How is Friendswood run?
Friendswood’s city government spent $39.9 million on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, about $978 per resident. Water and other utilities ($5.2 million) are counted separately.
Senior Citizens Advisory Committee
10:00 am · Activity Room, Activity Building, 416 Morningside Dr
All meetings →What stands out about how Friendswood is run
Read from the city’s budget, meetings and official records.
6 upcoming meetings at town hall
From Friendswood’s own agenda portal, checked daily. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check before you go.
- Nov9Senior Citizens Advisory CommitteeMonday · 10:00 am · Activity Room, Activity Building, 416 Morningside DrSenior Citizen Advisory CommitteeAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov9GeneralMonday · 11:00 am · Sofia's Italiano, 129 W ParkwoodNotice of Possible Quorum Senior Center Program Volunteer Luncheon AppreciationAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10GeneralTuesday · 10:00 am · Friendswood Activity Building, 416 Morningside Dr.Notice of Possible Quorum Senior Center Program Veterans Day CelebrationAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10GeneralTuesday · 11:00 am · Friendswood Activity Building, 416 Morningside Dr.Notice of Possible Quorum Senior Center Program Thanksgiving PotluckMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov10Friendswood Downtown Economic Development CorporationTuesday · 4:00 pm · City Council Chamber, City Hall, 910 South Friendswood DriveCANCELLED - Friendswood Downtown Economic Development CorporationMeeting page ↗Add to calendar
- Nov12Planning and Zoning CommissionThursday · 6:00 pm · Council Chamber, City Hall, 910 South Friendswood DrivePlanning and Zoning Commission 2Meeting page ↗Add to calendar
Recent meetings
- Nov4Community and Economic Development CommitteeWednesday · 4:00 pm · City Council Chamber, City Hall, 910 South Friendswood DriveAgenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov4GeneralWednesday · 4:00 pm · Second Floor (CDD) Conference Room, City Hall, 910 South Friendswood DriveCharter Review Committee, November 4, 2026Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Nov2City CouncilMonday · 5:30 pm · Council Chambers, City Hall, 910 South Friendswood Dr.Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
- Oct30GeneralFriday · 5:00 pm · Renwick Sports Complex - Baseball Field #2, 205 Stadium Dr.Notice of Possible Quorum Mother and Son Kickball JamMeeting page ↗
- Oct29GeneralThursday · 4:30 pm · Second Floor (CMO) Conference Room, City Hall, 910 South Friendswood DriveCharter Review Committee, October 29, 2026Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
Most meetings are open to the public, and many have a public comment period at the start.
Agenda portal ↗About $978 per resident a year, or $2.68 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 31%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
No comparison or trend for Friendswood yet
The fair comparison uses 2022, the last year the Census Bureau counted every government (later years are a sample), and Friendswood’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate (it reported none of its 2022 dollars). It reported 2024 only (2022 is an estimate), so there is no trend yet either. The next full count is 2027.
How Town Hall compares budgets →The typical homeowner pays $6,338 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.51% of the home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Friendswood’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Friendswood’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Friendswood →
Who’s in charge in Friendswood
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
One full-time city employee for every 191 residents
On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (40,833).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Friendswood Independent School District
Friendswood’s K–12 school district. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $10,864 per pupil, $6,287 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Texas districts overall: 51% local, 36% state, 13% federal.
Clear Creek Independent School District · $10,905 per pupil
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Friendswood’s votes are counted by county
Texas reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Friendswood alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Galveston County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican63.1%100,295 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat35.7%56,732 votesOthers: 1.2% (1,969 votes).
Most votes in Galveston County: Donald J Trump
Texas: Trump 56.1%, Harris 42.5%
74% of Friendswood lies in Galveston County; the rest in Harris County. Every 2024 race in Galveston County is on the county’s page.
Galveston County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Friendswood.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: ci.friendswood.tx.us ↗
- 2Texas HouseFriendswood is split between 2 districts
- 3Texas SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseSplit between districts
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Texas
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
How Friendswood compares with the towns next door
Friendswood’s 2022 figures are a Census estimate, so it isn’t placed among them. Neighbors that reported 2022 spent $868 to $2,432 per resident. Tap a town to see its page.
| Town | Day-to-day, per resident (2022) | Tax bill |
|---|---|---|
| League City | $868 | $5,864 |
| Houston | $1,444 | $4,198 |
| Webster | $2,432 | $5,239 |
| Pearland | estimate | $7,345 |
| Alvin | estimate | $4,130 |
| Friendswood | estimate | $6,338 |
Day-to-day spending in 2022, the last year every government was counted, for governments that reported it; hospital and utilities left out. Tax bill: the typical homeowner’s bill (Census ACS, 2020–24).
Reach Friendswood’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Friendswood’s government
How much does Friendswood spend per resident?
About $978 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to September 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau.
What is the property tax rate in Friendswood?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $6,338 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.51% of the typical home’s value, vs 1.49% across Texas. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see ci.friendswood.tx.us.
Who runs Friendswood’s government?
See ci.friendswood.tx.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Friendswood yet.
How did Friendswood vote in 2024?
Texas counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Friendswood alone. Galveston County, where 74% of Friendswood lies, voted Trump 63.1%, Harris 35.7% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Friendswood?
214 full-time and 30 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $1.5M (about $18.2M a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.
Who represents Friendswood in the state legislature?
Friendswood is split among 2 State House districts, so your address decides. The Texas Legislature’s lookup finds yours. Its State Senate district is District 11 (Mayes Middleton). Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
When is the next public meeting in Friendswood?
The next posted meeting is Senior Citizens Advisory Committee on Monday, November 9, at 10:00 am in Activity Room, Activity Building, 416 Morningside Dr, from the city’s own agenda portal.
Ask neighbors about Friendswood’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →