| Pearland, Texas | |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Motto: | Where Town Meets Country; Classic Gulf Coast |
| Mapsize: | 250px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Texas |
| Subdivision Type2: | Counties |
| Subdivision Name2: | Brazoria, Fort Bend, Harris |
| Government Type: | Council-Manager |
| Leader Title: | City Council |
| Leader Name: | Mayor Kevin Cole[1] Mayor Pro Tem Tony Carbone Joseph Koza, Jr. Alex Kamkar Layni Cade Adrian Hernandez Jeffrey Barry Woody Owens |
| Leader Title1: | City Manager |
| Leader Name1: | Trent Epperson, Interim |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [2] |
| Area Total Km2: | 126.49 |
| Area Land Km2: | 126.03 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.45 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 48.84 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 48.66 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.17 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 125,813 |
| Population Density Km2: | 971.64 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 2516.54 |
| Population Est: | 127,736 |
| Pop Est As Of: | 2023 |
| Timezone: | Central (CST) |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Elevation M: | 15 |
| Elevation Ft: | 49 |
| Coordinates: | 29.5544°N -95.2958°W |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP codes |
| Postal Code: | 77581, 77584, 77588, 77089 |
| Area Codes: | 713, 281, 832, 346 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 48-56348[3] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 1343734[4] |
| Image Blank Emblem: | Pearland City Seal.png |
| Blank Emblem Type: | Seal |
Pearland is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located in Brazoria County, with portions extending into Fort Bend and Harris counties. The city of Pearland is a principal city within the metropolitan statistical area. At the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 125,828,[5] up from a population of 91,252 at the 2010 census. Pearland's population growth rate from 2000 to 2010 was 142 percent, which ranked Pearland as the 15th-fastest-growing city in the U.S. during that time period, compared to other cities with a population of 10,000 or greater in 2000. Pearland is the third-largest city in the Greater Houston area after Houston and Pasadena, Texas.[6]
Pearland had its beginnings near a siding switch on the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway in 1882. When a post office was established in 1893, the community was named "Mark Belt". On September 24, 1894, the plat of "Pear-Land" was filed with the Brazoria County courthouse by Witold von Zychlinski, a man of Polish nobility.[7] At the time Pearland had many fruits harvested by residents. Zychlinski saw the pear trees and decided that "Pearland" would make a good name for the community.
In the 1800s, Pearland consisted of prairie. Residents harvested fruit and vegetables such as cantaloupes, corn, figs, pears and watermelons. Pearland was promoted by developers Allison & Richey Land Company as an "agricultural Eden". The first subdivision was called "Suburban Gardens".
The Galveston hurricane of 1900 and the Galveston hurricane of 1915 destroyed most of the city's fruit trees and slowed growth for a considerable period of time, and caused a period of desertification in the area. In 1914, with agriculture rebounding and the end of desertification, Pearland had a population of 400, but a devastating freeze in 1918 was another setback to the local farming enterprises. Oil was discovered nearby in 1934, which led to the development of the Hastings Oilfield, though it did not spur much growth, as the population fluctuated between 150 and 350. In the 1930s and 1940s, Pearland had many dance halls and beer joints that entertained people from the Hastings and Manvel oil fields.
From the 1970s, the town has grown to its present-day population. By 1990, the city limits had extended into Harris County.[8] In the 1990s, home developers began buying large tracts of land, changing the geography of the city. Former rice fields filled with houses. The historic town center of Pearland is at the intersection of Texas State Highway 35/Main and Broadway. West Pearland has a lot of suburban development, while East Pearland has older houses and, according to Maggie Galehouse of the Houston Chronicle, Pearland's "rural roots still show" in the east side. Pearland's main east–west corridor is Farm to Market Road 518/Broadway.
Pearland is within northern Brazoria County at (29.554349, −95.295959), south of the city of Houston.[9] Portions of the city extend north into Harris County, and a smaller portion extends west into Fort Bend County. The city is bordered by Houston and Brookside Village to the north, by Manvel to the south, Almeda Rd/FM 521 to the west and by Friendswood to the east. Downtown Houston is approximately to the north of the city.[10]
According to the United States Census Bureau, Pearland has a total area of 122.9sqkm, of which 121.8sqkm is land and 1.2sqkm, or 0.94%, is water. In 2009 the city reported that the combined area of the city limits and of nearby unincorporated areas, including Country Place and Silverlake, was 72sqmi.[11]
Eighty-three percent of Pearland is residential, which is a major contributing factor to the high population. The city is home to many master-planned communities; Sunrise Lakes, Southern Trails, Southdown, Lakes of Highland Glen,[12] and Shadow Creek Ranch are among the most popular master-planned communities in Brazoria County. Country Place and Silverlake are in unincorporated areas near Pearland.
