Administrative & support & waste management & remediation service
13
D
D
b
61
Educational services
2
D
D
a
62
Health care & social assistance
66
D
D
g
71
Arts, entertainment, & recreation
7
2,550
618
44
72
Accommodation & food services
47
24,803
6,807
687
81
Other services (except public administration)
56
17,067
5,927
299
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2002 Economic Census
Major Employers
Company Name
Category
STP Nuclear Operating Company
Electricity generation
OXEA Corporation
Chemical products
Lyondell Chemical
Plastics manufacturing
Valerus Compressors
Compressor fabrication
Henderson Manufacturing
Steel fabrication
Taxes
2007 Property Taxes (Rate:per $100 of assessed value)
Matagorda County
$0.26829/$100
Matagorda County Hospital District
$0.17214/$100
City of Bay City
$0.51132/$100
Bay City Independent School District
$1.52000/$100
City of Palacios
$0.74180/$100
Palacios Independent School District
$1.29000/$100
Tidehaven Independent School District
$1.17870/$100
Van Vleck Independent School District
$1.28000/$100
Matagorda Independent School District
$1.28000/$100
Some of these and other drainage, port, utility, or special purpose district taxes may apply, depending on the specific location within Matagorda County.
Sales Taxes
City of Bay City
2.00%
City of Palacios
2.00%
County
0.00%
State
6.25%
State Taxes
Corporate income
0.00%
Individual income
0.00%
State Corporate Franchise Tax
Yes, until 2008
Employment / Unemployment
Transportation
Highways
Texas 60 (north-south)
Texas 35 (east west)
Texas 457 (north-south)
Highway 59 / I-69
Rail Service
Burlington Northern/Santa Fe (north-south service)
Union Pacific/Southern Pacific (east-west service)
Air Transportation
Nearest Airport
Miles from Airport
Bay City
3 miles
Palacios
In city limits
Rail:North-South rail service is provided by the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe.East-West service is by the Union Pacific/Southern Pacific.The lines intersect in Bay City and at the Port of Bay City, giving the county an excellent rail presence.
Water:East and West Matagorda Bays provide excellent year-round saltwater fishing for residents and visitors.The Gulf of Mexico provides commercial and recreational opportunities.Boats and fishing guide services are available to enhance fishing experiences.The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (ICWW) runs the length of the county allowing barge traffic to reach the entire 1400 mile Gulf ICWW.The Port of Palacios is navigable by barge from the ICWW.The Port of Palacios has three turning basins with 10,900 feet of dockage.It also offers recreation boat slips and slings.The Colorado River is navigable by barge for 15 miles from the ICWW to the Port of Bay City.The Port of Bay City offers a turning basin, warehouse space, dock and liquid loading/off-loading facilities.The Port Authority also operates a 200 slip marina for recreation boats on the ICWW at Matagorda.
Highway: Texas State Highway 35 runs east/west to Highway 288, a new four-lane into Houston.Texas 60 runs north/south and joins four-lane Highway 59 twenty-five miles to the north.Highway 59 connects Houston with Victoria.Highway 59 has been designated to become I-69, the Trans-Canada/Mexico Interstate. Air: Both Bay City and Palacios have municipal airports.Bay City Airport has a 5,120 foot paved runway with storage, fuel and maintenance facilities.Palacios Municipal Airport has three 5,000 foot paved runways with storage and fuel facilities.Bush Intercontinental in Houston is less than two hours away.Hobby National is less than 1.5 hours away in Houston.Hobby is a major terminal for Southwest Airlines.
Industrial / Business Development Sites Available
Education
Early Education
Five Independent School Districts:
Number of elementary schools
14
Number of middle schools
4
Number of high schools
5
Total enrollment of all schools in 2006
7,958
Total number of teachers in all school systems
570
Higher Education
Number of colleges within 100 miles
20
The Palacios Maritime Center at Palacios is a cooperative campus for courses taught by Texas State Technical College, Texas A & M, and Wharton County Junior College.
Some of the larger area colleges:
University of Houston
State college
Rice University
Private college
Texas Southern University
State college
Del Mar College
State college
University of St. Thomas
Private college
Houston Baptist University
Private college
University of Texas Health Science Center
State college
Baylor College of Medicine
Independent, Non-profit college
University of Houston–Victoria
State college
Victoria College
Local college
Houston Community College
State college
North Harris-Montgomery Comm. College
State college
Wharton County Junior College
State college
Major Events / Festivals
Community Services
Healthcare Services
Incentives
Tax Abatement: Matagorda County, Bay City and Palacios have tax abatement policies for companies expanding or locating in their jurisdictions.School taxes are NOT included in those abatements.School districts must be approached individually to seek real estate value caps on qualified industrial projects as permitted by state law. Land: The Matagorda County EDC has sites totaling 12 acres in the Bay City Industrial Park that it offers free to industrial businesses creating new jobs on the sites.This policy is designed to aid companies locating in the park by forgiving the purchase price based on the number of new permanent jobs created.
