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Brenham vs Tomball

47 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+72% in Tomball) and trails (3.2× in Brenham).

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Brenham, TXA history townTexas · 18,641 people
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Tomball, TXKnown for its schoolsTexas · 13,655 people
Swap order
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

BrenhamA history town
HistorySettled in 184434 places on the National Register Work12,718 jobsbased in Brenham, a regional job hub Outdoors#46 most trails in TX16 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves All about Brenham →
TomballKnown for its schools
Schools#41 for schools in TXof 583 towns Housing$357K typical home19% above the TX typical home Work15,293 jobsbased in Tomball, a regional job hub All about Tomball →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Property tax bill+72%
Tax bills are bigger in Tomball
Tomball $5,341Brenham $3,097
Trails3.2×
Brenham has more miles of trail
Brenham 16.1 miTomball 5.1 mi
Home values+51%
Homes cost more in Tomball
Tomball $364,300Brenham $241,100
Average commute16 min
Brenham has the shorter commute
Tomball 33 minBrenham 18 min
Work in town+23.5 pts
More of Brenham’s workers stay in town
Brenham 35.6%Tomball 12.1%
Work from home+11.4 pts
More people work from home in Tomball
Tomball 19.8%Brenham 8.4%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Tomball places higher on 13 of 23 TX lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Texas ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
C−BrenhamSafer than 23% of U.S. towns C−TomballSafer than 23% of U.S. towns
Schools
B+BrenhamBetter than 71% of districts in the state ATomballBetter than 92% of districts in the state
Health
C+BrenhamHealthier than 43% of U.S. towns B+TomballHealthier than 71% of U.S. towns
9Brenham
13Tomball

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Shortest commuteGetting around · 653 towns #65#566 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 180 towns #37#155 Most trailsOutdoors · 405 towns #46#228 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #480#210 Most conserved landOutdoors · 572 towns #223#438 Most remote workersWork · 624 towns #324#95 Lowest obesityHealth · 652 towns #314#120 Highest graduation rateSchools · 584 towns #339#179

Left end = #1 in Texas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Brenham’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $240 more a month in Tomball

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Brenham$2,080/mo
Typical home $329K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.28% · or rent about $1,157/mo · Housing →
Tomball$2,310/mo
Typical home $357K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.47% · or rent about $1,226/mo · Housing →

The difference: $240 a month, about $2,800 a year, between Tomball and Brenham.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
BrenhamTomball
Snow a year0″0″
January low41°F—
July high94°F—
Growing season (days)279d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)27th51st
Outdoors & history
BrenhamTomball
Trails16 mi5 mi
Conserved land2.9%0.8%
Settled18441907
National Register places34—
Archive photos12—
Famous people born here39—
Community
BrenhamTomball
Library hours a week40 hrs65 hrs
Colleges in town1—
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

47 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BrenhamTXTomballTX
Brenham ↔ Tomball47 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

BrenhamTomball
People
Population 18,641Highest 13,655Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +10.5%Lowest TX: +15.9% +14.8%Highest TX: +15.9%
Median age 33.8±1.8Lowest 5% below TX 37.7±2.5Highest 6% above TX
Tomball and Brenham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 22%±2.8Lowest TX: 25% 23%±3.3Highest TX: 25%
Tomball and Brenham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 20.2%±2.5Highest TX: 13.4% 19.5%±3Lowest TX: 13.4%
Brenham and Tomball are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 32.5%Lowest TX: 33.8% 35.9%Highest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 10.6%±1.4Highest TX: 6.2% 7.2%±2.4Lowest TX: 6.2%
Brenham and Tomball are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $65,112±$9kLowest 17% below TX $78,562±$9kHighest about the TX average
Tomball and Brenham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $241,100±$12kLowest 15% below TX $364,300±$27kHighest 28% above TX
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,157±$67Lowest 18% below TX $1,226±$78Highest 13% below TX
Tomball and Brenham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,097Lowest 27% below TX $5,341Highest 26% above TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.8%±9.6Lowest TX: 51.7% 59.9%±11.1Highest TX: 51.7%
Tomball and Brenham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 18.9%Highest TX: 13.8% 9.2%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 51.1%Lowest TX: 62.6% 51.9%Highest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1983Lowest 9 yrs older than TX 1994Highest 2 yrs newer than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 18 minLowest 34% below TX 33 minHighest 25% above TX
Work from home 8.4%±3.2Lowest TX: 14.4% 19.8%±6.2Highest TX: 14.4%
Work in townworking residents 35.6%Highest 12.1%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 33.8 miHighest 18.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.59Lowest 2.30Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Houston (13%)Houston (39%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in TomballFew work in Brenham
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.9%Highest 0.8%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 16.1 miHighest 5.1 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.2 miHighest 0.4 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Highest 6Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 71.7Highest 49.8Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #194 of 583 in TX#41 of 583 in TX
School district BRENHAM ISDTOMBALL ISD
High school in town Brenham H STomball H S
Students per teacherat that high school 14.1Lowest 18.1Highest
Texas average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Brenham neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Brenham’s Town Square.

Tomball neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tomball’s Town Square.

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Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Texas towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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