PEARLAND, Texas – For a third consecutive year, the city of Pearland has the fast-growing retail market in the state, according to the Texas Retail Survey.
The study ranks retail growth among the state's 50 largest cities and is based on annual retail growth over the previous five years.
"It's always great to be recognized when you're No. 1," Pearland Chamber of Commerce President/Chief Executive Officer Carol Artz-Bucek said. "We have a mixture of restaurants and some retail chains and others privately owned."
Pearland Town Center and Silverlake Village are just two of the many shopping centers that have opened in the last several years.
"(Pearland Town Center) is a beautiful shopping center," Mimi's Cafe Manager Dwight Howarth said. "It's easy to get to. Everybody likes to come and dine. Our business has increased over 30 percent from the past two years. We've got all kinds of shopping."
More shopping also means the city collects more sales tax.Â
"It helps hire more policemen and firemen," Artz-Bucek said. "It helps with just the infrastructure of our community."Â
About 20 miles south of downtown Houston, Pearland is a community that has seen tremendous population growth over the last dozen years.
According to the U.S. census, the city has grown from a population of 37,640 in 2000 to 91, 252 in 2010. According to Pearland's city planner, it's estimated that the current population is more than 104,000.
In addition to more retail, the city's next focus is the medical industry, Artz-Bucek said. Two medical facility projects are already underway for a combined investment of more than $100 million.