Job Training & Recruitment:The WorkSource in Bay city is available to assist new and existing businesses hire and train needed employees at no cost.The WorkSource can draw upon a job seeker database covering the Houston region.The Bay City Synergy Training Center provides technical and academic courses by a consortium of Wharton County Junior College, Texas State Technical College, Brazosport College, Victoria College and Texas A&M.Texas State Technical College also teaches certification courses in Palacios.
Texas Capital Fund:This state incentive program provides competitive funds to the community and companies to assist in extending off-site infrastructure to a project site. Small Business Development Center:The University of Houston offers personalized assistance to entrepreneurs and existing small business owners to help them develop and grow their businesses. Business Assistance Center:This center in Bay City provides office space, computer services, technical support and business mentoring to entrepreneurs and existing businesses to help them grow from ideas to successful businesses and from small existing businesses to larger ones.
Tax Free Bonds:The authorities of the two commercial ports in Matagorda County can issue tax-free bonds for construction of new facilities and infrastructure in support of industrial projects that increase business at the ports.
Community Profile
Matagorda County is located between Galveston and Corpus Christi along the Gulf of Mexico Coast. The county is 72 miles SW of Houston affording all the amenities of a large metropolitan City with the quiet lifestyle of a rural south Texas community. The county is a destination for many northern neighbors who winter along our coast.
In addition to the 'snow birds' or 'winter Texans' we also have more species of birds than any other county in the United States. Our bays are filled with red fish, flounder, trout, crab and shrimp. The Port of Palacios handles more commercial shrimp than any other Texas Port with more than 400 shrimp boats.
Sargent has become a favorite location for beachfront homes with more new construction than any other community. The beaches at Sargent and Matagorda offer seaside picnicking, surfing and fishing.
Palacios, Sargent and Matagorda have pleasure boat marinas and fishing guide services. Quilting, crafts and a relaxed lifestyle just an hour from Houston, the country's fourth largest city. This is Matagorda County.
Population by Race for Matagorda County (from 2000 census)
White
52%
Black
13%
Hispanic
31
Asian
2%
Indian
0.7%
County Government
Elected County Judge and Four Precinct Commissioners
Sheriff’s Department
Yes
City Police Departments
2
Fire Service
11 Volunteer Departments
Pumpers / Trucks
50
Hospitals
2
Hospital Beds
117
Ambulance Service
Yes
Rescue Service
Yes
Geographic Information
County Area
1,115 square miles
Elevation Range
0-70 feet above mean sea level
Average Population Density
33.8 persons per square mile
Average Annual Rainfall
42.1 inches
Average Annual Snowfall
0 inches
Average Seasonal Temperatures
January – 45°; July – 91°
Prevailing Wind Direction
South
Near by Nature Areas
East &West Matagorda Bays, Tres Palacios Bay,Texas Birding Trail, Mad Island Marsh WMA, Runnels Family Mad Island, Matagorda County Birding Nature Center, LCRA Nature Park, Big Boggy NWR, San Bernard NWR
Economic Development
Economic Development Goals and Opportunities Goals: Matagorda County welcomes new industrial and retail businesses.The county seeks developers of new tourism infrastructure–hotels, motels, condo-hotels, tourism-oriented retail and services, restaurants, and recreational attractions.The county also welcomes developers for large, planned second home and active retirement communities to take advantage of our location and water-oriented amenities.
Business and Development Opportunities:
The Matagorda County EDC has industrial lots from 2-12 acres in size available in the Bay City Industrial Park for free to qualified companies for establishment or location of new businesses and creation of long-term, quality jobs. Greenfield tracts are available in the county from 5-3000 acres in size with dual railroad company service, redundant electrical power service, high volume natural gas lines, good highway access, industrial water, and commercial barge service. There are retail, office, and industrial buildings and sites available for lease or purchase in Bay City and in Palacios. There is a prime industrial facility available on 15 acres, with a 16,000 sf office building, two production/warehouse buildings totaling 28,850 sf–one with 70’ ceiling height, and eight storage tanks.The facility was never used.The site has rail by UP and BNSF Railroads, access to 138 kv redundant power and large natural gas lines. The Port of Bay City Authority has approximately 100 acres of industrial land for development around its shallow draft barge port off the Colorado River.The Authority has residential and retail sites around its recreational boat harbor at Matagorda.It also has a 150-acre industrial tract on the Intracoastal Waterway at Matagorda. Navigation District No. 1 has prime waterfront and harbor sites around Palacios Harbor for hotel, condo-hotel, residential, restaurant, industrial, and retail development.The Navigation District also has a 100-acre business and light industry park near the Palacios Harbor.The District has a 640-acre waterfront tract on Turtle Bay. The City of Palacios has industrial use sites around the Palacios Municipal Airport. Tracts for second-home, active retirement, or RV communities are available throughout the county. Economic Development Designations: Strategic Investment Area Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) zone Foreign Trade Sub-Zone agreement Freeport exemption Clean Air Attainment County No county or city zoning Tax free industrial bonds Incentives: Employee recruitment and employee training Tax abatement for qualifying investment and job creation Tailored services to help qualified firms locate or expand New job creation partial salary rebate Free industrial sites (1-12 acres with utilities) in exchange for new job creation on site
Commercial Services
Number of local banks/savings & loans
8
Bank deposits
$407,000,000
Labor Force
Total labor force, February 2006
16,119
Employed, February 2006
14,886
Unemployment rate, February 2006
7.6%
Regional wage survey available
Yes
2007 Property Taxes (Rate:per $100 of assessed value)
Matagorda County
$0.26829/$100
Matagorda County Hospital District
$0.17214/$100
City of Bay City
$0.51132/$100
Bay City Independent School District
$1.52000$100
City of Palacios
$0.74180/$100
Palacios Independent School District
$1.29000/$100
Tidehaven Independent School District
$1.17870/$100
Van Vleck Independent School District
$1.28000/$100
Matagorda Independent School District
$1.28000/$100
Some of these and other drainage, port, utility, or special purpose district taxes may apply, depending on the specific location within Matagorda County.
