Pearland ( ) is a city in Brazoria County, with portions extending into Fort Bend and Harris Counties, in Texas, United States. The city of Pearland is a principal city within the metropolitan statistical area. As of the 2020 census, Pearland had a population of 125,828, up from a population of 91,252 at the 2010 census. Pearland's population growth rate from 2000 to 2010 was 142%, which ranked Pearland as the 15th-fastest-growing city in the U.S. during that time, 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.
History 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. 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 and Richey Land Company as an "agricultural Eden". The first subdivision was called "Suburban Gardens".
The Galveston hurricanes of 1900 and 1915 destroyed most of the city's fruit trees, 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.
Pearland incorporated in November 1959, with an area encompassing two square miles and a population of 1,910. In 1960, amidst a frenzy of cities incorporating or protecting large swathes of land in Brazoria County, Pearland annexed a 100 foot wide strip that encircled 60 square miles and extended westward to the Fort Bend County line to protect the area from annexation by Houston.
From the 1970s, the town has grown to its present-day population. By 1990, the city limits had extended into Harris County. In the 1990s, home developers began buying large tracts of land, changing the geography of the city. Former rice fields were 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.
Geography Pearland is within northern Brazoria County at (29.554349, −95.295959), south of the city of Houston. 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, Manvel to the south, Almeda Rd/FM 521 to the west, and Friendswood to the east. Downtown Houston is about to the north of the city.
According to the United States Census Bureau, Pearland has a total area of , of which , or 0.94%, is covered by 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 ."FAQ's." "Who Can I Call" 2009–2011 . City of Pearland. June 2009. Page 9 (9/12). Retrieved January 23, 2010.
Neighborhoods About 83% 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, 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.
Demographics
As of the 2020 census, 125,828 people and 32,177 families resided in the city.
Racial and ethnic composition +Pearland city, Texas – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010White alone (NH)27,62944,52246,13873.40%48.79%36.67%Black or African American alone (NH)1,96814,70924,4825.23%16.12%19.46%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)1112552460.29%0.28%0.20%Asian alone (NH)1,35511,20618,6693.60%12.28%14.84%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)1429640.04%0.03%0.05%Other race alone (NH)471945440.12%0.21%0.43%Multiracial (NH)4091,6434,5601.09%1.80%3.62%Hispanic or Latino (any race)6,10718,69431,12516.22%20.49%24.74%Total37,64091,252125,828100.00%100.00%100.00%
2020 census The median age was 36.8 years. 26.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 12.3% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.3 males age 18 and over. There were 43,225 households in Pearland, of which 42.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 59.9% were married-couple households, 12.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. There were 45,403 housing units, of which 4.8% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.1%. 99.9% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.1% lived in rural areas. + Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 53,512 42.5% Black or African American 24,991 19.9% American Indian and Alaska Native 668 0.5% Asian 18,848 15.0% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 84 0.1% Some other race 9,207 7.3% Two or more races 18,518 14.7% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 31,125 24.7%
2019 estimates 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. From 2015 to 2019, the median household income 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. 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.
2010 census At the 2010 United States census, the city's population was 91,252, a 142% increase over the 2000 population of 37,640, and the population density was 1,940.9 people per square mile. 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%. By 2010, the city became ethnically and racially majority minority. At least 62 languages are spoken in Pearland public schools.
2000 census At the census of 2000, 37,640 people, 13,192 households, and 10,659 families resided in the city. The population density was . The 13,922 housing units had an average density of . The median income for a household in the city as of 2000 was $64,156, and for a family was $70,748 (these figures had risen to $83,706 and $92,096, respectively, as of a 2007 estimate). 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 18 and 3.5% of those 65 or over. 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% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 16.2% of the population.
Religion
Nearly 60% of the local population claimed religious affiliation as of 2020. 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, 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, and in 2016 this had increased to 6,000, making it the largest Catholic church in Brazoria County. The property includes a K–8 school, St. Helen Catholic School. 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, while the main campus is in an unincorporated area in Harris County. - To verify whether a place is in the city of Houston, one must check it against a map like this, as the U.S. Postal Service does not give "city names" to addresses that necessarily match municipal boundaries.
New Harvest Christian Fellowship, a nondenominational church established in 1999 with 60 members, was established by Keith Anderson. It first held services at Challenger Elementary School before moving into a 100-seat, worship center. On April 7, 2019, it was to convert the previous sanctuary into a youth ministry building and to open a new sanctuary. It is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention.
Shadycrest Baptist Church's previous sanctuary had a capacity around 270–275. By 2011, it was having a new sanctuary built. The expected cost was $4,700,000.
New Hope Church, an independent Christian church, started in Pearland in 1989 with 100 in attendance. As of 2022, the church had grown to five campuses with over 10,000 worshippers.
Chabad Pearland Jewish Center is the first Jewish center of worship in Pearland, established by Yossi and Esty Zaklikofsky in 2009. In addition to Pearland, it also serves Alvin and Friendswood.
Economy Workforce and industry
Pearland's labor force and job base grew substantially with its population growth. The number of jobs in the community grew from 9,169 in 2000 to 17,552 in 2008. The total labor force that resides in the community increased from approximately 20,000 in 2000 to 45,368 in 2010. A majority of the community's labor force commutes daily into the Texas Medical Center and other employment centers in the region. Pearland also has many people employed by NASA at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center.