Texas, 1917
Freeport’s story
128 years in pictures
Census counts: 1,798 in 1920, 10,696 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1917 and 3 maps from 1943 on.
- 1898Freeport is settled
FreeportTX
A town of 10,508, settled in 1898. A regional job hub with 8,960 jobs.
Population
10,508
2025 Census estimate · −1.8% since 2020
Typical home
$154K
+1.3% in a year
Household income
$61K
median
Median age
34.5
years
Jobs based here
8,960
A job hub
TownGrade
C−
#388 of 640 in TX
Is Freeport a good place to live?
Freeport gives you more for your money than most places: a typical home costs about $154K, 1.9 years of the Houston metro’s $82K median household income. It grades C− overall, ranked 388th of 640 in Texas. The low prices come with trade-offs. CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 88% of the country, and it reports more crime per resident than 80% of U.S. towns, including 40 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. 13% of the land in Freeport is conserved, above both Texas’ towns (1.9%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Among 642 Texas towns, just 4 have a lower peak summer temperature than Freeport. The biggest park or preserve is Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge, at 210 acres.
What makes Freeport stand out
Where Freeport beats most towns.
Jobs vs. working residents
Jobs here8,960
Residents who work4,006
Work
2.2 jobs for every working resident
A regional job hub: more jobs per worker than 95% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023.
Typical home value
Freeport$154K
Texas$296K
Cost of livingA−
More affordable than 83% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
A shrinking town
Freeport has shrunk 13% since 2010
12,049 counted in 2010 and 10,696 in 2020; an estimated 10,508 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Freeport grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Freeport is from typical.
HealthCHI St. Luke's Health Brazosport 8.2 miles awayDOpen →Cost of livingA−Open →SafetyC−Open →Jobs & incomeCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.2 of 20; 5% of households have no car; 0.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 38% of U.S. communities; hurricanes tops the listB−Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors3 miles of trailsB+Open →History11 notable people born hereCOpen →Civic life4.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 91° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market30 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 34.5; 7% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Freeport: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Freeport, and how to reach them.
PowerJackson Electric Coop14.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Freeport water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Freeport’s trash rules yet
Register to voteIn personTexas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereBrazoria County Early Voting ClerkBrazoria County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code7754177541 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Freeport.
Freeport trades lower home prices for longer drives to work, draws workers from Lake Jackson and beyond and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns.
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
About one in nine working residents works right in Freeport
8,960 jobs are based in Freeport, 2.2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in.
Freeport: 14% of residents live below the poverty line, against 12% in Texas’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Most people who work leave Freeport to do it: just 11% work in town. The top destinations are Houston (18%), Clute (11%) and Lake Jackson (8%). Its typical household income comes in at $61,000.
11%work in town
| Freeport | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 8.3% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Freeport11%
Houston18%
Clute11%
Lake Jackson8%
Oyster Creek4%
41 mi
median commute distance
8,960
jobs based in Freeport
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 33% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SchoolsB−
On state tests, Freeport’s schools trail 51% of Texas districts
The largest public high school is Brazosport H S, with 841 students. Brazosport ISD runs its public schools. Two of the 4 schools are below, and why each made the list.
49%of TX districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freeport ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 616 | – |
| Brazosport H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 841 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
HealthD
More of Freeport’s adults sleep under 7 hours than in the typical Texas or U.S. town
For adults in Freeport, the share who report frequent mental distress is 19%. On the CDC’s 31 measures, Freeport is ahead of Texas on 1 and behind on 21. 32% of adults in Freeport worry about having enough food; 30% say their health is fair or poor.
12%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Freeport | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 39% | 36% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 20% | 14% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 24% | 19% |
31 measures vs. Texas
1 better9 too close to call21 worse
| What stands out | Freeport | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.2% | 6.1% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 32.1% | 19.3% |
CHI St. Luke's Health Brazosport
8.2 mi away · emergency room
2 of 3
care shortages: primary care, mental health
18th
percentile among TX towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade A−
Freeport’s grade for cost of living is an A−
Homes are within reach (about $154K for the typical one, A− for cost of living), but half of working residents commute more than 41 miles. At 1.9 years of the Houston metro’s $82K median household income, the typical home (about $154K) costs less against local pay than in 94% of Texas towns; that ratio is one input to that grade.
