Pearland vs Sugar Land
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $356,300 in Pearland and $430,200 in Sugar Land.
- Households earn more in Sugar Land ($136,217 vs $118,842 median).
- Pearland is growing faster: +1.8% since 2020 vs -3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Sugar Land (29 vs 33 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Pearland, TX | Sugar Land, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 129,930 | 107,726 |
| Growth since 2020 | +1.8% | -3% |
| People per square mile | 2,666 | 2,662 |
| Median age | 37.1 | 42.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 47% | 63% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $118,842 | $136,217 |
| Median home value | $356,300 | $430,200 |
| Home value to income | 3.0× | 3.2× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,860 | $1,957 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 98.6 | 98.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 104.5 | 104.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $74,000 | $74,000 |
| Homeowners | 76% | 80% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 32.7 | 28.9 |
| Work from home | 14% | 24% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.3% | 4.1% |
| Poverty rate | 4.1% | 5.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 65° / 46° | 64° / 45° |
| July high / low | 93° / 76° | 95° / 76° |
| Precipitation per year | 53 in | 50 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 101 | 112 |
| Nights below freezing | 6 | 10 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 6 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 93.6 | 97.5 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 10% | 10% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.4% | +3.4% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +32.7% | +32.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Pearland: January to April and November. Sugar Land: November to April.
Full monthly tables: Pearland weather by month and Sugar Land weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $74,000 in Pearland and $74,000 in Sugar Land. Moving from Pearland to Sugar Land, you would need about $75,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Pearland and Sugar Land
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Pearland and Sugar Land.
Which would you pick?
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