “Everybody knows everybody,” says Donna Mitchell, a Realtor with Birdsong Realty who’s sold homes in the area for four years. She says a big draw to the city is the natural beauty brought to life by a robust park system. Another perk of living in Lake Jackson is that the beach is just 12 miles away in Freeport.
Lake Jackson is situated right alongside a major highway, highway 288.
A man casts a line for the big one in one of Lake Jackson's many area ponds.
Dow is one of Lake Jackson's largest employers.
Sea Center Texas is one of Lake Jackson's biggest draws.
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Midcentury homes are plentiful in Lake Jackson
Lake Jackson is known for its '40s to '60s-era midcentury modern homes, though there are some custom builds from the '80s and '90s and a handful of new communities. "You can't find these kinds of original midcentury homes in a lot of places anymore," Bernard says. "It's not uncommon to see homes with old oak trees that are 100, 200 years old." The northwestern section of Lake Jackson, near the oxbow waterway, has some of the area’s most high-end neighborhoods, including Lake Jackson Farms. Mitchell says that subdivision was the city’s first residential area and was once occupied by the higher-ups at Dow Chemical. Buyers are mostly drawn there for the large lot sizes less common further south. Development, though sparse, is happening out east in Lake Jackson. Creekside is one of the city’s newest subdivisions and brings a modern farmhouse look to the area. There’s a singular master-planned community in the city called Woodshore and it's still under construction.
The median home listing for Lake Jackson is around $300,000, which is 26% lower than the state average and 43% lower than the national average. But compared to Clute and Richwood – cities just next door – this median listing is 10% to 25% higher. As of August 2024, prices were up by 24% from the following year in Lake Jackson. Homes sell a bit faster than the national average, in 39 days versus 44.
Lake Jackson's location was chosen for its protective elevation. However, it has still seen its share of flooding. "We flooded really badly twice in the past two years, so flood insurance is very high," Mitchell says. "That was extremely rare for it to happen within two years of each other." These floods were caused by Hurricane Ian in 2022 and Beryl in 2024. The city's hurricane preparedness practices include keeping citizens up to date through the Emergency Response App and offering evacuation transportation services to those in need. Temperatures tend stay between 47F to 91F, with lows around 34F and highs around 94F. They are highest from May to September and coolest from December to February. On average, the city tends to get 52 inches of rain annually.
Single story ranch style homes are a common style found in Lake Jackson, Texas.
A row of ranch style homes sit underneath mature oak trees in Lake Jackson, Texas.
A newly built home sits along a cul-de-sac street in the Lake Jackson area.
Well manicured lawns are a great feature of many homes in the Lake Jackson neighborhood.
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Brazosport College is in Lake Jackson
Students attend the Brazosport Independent School District, which earns a B plus rating on Niche. Mitchell says there are several popular private options nearby, including Our Lady Queen of Peace and Brazos Port Christian School. The local community college, Brazosport College, scores an A minus and costs just over $4,200 annually after aid. The University of Houston is within 60 miles, earning the same Niche rating and costing nearly $14,000 after aid. The university has a 66% acceptance rate and, according to its data, 84 percent of graduates score their first career-track job within 3 months of graduating.
Elizabet Ney Elementary School is a public school serving grades K-5 in Lake Jackson.
Our Lady Queen of Peace has a student-teacher ratio of 8:1.
Brazosport Christian School boasts a student population of 220.
Brazosport College is Lake Jackson's local community college.
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The city has tons of parks and McLean Park is the most popular
Around 75% of residents can walk to a city park in 10 minutes. “You'll find parks just off the side of the road where people take their kids to play, walk and hang out,” Mitchell says. "We have the big parks and these little bitty parks all over the place.” Many of these parks are too small for playgrounds but the city intends to make better use of the space by installing fitness stations. However, wide scale planning and development is stalled due to a string of events from Covid to Hurricane Beryl. Hyde says the parks and rec department is gauging community feedback, but they anticipate more outdoor basketball courts as currently there is only one. “And I can tell you now, Pickleball courts will be a big deal,” she says.
The last parks and recreation plan was proposed in 2017 and responsible for bringing the community dog park. Locals can access Lake Jackson’s residential sidewalks and the main paved trail that passes along Oyster Creek Drive, which also connects residents to downtown Lake Jackson. Currently, Hyde says the city’s most popular large park is McLean Park for its skate park, ball fields, playground and pavilion.
Maclean Park offers tennis courts, walking trails, and a dog park, all located in Lake Jackson.
Those that enjoy to skate can access the public skatepark at Maclean Park in Lake Jackson.
