this city. As a nod to this heritage, the Imperial Sugar crown logo can be seen in the city seal and logo. The city also holds the headquarters for Western Airways and a major manufacturing facility for Nalco Chemical Company. In addition, Sugar Land has a large number of international energy, software, engineering, and product firms.

Sugar Land has the most master-planned communities in Fort Bend County, which is home to the largest number of master-planned communities in the nation, including New Territory, Telfair, Chelsea Harbour, Riverstone and many others. Sugar Land holds the title of "Fittest City in Texas" for the population 50,000–100,000 range, a title it has held for four consecutive years.

In 2006 CNN/Money and Money magazine ranked Sugar Land third on its list of the 100 Best Cities to Live in the United States. In 2007, CQ Press has ranked Sugar Land fifth on its list of Safest Cities in the United States (14th annual "City Crime Rankings: Crime in Metropolitan American"). For more information visit the Sugar Land community website.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 63,328 people, 20,515 households, and 17,519 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,629.1 people per square mile (1,015.0/km²). There were 21,090 housing units at an average density of 875.6/sq mi (338.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 56.00% White, 5.20% African American, 0.24% Native American, 33.80% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.32% from other races, and 2.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.98% of the population.

There were 20,515 households out of which 51.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.5% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 14.6% were non-families. Of the 20,525 households, 527 are unmarried partner households: 400 heterosexual, 71 same-sex male, and 56 same-sex female. 12.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 2.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.06 and the average family size was 3.36.

In the city the population was spread out with 31.2% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 27.2% from 45 to 64, and 6.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $95,330, and the median income for a family was $103,841[2]. Males had a median income of $63,834 versus $47,498 for females. The per capita income for the city was $33,506. About 3.2% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.3% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over. in 1950 the population was 2,285,in 1960 it was 2,802,in 1970 it was 3,318,in 1980 8,826,in 1990 33,712,in 2000 63,328,in 2005 it was 75,754.

Economy
Sugar Land hosts its economy through diversification, corporate vitality, and quality of life and was ranked as one of the “Top Cities in Texas” for business relocation and expansion by both Outlook Magazine and Texas Business. Industries calling Sugar Land home are as diverse as its resident population. Ranging from semiconductors to seismic-data equipment, Sugar Land industry has grown dramatically over the past 10 years. The city has attracted numerous high-profile regional and international corporate relocations in a variety of industries including engineering, construction, technical services, energy exploration and production, technology and research, electronics and communications.

Even though still commonly known as a "new money" residential suburb of Houston, Sugar Land does have a significant corporate presence. Like the rest of the Greater Houston area, much of the larger corporations are engaged in the energy industry, specifically oil/gas exploration and refining. The city has a large number of international energy, software and product firms. Sugar Land holds the Nalco/Exxon and Western Airways headquarters. Engineering firms and other related industries have managed to take the place as an economic engine. As further testaments to its economic growth in recent years, Sugar Land has seen the arrival of its own mall, Mercedes-Benz dealership, and a Marriott Hotel, all of which are located close to one of Fort Bend County's premier central business district, known as Sugar Land Town Square.

Sugar Land Town Square is a pedestrian-oriented, main-street city center and a central business district that is within walking distance of stores, services, mid-rise office buildings, mostly chain restaurants, sidewalk cafes, entertainment and a Marriott Hotel and conference center.

An abundance of commercial growth, with numerous low-rise office buildings, banks and high-class restaurants popping up, can be seen along both U.S. Highway 59 and Texas Highway 6, two of the six main traffic arterials within the city. In an attempt to manage future growth, the city has already placed restrictions on how many levels a building can have, with condominiums only able to reach 10 floors and office buildings having a maximum of 15 floors.

Sugar Land is home to the headquarters of the Imperial Sugar Company. It also served as the home of the company's main (and sole) refinery and distribution center. The refinery and distribution center have since been put out of operation since 2003, but its effect on the local economy was minimal, if at all, since Sugar Land today has much more of a reputation as an affluent Houston suburb than the blue-collar, agriculture-dependent town it once was a generation ago.

Attractions
Sugar Land Town Square is the heart of entertainment district in Sugar Land and Fort Bend County. It has an array of restaurants, sidewalk cafes, shopping venues, a Marriott Hotel and conference center, mid-rise offices and homes, a public plaza, and the Sugar Land City Hall. Festival and important events take place in the plaza. Just outside of the Sugar Land Town Square district is First Colony Mall.

The new city hall and public plaza, a cornerstone of Sugar Land Town Square, received the "Best Community Impact" award from the Houston Business Journal at the fifth annual Landmark Awards ceremony.

Sugar Land is home to the practice sites of the Houston Aeros and Houston Comets. Located just outside of the Sugar Land Town Square is the Sugar Land Ice and Sports Center (formerly Sugar Land Aerodrome), home of the Houston Aeros practice facility. It is also open to the public as an ice skating facility.

