Demographics

Galveston Facts at a Glance

Government

City council-manager system with six council members elected from single-member districts; the mayor is elected at-large

Climate

Temperate, semi-tropical weather year-round – averaging 57° F in the winter months and 81° F in the summer months

Geography

A barrier reef island 32 miles long and 2.5 miles wide at its widest point

Location

Located in the Gulf of Mexico, 50 miles south of Houston

Religion

Galveston is home to more than 50 churches, two synagogues and a mosque, representing every major religious denomination.

Health Care

A leading academic medical center, the University of Texas Medical Branch offers a wide range of primary and specialty care outpatient services at its campus- and community-based clinics. UTMB clinics logged more than 637,000 outpatient visits last year. (www.utmbhealth.com)

Education

Galveston Independent School District covers 94.82 square miles including all of Galveston Island and a portion of the Bolivar Peninsula. The district serves approximately 6,450 students on the Island and Bolivar Peninsula. During the 2012- 2013 school year, it will operate two high schools, five middle schools and six elementary schools.

Higher Education

Texas A&M University at Galveston; Galveston College; University of Texas Medical Branch

Taxes

Taxes are paid in the city of Galveston to five entities – city, county, school, community college and navigation districts. There is no state property or income tax. The total property tax rate in 2011 was set at $2.57 per $100 valuation. A sales tax of 8.25 percent is levied.

School Facts

Galveston Independent School District serves about 6,450 students. The tax rate is $1.165 per $100 valuation, the lowest in Galveston County. The starting salary for a teacher with a Bachelor’s degree begins at $43,300, and the average teacher’s salary is $47,877.

Galveston College is a two-year community college serving over 6,000 credit students in fall, spring and summer semesters each year, and nearly 4,000 non-credit students annually.

Texas A&M University at Galveston is the ocean-oriented, branch campus of Texas A&M University offering undergraduate and graduate degree programs in marine and maritime-related fields. The Mitchell Campus on Pelican Island has about 2,000 students and about 400 faculty and staff. This unique university is also home to the Texas Maritime Academy, which incorporates the academic degree programs with professional licensing for the U.S. Merchant Marine and officer training for the U.S. Navy.

The University of Texas Medical Branch serves almost 3,000 students, and 560 interns, residents and fellows are enrolled in four schools and three institutes on the 85-acre campus on the east end of Galveston Island. (www.utmb.edu)