Pearland, Texas
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. At the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 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.
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 , 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.
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
At the 2010 United States census, the city's population was 91,252, a 142% increase over the 2000 population of 37,640. Pearland's government stated in 2009 that the estimated population in the city limits was 91,000, and that city population and the population of nearby unincorporated areas, including Country Place and Silverlake, was 125,000 altogether. As of the 2020 United States census, 125,828 people, 42,098 households, and 32,177 families were residing in the city.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. 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 U.S. Census Bureau's 2019 estimates determined Pearland had 41,507 households with an average of 2.93 persons per household. 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. The median household income from 2015 to 2019 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. The population density as of 2010 was 1,940.9 people per square mile.
Race and ethnicity
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%. 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. 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. By 2010, the city became ethnically and racially majority minority. At least 62 languages are spoken in Pearland public schools.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 in Pearland, while the main campus is in an unincorporated area in Harris County.
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.
The Sri Meenakshi Temple in Pearland had its property purchased in 1978 and was established in 1979. Pat Turner of the Houston Chronicle wrote that the initial facility "was barely big enough for one person to stand in while performing worship services." New facilities were established circa 1995. From its founding in 1979 to the opening of the Chabad Pearland Jewish Center in 2009, it was the only non-Christian place of worship in Pearland.
Rewake Inc., an independent Christian group, was founded in 2016 and chaired by Pastor Phil Brown. The group conducted services at the Bakfish Brewing Co. brewery in Pearland. Dana Burke of the Bay Area Citizen described it as nontraditional.
The Pearland Islamic Center, about north of Farm to Market Road 518, is a part of the Islamic Society of Greater Houston. It began construction December 2010 with an anticipated completion time of May 2011. It opened c. 2012. By 2016, the leadership was considering expanding the mosque, with June 2016 being the scheduled month of the start of construction. The mosque is on a site.
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.Pearland's economy in the 2010s has helped increase its healthcare and health-related workforce. Kelsey-Seybold Clinic's new administrative office building in Shadow Creek Ranch was expected to open in the fall of 2013, with 800 employees. This follows two other medical manufacturing facilities: Cardiovascular Systems, which opened in 2010, and Merit Medical Systems, which began construction in 2011. The Merit project,, provides facilities for 220 research and development employees. By 2020, 50% of the city's economy relies on healthcare equipment manufacturing or medical research.
Other employers are a reflection of Pearland's suburban economy, with the vast majority of it retail.
According to its 2020 Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in Pearland were:
| Rank | Employer | Number of employees |
| 1 | Pearland Independent School District | 2,766 |
| 2 | Kelsey Seybold Clinic | 863 |
| 3 | City of Pearland | 853 |
| 4 | Alvin Independent School District | 785 |
| 5 | Memorial Hermann Pearland Hospital | 450 |
| 6 | Lonza Group | 444 |
| 7 | Merit Medical Industries | 360 |
| 8 | HCA | 300 |
| 9 | Dover Corporation | 220 |
| 10 | Third Coast Chemicals | 200 |