Sales Taxes
City of Bay City
2.00%
City of Palacios
2.00%
County
0.00%
State
6,25%
State Taxes
Corporate income
0.00%
Individual income
0.00%
State Corporate Franchise Tax
Yes, until 2008
Largest Industrial Employers in Matagorda County
STP Nuclear Operating Company
Electricity generation
OXEA Corporation
Chemical products
Lyondell Chemical
Plastics manufacturing
ValerusCompressors
Compressor fabrication
Henderson Manufacturing
Steel fabrication
Transportation Systems
Ground Transportation
Interstate and Highway Accessibility:
Major Texas routes through county:
TX 35
east–west; under construction to 4-lanes from Van Vleck to Houston
TX 60
north–south; 2-lanes with wide shoulders
TX 71
north–south; 2-lanes with wide shoulders
Distance to nearest Interstate Highway:
I-10
70 miles
Air Transportation
Local Airport Specifications:
Bay City Municipal Airport
5,120 foot paved and lighted runway; Aviation fuel; Aircraft storage
Railroad service is available in Matagorda County from the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe and the Union Pacific railroad companies.Their rail lines intersect in Bay City.Dual service and joint use lines are in some locations.
Railroad Name
Piggyback
Switching
Union Pacific
Yes
Yes
Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Yes
Yes
Commercial Barge and Recreational Boating Transportation:
Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (ICWW):
The Gulf ICWW runs behind the county’s barrier islands for 65 miles.There is dredged channel access to the ICWW from the Port of Palacios and from the Port of Bay City on the Colorado River.The ICWW provides commercial barge shipments to all points along the Texas coast, the Gulf of Mexico, and into the Mississippi and Tombigbee waterways. Shallow Draft Ports: Port of Bay City – The Port of Bay City has a turning basic, 5,000 sf warehouse, and petroleum loading/unloading facility 10 miles up the Colorado River from the ICWW at Matagorda.There is a dredged channel with a 12-foot minimum depth from the ICWW to the Port.The Port Authority has land around the port for long-term lease and development.The Port Authority also has an Industrial Development Authority to assist with new business locations. Port ofPalacios– Navigation District Number 1 owns the Port of Palacios.The shallow draft port is connected to the ICWW and to the Gulf by a dredged channel in Tres Palacios and Matagorda Bays.The port is home to over 300 commercial shrimping boats.The port has three turning basins, a boat repair facility, docking for commercial boats, covered and uncovered recreational boat slips, shrimp processing facilities, and a small RV park.The Navigation District has available parcels around the harbor for commercial, retail, industrial, and residential development.The Navigation District also owns a 100-acre business park for industrial, commercial, and office uses and a 640-acre waterfront tract for future development.
Deep Water Ports
Port of Port Lavaca-Point Comfort, TX
33 miles by barge
Port of Freeport, TX
83 miles by barge
Port of Corpus Christi, TX
98 miles by barge
Port of Houston, TX
147 miles by barge
Utility Systems
Natural Gas: Large quantity volumes available from: Crosstex Energy CenterPoint Energy Entex Markham Gas Corporation ADP Company Bay City Gas Company
Electrical Power: Deregulated–user’s choice Large capacity lines and redundant supplies available in select areas Jackson Electric Cooperative NRG Energy Reliant Energy HL&P AEP – distribution system operator
Industrial Water: Lower Colorado River Authority can supply large volumes; will construct & operate supply facilitie City of Bay City City of Palacios Numerous local utility districts (limited volumes)
Wastewater Treatment: Lower Colorado River Authority will construct and operate new industrial treatment facilities City of Bay City City of Palacios Numerous local utility districts (limited industrial treatment abilities and capacities)
Bookmark 
Links