Friends chat at one of Maclean Park's many picnic areas in Lake Jackson.
A resident of Lake Jackson takes a morning run along one of the neighborhood's many trails.
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Lake Jackson is known as “The City of Enchantment”
One of the first residents of Lake Jackson, Johnny Suggs, nicknamed it “The City of Enchantment” at the first community dance in 1943. The moniker stuck and is now featured on the city’s welcome sign. Today, Lake Jackson's most popular events revolve around the holidays. Yuletide celebrations begin the week before Thanksgiving with the city’s Festival of Lights and Annual Parade of Lights. Light Up Lake Jackson, a Christmas decoration contest, keeps the holiday momentum going after Festival of Lights concludes. Dunbar Park hosts the annual Fourth of July fireworks event. “Each year, we do adult and kids flashlight easter egg hunts,” says Lake Jackson’s Director of Parks and Recreation, Robyn Hyde. Hyde also highlights the summer concert series at Lake Jackson’s Doris Williams Civic Center.
Lake Jackson is home to about 27,768 full time residents.
A family feeds ducks at a neighborhood pond, located in central Lake Jackson.
A fire truck comes along the parade route at the Festival of Lights.
A child waves to crowds of over two thousand people at Festival of Lights.
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It's "This Way and That Way" to downtown Lake Jackson
Downtown Lake Jackson is a hub of local shopping and dining at the intersection of This Way and That Way. “When I was younger, they didn’t have much in our downtown area. But over the years, they’ve put up some bars and restaurants, and it’s a wee bit walkable. If you wanted to go bar hopping you could,” says Janickia Centeno, a lifelong resident. “There’s a mom-and-pop smoothie shop called Lovebirds. I think it sells vegan stuff. People love it and it’s also been voted as a top smoothie place around here!” Bernard says most big-box stores are on the other side of the freeway so as not to encroach on downtown. The Brazos Mall is a hub for them, with over 70 stores, including well-known chains from Dillard's to JCPenney and a movie theater.
Residents can stop by Redefined Coffee Shop in Lake Jackson for a coffee or pastry.
A jeweler assists a customer at Brazos Mall in Lake Jackson.
Brazos Mall boasts over fifty stores for residents in Lake Jackson.
Stop by Love Birds in Lake Jackson for a healthy smoothie or fruit bowl.
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Highway 288 takes locals to Freeport in 12 miles
Sidewalks and trails in Lake Jackson make it pedestrian-friendly. Public transportation is run through three branches: Gulf Coast Transit District (GCTD), Southern Brazoria County Transit System, and Ride The Wave. Ride The Wave has on-demand services, while the rest offer fixed-route transit. St. Luke's Health - Brazosport Hospital is in Lake Jackson with over 150 beds and 100 board-certified physicians. Texas State Highway 288 passes through the city, connecting locals to the broader region, including Freeport's beaches in 12 miles, Houston in around 50 miles and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in around 70 miles. Served by over a dozen major airlines with non-stop flights to more than 180 international and domestic locations, this airport is known for being the busiest in Texas.
The city prevents crime through its Citizen Police Academy
Lake Jackson Police Department’s 2022 data shows crime incidents totaled 1,282. The highest category was assault, at 475. The second highest was theft offenses, at 386. Homicide was one of the lowest, at one reported incidence. Crime tends to concentrate around the center of the city, around major shopping areas and apartment complexes. One of Lake Jackson’s crime prevention initiatives is its eight-week Citizen Police Academy. The training not only familiarizes the community with police work and what it involves, it also forges a personal connection between citizens and officers.
Born and raised in the Houston-Galveston Region of Texas, Sasha Lester comes from humble beginnings that have driven her to work hard and master her real estate skills. She has been in the business since 2010. Her love to explore, learn new things, and meet new people has contributed to her expansive knowledge of the Southeast area of Texas and has given her the ability to be highly skilled in protecting, educating, and negotiating for her family, friends, clients, and associates.
She has received the True Grit Award from RE/MAX of Texas for her resilience and dedication. Her integrity is an attribute that her clients boast about to their friends and family, which explains why most of Sasha's business is referral based. She is real, honest, and proficient. Many agents, consumers, and others in the industry will say that this Real Estate Agent is Top Notch. Sasha has taken immense pride in mentoring many agents throughout her career, as she has been a long-time advocate of giving back to the career and community she loves. She uses her local reputation, vast network, online niche, and community presence to keep up with the latest real estate trends and focus on homes and land that clients are looking to buy and sell.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
