Pearland Homeowners Among the Most Taxed in the U.S., New Study Shows By James Snell
If paying your property tax bill in Pearland feels painful, youâre not imagining it â and youâre not alone.
A new national study by SmartAsset ranks Pearland as the 21st highest property-tax burden city in the United States, placing it among the most heavily taxed large cities in the country when measured against household income.
The study analyzed 343 of the largest U.S. cities, ranking them by the percentage of a homeownerâs income that goes directly to property taxes.
Where Pearland Lands
According to the data, Pearland homeowners face the following: âMedian household income (with a mortgage): $166,351 âMedian monthly housing cost: $2,857 âMedian annual property tax: $8,351 âPercentage of income going to property taxes: 5.0%
In plain terms, about one dollar out of every twenty earned by a typical Pearland homeowner goes straight to property taxes â before utilities, insurance, maintenance, or HOA fees are even factored in.
That ratio places Pearland firmly in the national top tier of property-tax pressure.
How Pearland Compares
To put that in perspective, other Texas cities also ranked high on the list.
Conroe came in at No. 16, with homeowners spending about 5.1% of income on property taxes. Houston, by comparison, ranked No. 101, with roughly 4.1% of income going to property taxes.
Several other Texas cities appeared in the top 25, reinforcing that this isnât just a coastal issue â itâs a Texas one.
- The real contrast shows up when looking at cities on the lower end of the list.
- In many lower-burden cities, homeowners spend closer to 1â2% of their income on property taxes â sometimes even less. Over the life of a 30-year mortgage, that gap can easily add up to six figures.
Why This Hits Pearland Hard
Pearlandâs situation is driven by a combination of factors. The city has higher-than-average home values, strong household incomes on paper, and a tax structure that takes a larger bite than many similarly sized cities. While Pearland residents often earn more than the national median, the tax burden scales right along with it. Higher income doesnât always mean more breathing room. For many families, it results in a familiar feeling: house-rich, cash-tight.
A National Pattern â With a Texas Twist
The study found that the highest-burden cities overall are concentrated largely on the East Coast, particularly in New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.
At the same time, Texas cities repeatedly appear near the top of the rankings, driven by high property taxes paired with no state income tax. That tradeoff works better for some households than others.
For many Pearland homeowners, itâs starting to feel less like a balance and more like a squeeze.
Bottom Line
Pearland remains a desirable place to live, but this data confirms what many residents already feel when tax bills arrive each year: property taxes here are no joke. As home values continue to rise and budgets tighten, the question for many locals isnât whether Pearland is a great community â itâs how long the math continues to work.
Source: SmartAsset Property Tax Burden Study (2025) Full data available at smartasset.com For more local news, data, and community coverage, visit www.TalkOfPearland.com