Alongside it is First Colony Mall, a very large mall that recently expanded from its original indoor design to include outdoor activities, several parking garages, and new signage to blend in with the surrounding area. In and outside bordering the mall, soothing and happy music is played. The mall is anchored by Dillard's, Macy's, JCPenney, and Barnes & Noble, along with over 130 stores, including Pottery Barn, Coach, Williams-Sonoma, Ann Taylor, Forever 21, Chico, and Talbots. Other major retailers located near the mall in various portions of the Town Center area include Target, Best Buy, Circuit City, Toys R Us, Linens 'n Things, Finger Furniture, Petsmart, Kroger, Garden Ridge, Lowe's, Lane Home Furnishings, and DSW, as well as an award-winning Mercedes-Benz dealership.

Once a year a music festival called Teenstock is held. It is sponsored by the First Colony Association.

Education
Colleges and universities
The Wharton County Junior College and the University of Houston System at Sugar Land are both located in Sugar Land. The University of Houston System at Sugar Land (UHSSL) is a multi-institution teaching center (MITC) for the four universities within the University of Houston System, which comprises the University of Houston, UH–Clear Lake, UH–Downtown, and UH–Victoria. Currently, the programs and degrees offered at the Sugar Land teaching center are from UH–Downtown and UH–Victoria.

Wharton County Junior College (WCJC) is a comprehensive community college offering a wide range of postsecondary educational programs and services including associate degrees, certificates, and continuing-education courses. The college prepares students interested in transferring to baccalaureate-granting institutions.

Public schools
All public school systems in Texas are administered by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). The Fort Bend Independent School District is the school district that serves almost all of the city of Sugar Land. The southwest portion of Sugar Land's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) and some very small areas within the Sugar Land city limits are in the Lamar Consolidated Independent School District. LCISD serves the master-planned communities of Greatwood and River Park. Other communities in the ETJ served by Lamar Consolidated include Canyon Gate at the Brazos and Tara Colony.

Clements High School in Sugar Land and Austin High School in unincorporated Fort Bend County (and serving Sugar Land), both of Fort Bend ISD, have been recognized by Texas Monthly magazine in its list of the top 10 high schools in the state of Texas. In addition, Clements and Austin high schools and Elkins High School in nearby Missouri City ranked 13th, 626th, and 702nd, respectively, among the top 1000 schools in the United States by Newsweek's 2005 report. Elkins serves some portions of Sugar Land.

Private schools
There are many private schools in Sugar Land and the surrounding area of all types: non-sectarian, Catholic, and Protestant. The Texas Education Agency has no authority over private school operations; private schools may or may not be accredited, and achievement tests are not required for private school graduating seniors. Many private schools will obtain accreditation and perform achievement tests as a means of demonstrating that the school is genuinely interested in educational performance. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston operates the St. Laurence School, a K-8 private Catholic school, in Sugar Land. Pope John XXIII High School in unincorporated Harris County east of the neighboring suburb of Katy. The Fort Bend Baptist Academy is also located in Sugar Land.

Transportation
Sugar Land currently does not have a mass transit system. However, this could change as it has been a possible candidate for expansion of Houston's METRORail system by means of a planned commuter rail along U.S. Highway 90A. Since many of Sugar Land's residents work in Houston, thus creating routine rush hour traffic along the city's main thoroughfare, U.S. Highway 59, there has been large support in the area for such a project.

Sugar Land Regional Airport (formerly Sugar Land Municipal Airport) was purchased from a private interest in 1990 by the city of Sugar Land. Sugar Land Regional is the fourth largest airport within the Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area. The airport handles approximately 250 aircraft operations per day.

The airport today serves the area's general aviation (GA) aircraft serving corporate, governmental, and private clientele. A new 20,000 square foot (1,900 m²) Terminal and a 60 acre (243,000 m²) GA complex opened in 2006. Sugar Land Regional briefly handled commercial passenger service during the mid-1990s via a now-defunct Texas carrier known as Conquest Airlines. For scheduled commercial service, Sugar Landers rely on Houston's two commercial airports, George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), 45 miles northeast, and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), 30 miles east.

The city of Houston maintains a park that occupies 750 acres (3 km²) of land directly north of the Sugar Land Regional Airport and developers have built master-planned communities (Telfair, and the future development of TX DOT Tract 3 immediately east of the airport) around the airport, both factors that block airport expansion.

China Airlines operates private bus shuttle services from Wel-Farm Super Market/Metro Bank on Texas State Highway 6 in Sugar Land to George Bush Intercontinental Airport to feed the flight from Bush Intercontinental to Taipei, Taiwan. The service will end when China Airlines pulls out of Houston in February 2008.