The Town FilesFriendswood, Texas
City in Galveston County · population 41,213 (2020 Census) · spans 2 counties
- Median home
- $420,100
- Household income
- $126,508
- Jan low / Jul high
- 46° / 93°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 77
- Median age
- 41.3
Friendswood is a city of 41,213 people in Galveston County, Texas. The median home is worth $420,100, above the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks more upscale than 93% of Texas towns, more of a college town than 88% of Texas towns, better for families than 87% of Texas towns.
How Friendswood ranks
Percentile among Texas towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Texas towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Friendswood is worth $420,100, above the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 3.3 times the median household income of $126,508, which is more affordable than 36% of Texas towns. Median rent is $1,688 a month. 77.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Friendswood | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $420,100 | $184,100 |
| Median rent | $1,688 | $1,086 |
| Median household income | $126,508 | $65,842 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.3× | 2.9× |
| Homeownership | 77.2% | 72.9% |
| Median year built | 1991 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.7% | — |
Who lives in Friendswood
| People | Friendswood | Typical Texas town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.3 | 37.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 16.3% | 15.6% |
| Under 18 | 25.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 52.7% | 18.9% |
| Below the poverty line | 3.6% | 13.1% |
| Veterans | 8.7% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 8.5% | — |
| Work from home | 18.1% | 7.8% |
| Average commute | 28.6 min | 26.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 96.6% | 89.2% |
Weather in Friendswood
July highs average 93.3°F and January lows 46.0°F. About 53.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.2 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 101 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 6 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
77 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Friendswood since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. 14 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an EF3, struck on January 24, 2023 about 6.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on December 28, 2024.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 54 times; the largest was 3.00 inches on April 11, 1997.
Severe weather in Galveston County since 1996
Galveston County has been included in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| July 9, 2024 | Hurricane | DR-4798: Hurricane Beryl |
| February 19, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | DR-4586: Severe Winter Storms |
| February 14, 2021 | Severe Ice Storm | EM-3554: Severe Winter Storm |
| December 9, 2020 | Hurricane | DR-4572: Hurricane Laura |
| August 24, 2020 | Hurricane | EM-3540: Tropical Storms Marco And Laura |
Jobs and pay in Galveston County
Galveston County had 122,734 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,650 a year. Unemployment was 4.3% in 2023; in Friendswood itself the ACS puts it at 4.4%.
Public schools in Friendswood
13 public schools with 13,111 students, about 16.2 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLEAR BROOK H S | 9-12 | 2,322 | 16.1 |
| FRIENDSWOOD H S | 9-12 | 1,966 | 15.0 |
| FRIENDSWOOD J H | 6-8 | 1,531 | 18.0 |
| WESTBROOK INT | 6-8 | 1,154 | 17.2 |
| C W CLINE EL | PK-5 | 880 | 16.3 |
| BROOKSIDE INT | 6-8 | 834 | 14.6 |
| ARLYNE & ALAN WEBER EL | PK-5 | 803 | 16.1 |
| C D LANDOLT EL | PK-5 | 720 | 16.0 |
| WINDSONG EL | PK-5 | 657 | 16.4 |
| WEDGEWOOD EL | PK-5 | 627 | 13.9 |
| ZUE S BALES INT | 3-5 | 625 | 16.0 |
| WESTWOOD EL | PK-2 | 551 | 14.5 |
Towns near Friendswood
- Webster, TX5.3 mi · 12,499 people · home $281,400
- League City, TX5.6 mi · 114,392 people · home $360,000
- Alvin, TX5.9 mi · 27,098 people · home $228,700
- Nassau Bay, TX7.3 mi · 5,347 people · home $374,600
- Pearland, TX8.1 mi · 125,828 people · home $356,300
- Dickinson, TX9.5 mi · 20,847 people · home $278,000
- Taylor Lake Village, TX9.9 mi · 3,704 people · home $388,900
- Manvel, TX10.0 mi · 9,992 people · home $338,700
Friendswood questions
Is Friendswood, Texas a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Friendswood scores better for retirees than 63% of Texas towns and quieter than 18%. 16.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 41.3).
How much does a house cost in Friendswood?
The median owner-occupied home in Friendswood is valued at $420,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $126,508, so homes cost about 3.3 times income. Median rent is $1,688 a month.
What is the weather like in Friendswood?
July highs average 93.3°F and January lows 46.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 53.3 inches of precipitation a year and 0.2 inches of snow.
Does Friendswood get tornadoes?
77 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Friendswood since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF3 on January 24, 2023. The typical Texas town has had 21.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)