Ranked as the 2nd safest city in Texas, Friendswood is a beautiful city in the Houston metropolitan area of Texas. Recognized by CNN/Money as one of 100 ‘America’s Best Places to Live’, Friendswood is a progressive suburban urban community situated between Houston and Galveston. The city is known for its highly educated community, excellent schools, and affluent resident base.   

What is the community of Friendswood like?     

Friendswood is one of the most sophisticated, vibrant communities in Texas. Home to the oldest regular July 4th parade in Texas, as well as to the parades and community gatherings on major holidays such as Christmas, Friendswood offers a community living like none other, perhaps, across the state.  
Although relatively smaller in size than its neighboring suburbs, Friendswood has its niche in restaurants, cultural exhibits, and community events. Despite the nearby Houston and Galveston being home to great food, it is interesting that people from those areas have increasingly headed to Friendswood to enjoy its delicious Italian, Mexican, and Chinese cuisines among others. 
Besides, the shopping scene in Friendswood is incredible, thanks to the gorgeous Baybrook Mall, which is one of the most attractive shopping destinations in the greater Houston area, and plays home to some of the biggest brands in the world including specialty stores of Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Apple, Microsoft, LEGO, and Victoria’s Secret.  
In addition, Friendswood has a plethora of parks around it including Stevenson Park, Walter Hall Park, and Centennial Park. Besides, the 27-hole Timber Creek Golf Club – lying on 316 acres of heavy woods – offers an unparalleled golfing experience not found anywhere else in the Houston golf community.  

What is Real Estate like in Friendswood?     

Niche ranked Friendswood as the best place to live in Galveston County, Texas. Besides, the city was recognized as the 8th best suburb to buy a house in Texas. 
Real estate in Friendswood has shown an average growth of 3.27% per year since the year 2000. Besides, since 2000, the prices of homes in Friendswood have appreciated by a strong 96.6%. The Friendswood housing market is considered to be very competitive. 
The median home price in Friendswood is $333,450. Currently, there are 208 active homes for sale in Friendswood, and normally it takes just 57 days for a listed home to get off the market. Moreover, the average cost to rent a house in Friendswood is $1,788 per month. At present, there are 13,214 homes and apartments in the city, 80.7% of which are owned, and the remaining 19.3% are rented.      

How is the economic landscape of Friendswood?    

Over the last year, Friendswood’s job market has grown by 3.2%, while its unemployment rate stands at a decent 3.5%.   
On average, a Friendswood resident earns around $43,000 per annum, decently higher than the US average of $28500. The city’s median household income of almost $95,120 per resident is, however, much greater than the US average of approximately $54000. Most of the residents of Friendswood work in construction, manufacturing, retail, finance, mining, and transportation. 

How are the schools like in Friendswood?     

Friendswood is covered by 2 school districts, with Friendswood Independent School District (FISD) being the city’s major school district with 6 schools and 6,070 enrolled students. FISD is particularly renowned for its academic excellence, and Niche has categorized its schools in the A+ category. 
Besides, when it comes to higher education, Friendswood residents can easily access two of Texas’ best universities – the University of Houston (UH), and Rice University. Founded in 1927, the University of Houston is the third-largest university in Texas with 46,000 students. With its campus spanning over 667 acres, UH offers 282-degree programs through its 14 colleges on campus.     
Rice University, on the other hand, is a private research university, with 3,989 students and a campus spanning over 300 acres. It ranked 16th in the US News’ 2021 edition of Best Colleges in America. 

Friendswood in a nutshell  

In a nutshell, Friendswood is an affluent community that enjoys the best of modern urban amenities while experiencing the charms of a small town. The community is known for its educated inhabitants and plays home to some of Texas’ best schools. With a thriving community and vibrant culture, Friendswood could surely be a great place to raise your family.