There are many reasons to love living in Pearland, much more than the delicious pears for which the area is renowned. It’s a rapidly growing city with excellent schools, affordable home prices, low crime rates, high median incomes, and solid economic growth.
The job opportunities are a huge attraction, because Pearland’s becoming one of the largest employment centers in Houston. This city has something for everyone. If you’re researching real estate in the area, here are some of the things you should know.
Pearland is now the largest city in the Houston Metropolitan Area, but it started humbly as a tiny community with a post office on the Gulf. The residents made their living growing fruits, mostly pears, which is the origin of the name.
Pearland has experienced many agricultural setbacks over the years, including hurricanes and bitter freezes that destroyed the crops, but it’s fought its way out of every one. In 1934, the Hastings Oilfield was discovered, which created an array of oil companies in the region.
Pearland is the 15th fastest-growing city in the US, and perhaps the fastest in Texas. As of 2014, the estimated population for Pearland was 108,821 people. In 2000, it was only 30,000. That’s a population growth of 482 percent!
The reason for such rapid growth isn’t exactly clear. The Houston metropolitan area has been growing quickly over the last few decades and Pearland, once a very small town, has picked up much of the housing slack.
It’s a safe city with a good school district that’s so busy, it doesn’t resemble a normal suburban environment. Perhaps the metro-like feel of this residential area is what attracted such huge population growth.
The job opportunities have also been appealing. Pearland is close to Texas Medical Center, downtown job centers, and NASA. It’s regarded as one of the best places in the Houston area for work, and job seekers naturally want to live near their place of employment.
High levels of platting activity in Pearland indicate that it will continue to develop and expand. Estimates based on census data indicate that Pearland could accept 13,000 new residents in the next three years, so the community is hard at work making room for the coming settlers.
Home prices in Pearland are much lower than the national average. The median home price is $249,156. On the other hand, prices are 37 percent higher than in the rest of Texas, and market home valuations are rising rapidly.
Over the last decade, appreciation on homes has measured 26.18 percent, which makes this an ideal location for investors. Despite the low home prices, the cost of living is about 6.2 percent higher than the U.S. average.
High paychecks in Pearland compensate for some of the high cost in restaurants, groceries, and utilities.
Pearland’s unemployment rate is 4 percent, which is well below the national average of 5.2 percent. Job growth is also positive: a steady, increasing rate of .74 percent.
Pearland has been recognized as the next major employment center in the Houston region. Most of the employment comes from Texas Medical Center, NASA, and Pearland Independent School District, one of the largest school districts in the Houston area.
There are many growth opportunities in Pearland’s massive healthcare sector. An array of hospitals, clinics, and healthcare educational institutions are scattered about a relatively small area.
The majority of Pearland occupies the Pearland Independent School District (ISD), though some of the southern outskirts belong to the Alvin ISD. Pearland ISD ranks number three for quality schools in the greater Houston metropolitan area.
Most indices are well above the averages for both US and Texas schools. Pearland ISD test scores average 41 percent higher than nationally, and students in Pearland schools are 16 percent more likely to graduate.
About 90 percent of scholars in Pearland finish high school, and 46 percent go on to complete their bachelor’s degrees. The teachers, academics, college-readiness, and school activities are all well above average for the area as well.
An unfortunate downside of living in Pearland is the traffic. It was rated as the number 9 most congested city in the nation, so it’s not uncommon to find yourself stuck in a traffic jam on your way to or from work.
The problem is largely a product of rapid population growth. It takes time to build roads and interstates that can handle more than 100,000 people in a small geographical area, and the grid wasn’t ready for the expansion.
Welcome road construction to accommodate the expansion also slows down the daily commute, unfortunately.
Pearland nails the 24th spot on Safewise’s list of 50 Safest Cities in Texas. It also ranks 33 on the list of 100 safest cities in the US. According to the FBI crime reports, there have been zero arsons and fewer than 30 robberies in the last five years.
Compared to U.S. violent crime rates, Pearland is well below the country’s average. It suffers about one-third the number of violent crimes of the national median. The chance of being the victim of a violent crime is extremely low, which is another of Pearland’s attractions.
The Houston metro area has some of the best hospitals in the state, and Pearland is home to many of them. Memorial Hermann Hospital-Texas Medical Center is number three on the list of top hospitals in Texas. People love to living near some of the best doctors and facilities in the state.
For those who thrive on big-city life, Pearland has many amenities that won’t disappoint. If you choose to purchase a home here, you’ll have access to the following amenities.
There are many reasons to love Pearland, and if you’re considering joining the new residents flocking to the city, we can help. Our robust home search tool can direct both home buyers and investors to the perfect properties. You can filter search results to find the location and features you like best in a home. For more information about real estate and the area’s many amenities, contact us today!
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