LA VERNIA, Texas – The La Vernia you see today isn’t the same one you remember from years ago.
Since the pandemic, the small Wilson County city has exploded. The La Vernia government said the city has seen a 31% growth in households between 2010 and 2022.
People are flocking there because it offers the coziness of a small town and, according to some people under 40 years old, easier pathways to starting a small business. That’s why KSAT 12 News chose La Vernia as the focus of the latest episode of “Your Voice, South Texas.”
We met with people at the La Vernia Beauty Lounge, a co-op of small businesses on Woodbridge Drive. All of the people we spoke with work independently or own/work for a small business.
They spoke with KSAT 12 News about what’s motivating them to vote this November.
“You feel safe out here for sure. I feel safe...the education system out here in Texas...is so much better than what I have been able to offer [my] kids in California,” Ariel Guzman said.
Guzman, 32, recently opened Luna & Sol Coffee, a shop she operates inside the La Vernia Beauty Lounge.
“Millennials [are] a little scared with...all the debt. I feel like we’ve kind of been on the struggle bus versus our parents,” Guzman said.
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, millennials have more student debt, lower levels of homeownership and less net worth than previous generations.
Guzman hopes whoever runs the White House next has a positive effect on the economy.
“I hope somebody can...help give [our kids] the opportunity to...have an easier future, versus...what we’ve gone through,” added Guzman.
Ashley Payton, 35, runs a hairstyling business and also worries about inflation. She said rising prices have forced her to adjust her service fees to stay afloat.
“Sometimes you have to think, ‘ok, do I need to get groceries or do I want to go do this over there?’ And then you look in a couple of months and those businesses are closing. It’s kind of like, pray and believe and help,” Payton said.
Dylan Forde, 23, a realtor and La Vernia native, said he’s looking closely at the interest rates. Since the Federal Reserve announced its interest rate cut, the federal funds rate was lowered to a range between 4.75% and 5%.
“Regardless of who’s in office...whether it’s Trump, Kamala...I’m not going to use the government as an excuse [not to progress]. Politics impacts real estate directly. However...I’m still going to bust my butt to help as many people as I can,” Forde said.
The goal of “Your Voice, South Texas” is to elevate a diversity of voices and drown out some of the hyper-partisanship that keeps us fighting on social media. So far, KSAT has recorded episodes in Uvalde, Seguin, Pleasanton, Kerrville and New Braunfels.
View more “Your Voice, South Texas” stories here.