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You're living in Aggieland! H-Town businesses dominate the Aggie 100 list —again

Texas A&M University Mays Business School's Center for New Ventures and Entrepreneurship released the new 2012 edition of the Aggie 100, documenting the fastest-growing businesses owned or led by A&M grads.

It comes as no surprise that many Aggies end up in the Bayou City to make their mark, but the fact that 37 out of 100 companies are based in the Houston area (with 27 of those within the city limits) is astounding. That's up from 33 area businesses on last year's list, even with more rigorous criteria (including raising the verifiable revenue requirement from $100,000 to $250,000 and a newly-instated three times maximum rule).

Other enterprises on the list range from IT firms to waste collection services to private equity companies. All have seen more than 31-percent growth during the two-year period.

Houston-based oil and gas production company MudTech Services took No. 2 on the list, with a 191.80 percent increase in revenue between 2009 and 2011 under the leadership of Larry Cress.

LINN Energy, led by chairman, president and CEO Mark Ellis, took No. 5 with 143.72 percent growth within that two year period, while Rosharon-based Better Heads landed No. 6 with 140.04 percent growth.

Other enterprises on the list range from IT firms to waste collection services to private equity companies. All have seen more than 31-percent growth during the two-year period.

Houston-based Oil States International also won the inaugural Aggie 100 Summit Award, which looks as the the Aggie 100 applicant with the highest average revenue. CEO Cindy B. Taylor says that her company is approaching $4 billion in growth this year.

For consideration, each company must have been in business for five or more years as of June 30, 2012, with more than $250,000 in revenue during the base year of 2009. It must be under Aggie leadership and be run "in a manner consistent with the Aggie Code of Honor and in keeping with the values and image of Texas A&M University." Qualifying companies are then ranked by percentage growth.

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family values

Houston ranks as 7th most affordable U.S. metro for raising a child

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Raising a child is not an easy or inexpensive feat, but a new study has determined Houston parents have the 7th lowest childrearing costs in the country.

SmartAsset's latest report, "Cost of Raising a Child in Major U.S. Metros – 2026 Study," calculated year-over-year changes in the annual cost of raising a child (factoring in childcare, additional housing costs, food, transportation, medical costs and other necessities) in the 48 largest U.S. metro areas. MIT's Living Wage Calculator was used to compare the living costs of a household with two working adults and one child to that of a childless household with two working adults.

Childrearing costs in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands have grown 3.37 percent since last year, totaling $22,605 for a family of three in 2026. That's only $737 more than what it took to raise a child in 2025, and it's $1,209 higher than what it took in 2024.

This is how SmartAsset broke down the annual cost for raising a child in the Houston area:

Cost of childcare: $10,265
Cost of food: $1,721
Other expenses: $10,619

Houston ranked 42nd in SmartAsset's national list of cities with the highest childrearing costs in 2026, making it the No. 7 most affordable U.S. metro.

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont in California topped the list with the highest childrearing costs in the U.S., at $43,171. The cost for raising a child in this California metro soared nearly 11 percent higher since last year.

Memphis, Tennessee ranked dead last as the most affordable U.S. metro for raising a child in 2026. Families will spend less than $20,000 to raise a child in Memphis, only 3.24 percent more than what was needed in 2025.

Raising a child in other Texas metros
It may come as no surprise that Austin is the most expensive place to raise a child in Texas, and it appeared as the 31st most expensive U.S. metro for families. Parents will spend nearly $25,000 to raise a child in the state's capital city, which is $703 higher than it was a year ago.

Two other Texas metros join Houston among the top 10 most affordable U.S. metros for raising a family: San Antonio-New Braunfels (No. 3) and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington (No. 10). Childrearing costs in San Antonio add up to $21,393 annually, and Dallas-Fort Worth parents will spend $23,340 to raise their children in 2026.

The top 10 most affordable U.S. metros for raising a child in 2026 are:

No. 1 – Memphis, Tennessee ($19,922)
No. 2 – Nashville, Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, Tennessee ($21,216)
No. 3 – San Antonio-New Braunfels ($21,393)
No. 4 – Birmingham, Alabama ($21,684)
No. 5 – Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, Virginia ($22,314)
No. 6 – Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Georgia ($22,470)
No. 7 – Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands ($22,605)
No. 8 – Richmond, Virginia ($22,658)
No. 9 – Louisville/Jefferson County, Kentucky ($23,270)
No. 10 – Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington ($23,340)

family smartasset reports livability houston pasadena the woodlands

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family values

Houston ranks as 7th most affordable U.S. metro for raising a child