The town of Elgin is synonymous with sausage. Two local institutions, Southside Market & Barbecue and Meyer’s, have turned out renowned hot sausage since the late 1800s. That history has earned Elgin the title of Sausage Capital of Texas.
But there’s more meat on Elgin’s bones than its famed sausage. It’s also the Brick Capital of the Southwest, with three brickmaking companies being among Elgin’s largest employers. In addition, Elgin is home to two Christmas tree farms: Evergreen Farms and Elgin Christmas Tree Farms. And it’s a practical playground for history buffs. In addition to its historic churches and buildings are the Elgin Depot Museum and the Old Freight Depot Building.
On the education front, Elgin has an Austin Community College campus. Most K-12 students attend schools in the Elgin Independent School District.
Since few major employers are located in Elgin, it helps that the suburb is about 25 miles northeast of the employment hub of Austin. A potential expansion of the region’s MetroRail commuter line would connect Elgin and Austin, which would make Elgin an even more attractive place to live. Housing in and around Elgin is a mix of old and new single-family homes. The population in 2019 stood at 10,314, up 24% from 2010.
Elgin’s reputation rests on sausage and bricks, but as the population of the Austin area explodes, the town might enjoy a meatier future as a beefed-up residential and employment hub.