The share of households in Freeport who own their home: 59%. The typical home value in the town is about $154,000, up 1.3% in a year, 48% below the Texas typical home. On the market here: a median 30 days to sell.
$154KZillow home value
| Freeport | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 59% | 69% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,176 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Freeport$154K
Texas$296K
Market temperature
30
days on market
98.2%
sale-to-list price
+1.3%
value change, 1 year
13
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SafetyC−
Freeport’s grade for safety is a C−
Reported crimes fell from 243 to 176 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Freeport’s level of violent crime comes in at 3.8 per 1,000 residents. In Freeport, the level of property crime is 12.8 per 1,000 residents.
20%of U.S. towns report more crimeC−Safety Grade
| Freeport | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.8 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 12.8 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Freeport3.8
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Freeport12.8
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
20th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
20th
percentile among TX towns
40
violent crimes reported in 2025
136
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers: that is Freeport’s year
January nights average 46.9°, milder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 89.7°. The Freeport 2 Nw weather station records that about 82 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 90% of Texas places with climate records.
Its January low stands at 47°F. Snow is a rarity.
91°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter49–65°
Spring63–77°
Summer77–89°
Fall65–80°
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsB+
Freeport has set aside 12.7% of its land for conservation
Walkers can cover 3.3 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. For Freeport, the trail density is 0.2 miles per square mile.
#327for trails in TX
12.7%
conserved · 1,440 of 11,296 acres
3.3 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Justin Hurst Wildlife Management Area | 0.4 mi | 206 |
| 2. Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge | — | 210 |
| 3. Riverside Park | — | 15 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B−
Natural hazards: low risk in Freeport, mostly hurricanes
753 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 45 properties have flooded more than once.
Households in Freeport have drawn federal disaster aid in 9 declared disasters, most recently in 2024. On expected storm and flood damage, Freeport sits below 62% of U.S. communities. Flood insurance has paid out on 753 claims here since 1979. Expected losses in Freeport break down as 48% from hurricanes and 21% from inland flooding.
38risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingTornadoes
753
paid flood claims since 1979
9
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Freeport
20pages on Freeport
The big questions
SchoolsB−Behind 51% of TX districts · 4 schoolsSafetyC−3.8 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than TX on 1 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingA−$154K typical home · up 1.3% in a yearWork & commuteC$61K median household income · 8,960 jobs hereNatural hazardsB−FEMA risk higher than 38% of U.S. communities · hurricanes
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Freeport
About 4 of every 100 Freeport residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
A job hub
Every workday, about 8,521 people come to Freeport for work
Where Freeport’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
8,960jobs based in Freeport
11%of working residents work in town
41 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Freeport
11 notable people were born in Freeport.
About Freeport
City in Brazoria County, Texas, United States
Freeport is a city in Brazoria County, Texas, United States, located on the Gulf of Mexico, founded in 1912. According to the 2020 census, the city population was 10,696, down from 12,049 in 2010. Freeport's economic growth began in 1939 with the construction of Dow Chemical Company facilities, which remain its largest employer and are the largest integrated chemical manufacturing facility in the United States. In 2002, Freeport LNG was founded; an LNG export terminal was developed in the early 2010s after the US shale gas revolution and came online in 2019. In June 2022 a pipeline rupture and explosion closed the terminal until February 2023.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1912
- Area
- 17 sq mi
- Elevation
- 0 ft
- ZIP code
- 77541–77542, 77541, 77542
- Area code
- 979
Freeport’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Freeport.
Lake JacksonQuintanaSurfside BeachFreeport
How the neighbors grade
| Town | TX rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freeport | #388 | C− | A− | C− | B− | D |
| Lake Jackson | #443 | C− | C | C | B− | B− |
| Quintana | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Surfside Beach | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Quintana and Surfside Beach aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Freeport with a neighbor →
Questions about Freeport
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Freeport, TX a good place to live?
Freeport grades C− overall, better than 20% of U.S. towns and #388 of 640 in Texas. It grades D for health, C− for safety and B− for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Freeport, TX safe?
Freeport reports more crime per resident than 80% of U.S. towns, a C− Safety Grade: 40 violent and 136 property crimes in 2025.
Is Freeport, TX expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.
What is Freeport, TX known for?
11 notable people were born here, including Jaleen Smith and Josh Gardner.