"Anna, Texas has a pioneer spirit and is a friendly small town full of 8,000 new strangers." One of Anna's most notorious residents was Depression-era outlaw Ralph Fults, who spent some time in prison with the notorious criminals Bonnie and Clyde and a full 50 years in jail.
The population of Anna is around 8,249 people and the village is set along US Highway 75 and State Highway 5. Anna was a baby-sized Texas town with twenty people by 1883 including a mill, two stores, and a church. Anna is about 40 miles from Dallas and is included as part of the booming Dallas/Forth Worth Metroplex. The community advertises itself as being family-friendly, and offers the feeling of a true hometown amid the rapidly growing metropolitan area. The region was previously a tight-knit farm community which has grown into a bedroom community. Town planners are working on expanding the number of central gathering places for residents and are working to maintain the feeling of community as the population grows.
Renters will find themselves renting out entire houses, usually with three bedrooms, for around the median price of living in a major American city
"Anna, Texas has a pioneer spirit and is a friendly small town full of 8,000 new strangers." One of Anna's most notorious residents was Depression-era outlaw Ralph Fults, who spent some time in prison with the notorious criminals Bonnie and Clyde and a full 50 years in jail.
The population of Anna is around 8,249 people and the village is set along US Highway 75 and State Highway 5. Anna was a baby-sized Texas town with twenty people by 1883 including a mill, two stores, and a church. Anna is about 40 miles from Dallas and is included as part of the booming Dallas/Forth Worth Metroplex. The community advertises itself as being family-friendly, and offers the feeling of a true hometown amid the rapidly growing metropolitan area. The region was previously a tight-knit farm community which has grown into a bedroom community. Town planners are working on expanding the number of central gathering places for residents and are working to maintain the feeling of community as the population grows.
Moving to Anna
Renters will find themselves renting out entire houses, usually with three bedrooms, for around the median price of living in a major American city. The upside of renting in this community is that you get to walk into your own house without having to finance or close a sale. Over the last few decades renting has proven cheaper than house ownership in the first five years, but after 8 years it is more expensive to rent than to own. You should expect owners to request two months deposit and the homes will generally come unfurnished, although many listings include previously installed kitchen appliances.
Rent and purchasing prices in Anna are stable throughout the township, although longtime residents suggest there are too many starter homes which affects the housing market. While there are some more expensive and extremely fancy homes on the market, most homes offer between three to four bedrooms and cost below the national average. The bulk of homes come with an attached garage which sits on the front end of the house.
Prospective house owners and renters should know that two tornadoes touched down near the town in 2006 and caused significant damage to some properties. It's always unlikely and this area is not known for its tornadoes, but just in case it's best to ensure that your property is covered under some kind of tornado or natural disaster insurance. Living in Anna poses no real threat as local officials sounded warnings well in advance of both tornadoes giving residents ample time to evacuate. But keep yourself insured, keep an eye on the weather, and don't let a onetime occurrence ruin your time in this beautiful community.
Many of the homes are relatively new, so unless you're planning to buy in the old town there should be relatively little to worry as far as problems down the line. All in all, it's a great time to move here!
Neighborhoods in Anna
Old Town - Old Town Anna sits along the highway and has the oldest housing stock. The area is home to Sherley Park and houses most of the city's properties which are used by businesses but not necessarily for shopping. Homes here tend to have larger yards than those in the new subdivisions and they are not built according to a repeated pattern. There is no central downtown core for Anna. The old town is rather small having served a primarily agricultural community in the past and the only major shopping areas sprang up to serve new developments.
West of White Street - Outside of the old town the majority of new homes have begun expanding westward along White Street set at the old town's southern edge. These housing developments feature a modular looking set of homes sandwiched onto subdivision style lanes which all lead out to the main street. This style of housing development makes up nearly all of Anna's housing stock due to the low density of homes around the old town. Strip malls have sprung up along the town's main roads nearby the developments to serve the nearby residents. This neighborhood is the nicest part of Anna. It has a great location that gives you easy access to the shopping centers as well as the schools. The houses here are newer and the location makes this neighborhood a perfect place to raise kids in.
White Street: This is where most of the shops and businesses are located, including banks, restaurants, and some shopping services although residents who are hoping to find a mall, major brands, or a prolonged shopping experience will need to head south to McKinney to get what they are looking for. Gas stations and convenience stores are all next to Route 75. It's less residential than the other areas but if you can score a place here you will have easy access to all the nearby shops and restaurants, which some people are willing to hold out for.
Living in Anna
Residents take to the city's many parks in their free time, including Bryant Park and the Natural Springs Park which features a natural spring that runs into a man-made pond. The spring area is heavily wooded and will be developed to include more walking trails with three foot bridges. The park's open spaces are being developed to include greater public amenities but they are currently used for flying kites or playing Frisbee. The town has plans to take more advantage of its natural resources as a means of recreation, which is good considering that much of its space is undeveloped. Other parks are home to softball diamonds, while Slayter Creek Park has two lighted baseball fields, a series of tennis courts, basketball, a playground, horseshoes, and shuffleboard. Perhaps most importantly for a Texas town like Anna is its local high school football team, which has a playing field next to the park. The town has a large number of fitness centers, and many local restaurants like Big Slicks bar and grill and Cattleman's Cafe are diamonds in the rough waiting to be explored.
