SurfsideBeachHouseSign, 2005
Surfside Beach’s story
Surfside Beach in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005.
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Surfside BeachTX
A town of 694.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: WhisperToMe · Public domain
Population
694
2025 Census estimate · +10.3% since 2020
Typical home
$318K
−10.8% in a year
Household income
$100K
median
Median age
54.5
years
Jobs based here
253
Balanced
Is Surfside Beach a good place to live?
Surfside Beach’s median age is 54.5 years, above both Texas’ towns (35.9 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Only 1 of the 643 Texas towns we compare have a lower July high than Surfside Beach. 11% of the land in Surfside Beach is conserved, against 1.9% in Texas’ towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Surfside Beach has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
By the sea
Surfside Beach lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 34% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
34%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
100thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
1,165paid flood-insurance claims since 1978
7storm & flood disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Surfside Beach: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Surfside Beach, and how to reach them.
PowerJackson Electric Coop14.6¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterVillage of Surfside Beach water system23 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Surfside Beach’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 Surfside Beach.
Who lives here
Fewer children than Texas overall
Children under 18 are 8% of residents (25% statewide); people 65 and older are 25% of residents (13% statewide). 41% of Surfside Beach adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Surfside Beach has grown 10% since 2020, to 694 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
54.5median age · TX 35.6
Surfside BeachTexasUnited States
Ages · share of residents
24%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school25%
Some college19%
Associate’s10%
Bachelor’s19%
Graduate22%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.8 points. Across Texas, 50.1% of residents are women. Among residents 35 to 44, 82% are women (TX 49%).
| Surfside Beach | TX | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 1% | 13.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.9% | 11.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.9% | 9.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.7% | 14.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 4.1% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 20.5% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 23.6% | 11.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.3% | 8.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.8% | 5.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.9% | 14% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.3% | 20.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.9% | 7.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.4% | 21.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 21.5% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazards
High risk in Surfside Beach, with coastal flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 76% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 1,165 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Surfside Beach.
76risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Coastal floodingHurricanesInland flooding
1,165
paid flood claims since 1978
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Surfside Beach has mild winters and hot summers
Surfside Beach has warm winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. The January low in Surfside Beach is 47°F.
90°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter50–64°
Spring64–76°
Summer78–89°
Fall66–80°
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
90°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Surfside Beach
Most working residents leave Surfside Beach for work: only 1% work in town. Surfside Beach’s median household income is $100,000. Jobs based in Surfside Beach grew to 253 in 2023, 79 more than in 2013.
1%work in town
| Surfside Beach | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $100,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.9% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.3% | 12% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Surfside Beach1%
Houston23%
Clute9%
Lake Jackson9%
Freeport8%
40 mi
median commute distance
253
jobs based in Surfside Beach
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
11.1%conserved
11.1%
conserved · 133 of 1,194 acres
1.5 mi
of trails · 0.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Surfside Jetty Park | 0.4 mi | 11 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Safety
Crime reported in Surfside Beach
3 crimes were reported in Surfside Beach in 2025: 0 property and 3 violent. In a town this small, a few incidents move the numbers a lot, so rates aren't shown.
Surfside Beach is small, so we show counts rather than rates.
3
violent crimes reported in 2025
0
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Health
More of Surfside Beach’s adults have high blood pressure than in the typical Texas or U.S. town
47% of adults have high blood pressure in Surfside Beach. Surfside Beach beats the Texas average on 11 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 17% of adults have diabetes in Surfside Beach.
| Surfside Beach | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 47% | 35% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 12% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 39% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 81% | 74% | 79% |
31 measures vs. Texas
11 better10 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Surfside Beach | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.1% | 16.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.9% | 19.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.1% | 6.1% |
CHI St. Luke's Health Brazosport
11.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Surfside Beach’s typical home value is about $318K
The typical Surfside Beach home is worth about $318,000, down 10.8% in a year, 7% above the Texas typical home.
$318KZillow home value
| Surfside Beach | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,600 a month | $1,208 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 69% | 73% |
Typical home value
Surfside Beach$318K
Texas$296K
−10.8%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Surfside Beach
18pages on Surfside Beach
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Surfside Beach
About 4 of every 100 Surfside Beach residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
Small town
694 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
FreeportSurfside Beach
About Surfside Beach
City in Brazoria County, Texas, United States
Surfside Beach, also known locally as Surfside, is a city in Brazoria County, Texas, United States, that is situated on Follet's Island by the Gulf of Mexico near the city of Freeport. The population was 640 at the 2020 census. The city has claimed the "Cradle of Texas Liberty" title due to the fact that the Treaty of Velasco which ended hostilities between Texas and Mexico was signed at Fort Velasco, which was located near the city's current City Hall. Former Congressman Ron Paul maintained a home near Surfside Beach before selling it on Facebook in 2011.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 7 ft
- Area code
- 979
Questions about Surfside Beach
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Surfside Beach, TX a good place to live?
Surfside Beach has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.