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.

Down paymentRate%

Brenham$2,080/mo

Typical home $329K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.28% · or rent about $1,157/mo · Housing →

Universal City$1,810/mo

Typical home $265K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.91% · or rent about $1,315/mo · Housing →

The difference: $270 a month, about $3,200 a year, between Brenham and Universal City.

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.

Report cards

Brenham places higher on 14 of 26 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−Universal CitySafer than 22% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+BrenhamBetter than 71% of districts in the state C+Universal CityBetter than 42% of districts in the state

Health

C+BrenhamHealthier than 43% of U.S. towns BUniversal CityHealthier than 58% of U.S. towns

14Brenham

12Universal City

Lists won, of 26 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most library borrowingLibraries · 183 towns #51#154 Shortest commuteGetting around · 653 towns #65#360 Most new homesHousing · 535 towns #145#347 Best libraries for kidsLibraries · 183 towns #42#106 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #480#271 Best schoolsSchools · 583 towns #194#379 Most conserved landOutdoors · 572 towns #223#49 Lowest obesityHealth · 652 towns #314#120

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

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

BrenhamUniversal City

Snow a year0″0″

January low41°F 41°F

July high94°F 95°F

Growing season (days)279d 277d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)27th 69th

Outdoors & history

BrenhamUniversal City

Trails16 mi 16 mi

Conserved land2.9%12.4%

Settled1844 —

National Register places34 —

Archive photos12 —

Famous people born here39 —

Community

BrenhamUniversal City

Library hours a week40 hrs 40 hrs

Colleges in town1 1

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

122 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BrenhamTX Universal CityTX

Brenham ↔ Universal City122 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.

Only big differences vs Texas average

BrenhamUniversal City

People

Population 18,641Lowest 20,189Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +10.5%Highest TX: +15.9% +6.4%Lowest TX: +15.9%

Median age 33.8±1.8Lowest 5% below TX 37.1±3.5Highest 4% above TX

Universal City 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% 22.5%±3.8Highest TX: 25%

Universal City 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% 14.4%±2.3Lowest TX: 13.4%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 32.5%Lowest TX: 33.8% 33.6%Highest TX: 33.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 10.6%±1.4Highest TX: 6.2% 6.9%±2.3Lowest TX: 6.2%

Brenham and Universal City 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 $74,811±$6kHighest 5% below TX

Universal City 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 $269,600±$17kHighest 5% below TX

Universal City and Brenham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,157±$67Lowest 18% below TX $1,315±$70Highest 6% below TX

Property taxmedian, yearly $3,097Lowest 27% below TX $5,147Highest 22% above TX

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 45.8%±9.6Highest TX: 51.7% 38.7%±10.6Lowest TX: 51.7%

Brenham and Universal City 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% 8.8%Lowest TX: 13.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 51.1%Lowest TX: 62.6% 57.5%Highest TX: 62.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1983Lowest 9 yrs older than TX 1984Highest 8 yrs older than TX

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 18 minLowest 34% below TX 26 minHighest about the TX average

Work from home 8.4%±3.2Lowest TX: 14.4% 9.9%±3.3Highest TX: 14.4%

Universal City and Brenham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 35.6%Highest 3.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 33.8 miHighest 13.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.59Highest 0.57Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Houston (13%)San Antonio (48%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Universal CityFew work in Brenham

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.9%Lowest 12.4%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 16.1 miHighest 15.7 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.2 miLowest 2.8 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Lowest 8Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 71.7Lowest 100Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #194 of 583 in TX #379 of 583 in TX

School district BRENHAM ISDJUDSON ISD

High school in town Brenham H SNone in town

Students per teacherat that high school 14.1 —

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.

Universal City neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Universal City’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Brenham and Universal City

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Brenham

+ Compare

Belton24,356 people · $259K homes

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Live Oak15,984 people · $246K homes

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Tomball13,655 people · $364K homes

+ Compare

Leon Valley11,446 people · $253K homes

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.

Brenham vs Universal City

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $270 more a month in Brenham

Brenham places higher on 14 of 26 TX lists

What daily life feels like in each

122 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Brenham and Universal City

Towns like Brenham

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