Friendswood vs Galveston
Friendswood, Texas versus Galveston, Texas: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Friendswood and Galveston score about the same overall (51 vs 48 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Friendswood | Galveston |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $121k | $57k |
| Cost of Living | $48k | $51k |
| Home Value | $362k | $258k |
| Monthly Rent | $2k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $3k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.66% | 1.18% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 8.20% | 8.20% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 7.67% | 8.03% |
| Unemployment | 4.6% | 6.8% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 55°F | 56°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 85°F | 85°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 56.6 in | 47.2 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.2 in | 0.1 in |
| Sunny Days | 192 days | 192 days |
| Summer Humidity | 73°F | 73°F |
| Comfortable Days | 133 days | 141 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 64.1 | 69.3 |
| Air Quality | 43 AQI | 35 AQI |
| School Quality | 48.3 | 71.7 |
| Violent Crime | 507/100k | 2184/100k |
| Property Crime | 575/100k | 2933/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 40,888 | 53,265 |
| Median Age | 38.7 | 39.4 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.34 | 0.54 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.93 | 1.05 |
| Political Leaning | D+13 | R+23 |
| White (%) | 70.7% | 49.9% |
| Black (%) | 4.2% | 15.6% |
| Hispanic (%) | 16.8% | 29.7% |
| Asian (%) | 4.8% | 2.5% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.5% | 2.4% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 29 min | 21 min |
| Walkability | 7.3/20 | 7.8/20 |
| Airport Distance | 11 mi | 36 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 96.3% | 89.4% |
| Amenities Nearby | 46.22 | 3.00 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Moderate |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Friendswood or Galveston more affordable?
- Friendswood has the lower cost of living: its index is $48k, compared with Friendswood's $48k and Galveston's $51k. Median rent is $2k in Friendswood versus $1k in Galveston.
- Is Friendswood or Galveston safer?
- Friendswood has the lower violent crime rate. Friendswood reports 507/100k and Galveston reports 2184/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Friendswood or Galveston?
- The median home value is $362k in Friendswood and $258k in Galveston, so homes are more affordable in Galveston.