Get to know Pearland, TX

Pearland is located 16 miles south of downtown Houston.  The city began as a railroad switch on the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway in 1882.  A post office was established in 1893, but the community was called Mark Belt.  It was not until the following year that the name Pearland was introduced.  A Polish nobleman, Witold von Zychlinski, filed the plat with the county courthouse as Pear-Land.  The area was used to harvest fruit at the time and von Zychlinski was inspired by the many pear trees he saw.  While promoted as an “agricultural Eden” the Galveston hurricanes in 1900 and 1915 devastated the fruit trees and led to a period of desertification.  A freeze in 1918 further crippled the local farming.  While oil was found nearby in 1934, it was not until after 1970 that the population began to grow.  The population explosion has increased the labor force and job base in the city.  The major employers include Pearland Independent School District and Walmart.  The city also is home to many of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center employees.

Quick Facts

Population: 97,427

Median Household Income: $94,653

Median Property Value: $179,600