Hi Bvaura,
As you know from your reading here a mattress is only as good as its construction and the type and quality of the materials inside it. Post #4 here has the guidelines I would suggest using to make sure that any mattress you are considering uses good quality and durable materials that are suitable for the budget range you are considering and that there are no obvious weak links in the mattress.
The choice of which type of materials or which type of mattress you purchase is a preference choice not a better/worse choice. Latex is certainly an great option that is well worth considering but it would depend entirely on how you feel about the feel and performance of latex in general or different types of latex or latex hybrid mattresses specifically. Some people love it and others tend to prefer other materials or other types of mattresses.
The better options in and around College Station I’m aware of (subject to the quality/value guidelines here) are listed in post #3 here.
The list for Houston is in post #2 here and the list for Austin is in post #2 here.
Phoenix