At the 2010 United States census, the city's population was 91,252,[13] a 142% increase over the 2000 population of 37,640. Pearland's government stated in 2009 that the estimated population in the city limits was 91,000, and that city population and the population of nearby unincorporated areas, including Country Place and Silverlake, was 125,000 altogether. As of the 2020 United States census, there were 125,828 people, 42,098 households, and 32,177 families residing in the city.
At the census of 2000, there had been 37,640 people, 13,192 households, and 10,659 families residing in the city. The population density was 957sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 13,922 housing units at an average density of 354/mi2. The median income for a household in the city as of 2000 was $64,156, and the median income for a family was $70,748 (these figures had risen to $83,706 and $92,096 respectively as of a 2007 estimate).[14] Males had a median income of $49,359 versus $34,570 for females. The per capita income for the city was $26,306. About 3.4% of families and 4.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.
The U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 estimates determined Pearland had 41,507 households with an average of 2.93 persons per household. Residents of Pearland had an owner-occupied housing rate of 75.9%. The median value of owner-occupied housing units was $244,800 and the median gross rent was $1,413.[15] The median household income from 2015 to 2019 was $104,504 and the per capita income was $42,211. Roughly 3.5% of the local population lived at or below the poverty line. The population density as of 2010 was 1,940.9 people per square mile.
| White alone (NH) | 27,629 | 44,522 | style='background: #ffffe6; | 46,138 | 73.40% | 48.79% | style='background: #ffffe6; | 36.67% | |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,968 | 14,709 | style='background: #ffffe6; | 24,482 | 5.23% | 16.12% | style='background: #ffffe6; | 19.46% | |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 111 | 255 | style='background: #ffffe6; | 246 | 0.29% | 0.28% | style='background: #ffffe6; | 0.20% | |
| Asian alone (NH) | 1,355 | 11,206 | style='background: #ffffe6; | 18,669 | 3.60% | 12.28% | style='background: #ffffe6; | 14.84% | |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 14 | 29 | style='background: #ffffe6; | 64 | 0.04% | 0.03% | style='background: #ffffe6; | 0.05% | |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 47 | 194 | style='background: #ffffe6; | 544 | 0.12% | 0.21% | style='background: #ffffe6; | 0.43% | |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 409 | 1,643 | style='background: #ffffe6; | 4,560 | 1.09% | 1.80% | style='background: #ffffe6; | 3.62% | |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 6,107 | 18,694 | style='background: #ffffe6; | 31,125 | 16.22% | 20.49% | style='background: #ffffe6; | 24.74% | |
| Total | 37,640 | 91,252 | style='background: #ffffe6; | 125,828 | 100.00% | 100.00% | style='background: #ffffe6; | 100.00% |
The racial makeup of the city as of the 2010 census was 62.0% White, 16.4% African American, 0.5% Native American, 12.4% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 6.0% from some other race, and 2.7% two or more races. The Hispanic or Latino population, including persons of any race, was 20.5% of the total population, and non-Hispanic whites made up 48.8%. In 2019, 39.0% of Pearland was non-Hispanic white, 14.7% Black or African American, 1.2% American Indian or Alaska Native, 15.0% Asian, 0.9% multiracial, and 29.3% Hispanic or Latino of any race.[19] The racial makeup of the city in 2000 was 82.6% White, 5.3% African American, 0.4% Native American, 3.6% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 6.1% "some other race", and 1.8% "two or more races". Hispanic or Latino of any race were 16.2% of the population.[20] By 2010, the city became ethnically and racially majority minority. At least 62 languages are spoken in Pearland public schools.[21]
Nearly 60% of the local population claim religious affiliation as of 2020.[22] Christianity is the largest religion in Pearland and the surrounding Greater Houston metropolitan area. Baptists formed the largest Christian group followed by the Catholic Church then the United Methodist Church. Large non-Christian religious groups included Islam, Judaism, and eastern religions including Hinduism and Buddhism.
St. Helen Catholic Church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston was established in 1966. Its previous church building had a capacity of 900, it was building a new sanctuary,[23] with a capacity of 15,000 and a cost of $7 million. The expansion plans also added parking spaces and installed a bridal facility. The sanctuary construction was to begin fall 2002 and parking construction was to begin summer 2002. In 2002, 4,000 families were members,[24] and in 2016 this had increased to 6,000, making it the largest Catholic church in Brazoria County.[25] The property includes a K–8 school, St. Helen Catholic School.[26] There is another Catholic parish with property in the Pearland city limits; St. Luke the Evangelist Church maintains the Cenacle Learning Center (CLC) in Pearland,[27]