City profile · Texas · Census ACS 2023

Friendswood, TX

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Friendswood - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

40,827
Residents
$125,052
Median income
$399,500
Median home
$1,573
Median rent (state)

Friendswood - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Friendswood places in the 89th percentile for household income and the 79th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

89th
percentile, household income
77th
percentile, home value
62nd
percentile, median rent
79th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Friendswood, TX

Census ACS 2023 estimates count 40,827 residents in Friendswood, a small city within Texas. Friendswood households earn a median of $125,052 annually, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 2.3%. Typical homes in Friendswood are valued around $399,500, and the median resident age is 39.7 years. About 49.6% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 61.2% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 130 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 71% from five years earlier. Friendswood reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 645.2 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

Texas tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Texas scores 97.1 (Near Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,573 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Texas run around $223, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in Friendswood report an average commute of 24.2 minutes, with 75.0% driving alone and 16.0% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 99.9 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

40,827 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Texas

Median Household Income

$125,052 /yr

Poverty 2.3%

Cost of Living Index (state)

97.1 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Texas average

How does Friendswood compare to other US cities?

Friendswood measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 89% higher than other cities
Home value 77% pricier than other cities
Median rent 62% pricier than other cities
Safety 79% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Texas alone, Friendswood ranks #140 of 624 Texas cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Friendswood against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Texas only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Texas-relative analysis

Bachelor's Degree or Higher is Friendswood's strongest outlier among Texas cities

Among the 1,663 Texas cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, Friendswood ranks #136 - the 92nd percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Friendswood only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#124 of 1,520
92nd percentile in Texas
Median Gross Rent
#288 of 1,663
75th percentile in Texas
Median Home Value
#137 of 1,505
91st percentile in Texas
Poverty Rate
#1,327 of 1,663
20th percentile in Texas
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#136 of 1,663
92nd percentile in Texas

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Texas only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

89thIncome percentile
79thSafety percentile

89th percentile nationally for median household income · 79th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Friendswood's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Friendswood's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 66 Avg. percentile National median
Friendswood's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Friendswood's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$399,500 23rd percentile more affordable than 23% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Friendswood $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Friendswood, TX Friendswood, TX's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Friendswood, TX-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Friendswood, TX median $125,052/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Friendswood, TX's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Friendswood, TX. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 49.6%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 2.3%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 61.2%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
40,827
Median Income
$125,052
Median Home Value
$399,500
Median Age
39.7
Poverty Rate
2.3%
Labor force participation
61.2%
Bachelor's Degree+
49.6%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
645.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
100.6
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
544.6
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
11
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
40,600 residents40,800 residents41,000 residents41,200 residents41,400 residents 202020212022202320242025 41,018 residents 41,319 residents ▲ +0.7%
Friendswood's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
130
housing units authorized
Single-Family
130
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
3.2
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 76
2020 156
2021 81
2022 102
2023 111
2024 130

Permit volume increased 71% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
24.2 minutes
Drive Alone
75.0%
Carpool
7.4%
Public Transit
0.6%
Walk
0.7%
Work from Home
16.0%

Based on 18,893 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Texas - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$130
avg/month
Natural Gas
$45
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$48
avg/month
Total Utilities
$223
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Texas state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Texas state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Friendswood sits in

Cost of Living Index
97.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,573/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
99.9 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Texas

Lancaster
40,753 people
Weslaco
41,437 people
Hurst
39,912 people
Duncanville
39,879 people
Coppell
42,029 people
Rosenberg
39,467 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Friendswood's 40,827 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Mount Juliet, TN
40,828 people
Germantown, TN
40,812 people
Covington, KY
40,902 people
Lancaster, OH
40,902 people
Annapolis, MD
40,744 people
Meadow Woods, FL
40,741 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Friendswood's $125,052 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Allenspark, CO
$125,048 median income
Gorham, ME
$125,058 median income
Benicia, CA
$125,040 median income
Bridgewater, CT
$125,000 median income
Fox River Grove, IL
$125,104 median income
Diamondhead Lake, IA
$125,000 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Friendswood, TX Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Friendswood, TX - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 78.2% 9.4% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 15.1% White 78.2% Black or African American 4.8% Asian 4.9% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 2.6% Two or more races 9.4% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Friendswood compares to nearby Texas cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Friendswood (this city) 40,827 $125,052
Lancaster 40,753 $67,584
Weslaco 41,437 $54,995
Hurst 39,912 $71,743
Census ACS 5-year FIPS TX FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Friendswood, TX?

What is the population of Friendswood, TX? +

40,827 people live in Friendswood, TX according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Friendswood, TX? +

Friendswood households earn a median of $125,052 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Friendswood? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Friendswood; the closest available measure is the Texas state average, a cost of living index of 97.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Texas vary by metro area.

Is Friendswood, TX safe? +

Friendswood has a total crime rate of 645.2 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Friendswood, TX? +

Homes in Friendswood carry a median value of $399,500, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.