Agriculture & Economy
Sheep, Goats, and Wool Defined This County's Economy
Tom Green County and San Angelo became a major center for wool and mohair processing, built on decades of sheep and goat ranching.
The Edwards Plateau covers the southern part of Tom Green County. It is ideal range for sheep and Angora goats. San Angelo grew into a leading hub for processing and shipping wool and mohair. Cotton, beef cattle, grain sorghum, and pecans also add to the local farm economy.
That ranching history still shapes rural Tom Green County today. Most of the open land is still used for ranching. That matters to new landowners in a few ways. It affects property values. It affects whether land qualifies for the ag valuation tax break — which taxes land on what it produces rather than what it could sell for. And it affects how much water is available on the land.
If you plan to buy rural land here, understanding this ranching background will help you ask the right questions.
Source to confirm: Handbook of Texas — Tom Green County