Houston, Texas, boasts a wide variety of suburban experiences. One of those ‘burbs with a feel all its own is Friendswood.
As the name would suggest, the feeling of being among friends is one of the city’s selling points. Land on the city’s website, and you’ll be treated to a carousel of rotating images of fun family events, outdoor activities and volunteer opportunities.
Areavibes calls the city “exceptionally livable” with low crime, nice weather and high graduation rates. It’s only flaws, if you can call them that, are a cost of living that’s above the Texas average, and for housing values in relation to the rest of the Lone Star State.
It gets its name from its founder, the Religious Society of Friends, better known as the Quakers, who established the community in 1895. They must have appreciated the hot, humid summers, and the generally mild winters that characterize the Friendswood climate.
Living in Friendswood
Friendswood is about 22 miles south of downtown Houston, and 35 miles north of Galveston. The city is located in Galveston and Harris counties. If it’s water that you want, a quick trip will get you to either Trinity or Galveston Bay.
There are no major highways within the town, but to the east is Interstate 45. Just across that interstate is Space Center Houston. But before even traveling as far as that road, Baybrook Mall stands ready to provide a variety of shopping opportunities.
More than 38,200 people call Friendswood home. In 1970, about 5,700 people lived in that city.
As it is spread among two counties, it is served by two public school districts. Students in Galveston County go to Friendswood Independent School District and Harris County children attend the schools in the Clear Creek Independent School District.
The median age of residents of Friendswood is 40.4. The age groups are relatively evenly divided, except for those over the age of 65, which makes up less than 9 percent of the city’s population.
Real estate in Friendswood
Living in this bedroom community comes at a reasonable cost. The median price of a home, according to Bestplaces.net, is $210,800, and the overall cost of living is only slightly above the national average. People in Friendswood make a good living; the mean income for a household in 2010 was $115,439.
The city is about 20 square miles in area, with a little bit being water. But there are so many outdoor activities to enjoy in Friendswood that dry-land activities are enjoyed by all.
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