The Town Files

Dickinson, Texas

City in Galveston County · population 20,847 (2020 Census)

Map: where Dickinson is in TexasDickinson
Median home
$278,000
Household income
$91,779
Jan low / Jul high
46° / 92°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
72
Median age
33.4

Dickinson is a city of 20,847 people in Galveston County, Texas. The median home is worth $278,000, above the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks better for cycling than 96% of Texas towns, more seaside character than 95% of Texas towns, more vibrant than 86% of Texas towns.

Dickinson in our rankings:

How Dickinson ranks

Percentile among Texas towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Texas towns.

Dickinson lifestyle rankings vs other Texas townsRetirement27th pctFamilies47th pctQuiet17th pctWalkability83rd pctFirst-time buyers53rd pctYoung professionals55th pctVibrancy86th pctHip & trendy38th pctCollege town84th pctUpscale67th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside character95th pctCycling96th pctTransit77th pctDriving48th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Dickinson is worth $278,000, above the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 3.0 times the median household income of $91,779, which is more affordable than 49% of Texas towns. Median rent is $1,231 a month. 71.8% of households own their home.

Dickinson vs Galveston County vs typical Texas townDickinsonGalveston CountyTypical Texas townHome value$278,000$314,600$184,100Household income$91,779$86,105$65,842Monthly rent$1,231$1,404$1,086
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Texas towns with 500+ people.
HousingDickinsonTypical Texas town
Median home value$278,000$184,100
Median rent$1,231$1,086
Median household income$91,779$65,842
Home value ÷ income3.0×2.9×
Homeownership71.8%72.9%
Median year built19861985
Seasonal / vacation homes0.0%—

Who lives in Dickinson

PeopleDickinsonTypical Texas town
Median age33.437.1
Age 65 and over12.2%15.6%
Under 1828.0%—
Bachelor's degree or higher25.5%18.9%
Below the poverty line12.0%13.1%
Veterans6.7%—
Born outside the U.S.11.9%—
Work from home10.3%7.8%
Average commute28.7 min26.1 min
Homes with broadband87.9%89.2%

Weather in Dickinson

July highs average 91.8°F and January lows 45.7°F. About 60.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.2 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 76 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 9 nights at or below freezing.

Dickinson monthly temperatures and precipitation40°50°60°70°80°90°100°64°46°Jan67°50°Feb73°56°Mar78°61°Apr85°69°May90°75°Jun92°76°Jul92°76°Aug88°72°Sep82°63°Oct73°53°Nov66°47°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue4.83.03.34.25.16.54.46.67.35.84.54.50.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Houston Nwso station (2.1 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

72 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Dickinson since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. 7 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F3, struck on March 8, 1976 about 5.4 miles from the town center. Tornadoes within 10 miles have caused 1 deaths and 23 injuries since 1950. The most recent was on December 28, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Dickinson by decade71950s81960s131970s201980s51990s82000s82010s32020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 44 times; the largest was 4.50 inches on April 2, 2013.

Severe weather in Galveston County since 1996

Storm events in Galveston County since 1996 by typeHail81Heat12Drought36Tornado46Lightning25Flash Flood107Rip Current25Funnel Cloud56
NOAA Storm Events Database, Galveston County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 68 deaths recorded.

Galveston County has been included in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, hurricane.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
July 9, 2024HurricaneDR-4798: Hurricane Beryl
February 19, 2021Severe Ice StormDR-4586: Severe Winter Storms
February 14, 2021Severe Ice StormEM-3554: Severe Winter Storm
December 9, 2020HurricaneDR-4572: Hurricane Laura
August 24, 2020HurricaneEM-3540: Tropical Storms Marco And Laura

Jobs and pay in Galveston County

Galveston County had 122,734 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $62,650 a year. Unemployment was 4.3% in 2023; in Dickinson itself the ACS puts it at 6.2%.

Largest industries in Galveston CountyHotels & restaurants18,949 jobs · $25,458Retail13,804 jobs · $38,288Health care & social assistan…10,162 jobs · $52,593Construction7,451 jobs · $82,928Manufacturing6,054 jobs · $135,037Administrative & support4,993 jobs · $54,337
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Galveston County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%2000200420082012201620202023Galveston 4.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Dickinson

16 public schools with 9,686 students, about 14.5 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
DICKINSON H S9-123,76316.1
EUGENE 'GENE' KRANZ J H6-899313.1
R D MCADAMS J H6-885411.9
JOHN AND SHAMARION BARBER MIDDLE4-562015.1
HUGHES ROAD ELPK-361116.1
DUNBAR MIDDLE4-557614.0
CALDER ROAD ELPK-356614.2
BAY COLONY ELPK-353113.6
JAKE SILBERNAGEL ELPK-352613.8
SAN LEON ELPK-352613.5
DICKINSON CONTINUATION CENTER8-128517.0
GALVESTON CO DETENTION CTR7-12168.0

Towns near Dickinson

Dickinson questions

Is Dickinson, Texas a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Dickinson scores better for retirees than 27% of Texas towns and quieter than 17%. 12.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 33.4).

How much does a house cost in Dickinson?

The median owner-occupied home in Dickinson is valued at $278,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $91,779, so homes cost about 3.0 times income. Median rent is $1,231 a month.

What is the weather like in Dickinson?

July highs average 91.8°F and January lows 45.7°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 60.2 inches of precipitation a year and 0.2 inches of snow.

Does Dickinson get tornadoes?

72 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Dickinson since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F3 on March 8, 1976. The typical Texas town has had 21.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Dickinson's Census boundary (GEOID 4820344). Comparisons use the median of Texas towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.