high income earners

Pearland has highest rate of new wealthy residents in Houston

Nearly 22 percent of all Pearland households made $200,000 in 2023.

Photo courtesy of Visit Pearland

Where are the wealthy settling down in H-Town? The Houston neighbor of Pearland has added a larger percentage of high-income households recently than any other local city, and it ranks among the top 50 U.S. places with the biggest growth of high earners.

A new study by financial tech company SmartAsset, "Cities Adding the Most High-Income Households – 2025 Study" examined Census Bureau income data across 352 American cities. They were ranked based on the growth in high-earning households as a percentage of total households between 2022 and 2023. For the purpose of the study, high-income households are defined as those making $200,000 or more per year.

Pearland ranked No. 48 nationwide and No. 9 in Texas.

The study found 21.6 percent of all Pearland households made $200,000 or more in 2023, and added over 2,900 high-income earners during the one-year period. That means the city had an affluent household growth rate of 35.8 percent.

For context, the national median income for a U.S. household in 2023 was $80,610.

Pearland has previously cashed in as one of the richest Texas cities in 2023, and has been consistently lauded as one of the safest American cities. And with the new influx of wealth, Pearland residents can afford to spend the extra cash on small businesses and local restaurants, such as the popular Killen's Barbecue, BB's Tex-Orleans, and Lotus Seafood.

SmartAsset also mentioned that up-and-coming cities like Pearland can be greatly impacted by their wealthy households in many other ways.

"[The] prevalence of high-income households also can help describe the relative quality of life of a population, or tell stories about potential wealth gaps or local growth," the report said. "Changes in a city’s relative proportion of households earning high income may change due to dynamics in the local job market, housing market, cost of living, age demographics, opportunities elsewhere, and beyond."

Other high-earning cities in Texas
The Texas city that brought in the most high-earning households from 2022 to 2023 was the South Texas city of Brownsville, which also ranked No. 4 nationally.

Only two additional Houston-area cities appeared in the top 100: Atascocita (No. 82) and League City (No. 99). Atascocita added 1,623 affluent households from 2022 to 2023, while League City added 1,130 new wealthy residents.

Other Texas cities ranked among the top 100 with the most high-earning households include:

No. 15 – Edinburg
No. 24 – Lewisville
No. 25 – Round Rock
No. 29 – Abilene
No. 30 – Denton
No. 35 – New Braunfels
No. 41 – Killeen
No. 59 – Tyler
No. 61 – Amarillo
No. 63 – Carrollton
No. 77 – San Antonio
No. 97 – Richardson

reports smartasset suburbs houston pearland

hey, joe

Trader Joe's sets Cypress opening date, confirms Bellaire plans

Photo courtesy of Towne Lake by Caldwell Communities Facebook page

Trader Joe's is expanding, and shoppers couldn't be happier.

Two new Houston-area communities announced that they would be opening Trader Joe's locations, bringing the total number of stores in the city to nine.

On Thursday, December 18, the Towne Lake by Caldwell Communities Facebook page posted that the new Trader Joe's at 9715 Towne Lake Parkway would open at 8 am on Friday, December 19. Unsold but still-good products left over at the ribbon cutting ceremony will be donated to local nonprofits.

"Not only does Trader Joe's have great prices on food, drinks, and treats, but as a hobby florist I always find the best selections for my floral arrangements," Copperfield resident Kelsey Zuchlewski tells CultureMap. "Now, with the convenience of having a location right here in our neighborhood, I'm in heaven."

Confirmation of the Cypress opening followed an announcement on the City of Bellaire's Facebook page that a Trader Joe's would take over the former Randall's at 5130 Bellaire Blvd. The post did not specify when construction will begin or when the location will open.

"This highly anticipated addition to our community will bring a unique grocery shopping experience and further enhance the vibrant retail landscape of Bellaire," the post said. "We look forward to welcoming Trader Joe’s and will share updates as the project progresses."

The California-based chain of stores entered Houston in 2012, first in the Woodlands and then, more famously, at the old Alabama Theater space on Shepherd, where it has become a beloved local institution. Since then, the chain has expanded throughout Houston, including a Kingwood location that opened earlier this month.

Over the year, Trader Joe's has built a loyal following that rivals even H-E-B. Staff at the stores (wearing Hawaiian shirts) are trained to be extremely friendly and helpful, as well as being encouraged to purchase ownership in the company. The selection is smaller and more curated than other larger grocery stores, leading to a boutique experience that many consider to be surprisingly affordable. At least one viral TikToker claims that Trader Joe's beats H-E-B's price, although the latter undoubtedly has a larger selection of goods.

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