Galveston Texas City Guide

Located right along Texas’s southeastern edge and surrounded by the Gulf of Mexico is Galveston, Texas, a historic and family-friendly city with unique charm. Galveston has a long history that is reflected in the city’s historical districts and locations. The city is a popular tourism destination, and the economy also is dominated by the healthcare and financial industries. This resort city is located roughly 45 miles southeast of Downtown Houston, and although the city is located on an island, daily commutes to and from Galveston are considerably under the state’s average.

Galveston’s location means residents have convenient access to the Greater Houston area, in addition to nearby waterfront attractions, outdoor parks, expansive preserves, and various nature trails. Galveston attracts residents from a wide range of walks of life, and many young professionals feel at him in the city, as do young families. Compared with other Texas residential areas, Galveston’s economic diversity, job market, and cost of living are especially attractive.

Around 50,000 residents live in Galveston, Texas. About 30% of the city’s residents have some college education or hold an associate’s degree, while 17% of the population has earned a bachelor’s degree. From there, 12% of Galveston residents have a master’s degree or higher. 47% of the population is White, and 30% of residents are of Hispanic backgrounds. 18% of residents are African American, and 3% of residents are Asian.

About 2% of Galveston’s population is biracial or multiracial. The city’s poverty rate tracks around 20%, and Galveston’s unemployment rate is 4.4%. The city’s estimated median household income is $45K, and the median individual income tracks around $25K.

The Galveston Independent School District covers the entirety of Galveston’s public schools, and the city also includes other educational options for students. With an average student-teacher ratio of 16 to 1, Galveston ISD schools tend to have small class sizes. According to state test scores, 74% of students in the district are at least proficient in math, while 65% are at least proficient in reading. Public schools in Galveston tend to feature diverse student populations, great academic records, well-rated teachers, and various student clubs and extracurricular activities.

This school district educates around 7,000 students across grades pre-kindergarten-12. Galveston ISD consists of 6 elementary campuses, 2 middle schools, and 1 high school campus. The district also includes a magnet middle school. The city contains other state-funded charter schools that are not affiliated with school districts, which are campuses like Ambassadors Preparatory Academy and Odyssey Academy. Other local schools that aren’t a part of Galveston ISD include multiple religious educational institutions.

Galveston is among the coastal cities in Texas with a cost of living that is well below the national average and just slightly higher than the state average.

The cost of living in the city is about 4% higher than the Texas average, and about 5% lower than the national average.

With median listing prices of about $245,000, housing costs in the city are about 14% lower than the national average.

One can expect to pay more for goods and services, with prices that are about 2% higher than the national average. Food and groceries costs, meanwhile, are about 11% lower than the national average.

In terms of transportation, prices are slightly lower – about 3% lower than the national average. Healthcare expenses are about 8% lower than the national average, while the costs of utilities are about 7% higher than the national average.