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Buda vs Kyle

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+44 pts in Buda) and jobs per worker (3.8× in Buda).

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Buda, TXKnown for its schoolsTexas · 15,859 people
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Kyle, TXHomes around $294KTexas · 56,823 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.

BudaKnown for its schools
Schools#111 for schools in TXof 583 towns HealthHealthier than 84%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Outdoors#142 most conserved land in TX3.9 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves All about Buda →
KyleHomes around $294K
Housing$294K typical home2% below the TX typical home Outdoors#160 most conserved land in TX12 miles of trails across 12 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 70%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Kyle →
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.

Growth since 2010+44 pts
Buda has grown faster since 2010
Buda +107.1%Kyle +63.1%
Jobs per worker3.8×
Buda is more of a job hub
Buda 1.34Kyle 0.35
Trails3.2×
Kyle has more miles of trail
Kyle 12.3 miBuda 3.9 mi
Household income+37%
Households in Buda earn more
Buda $123,766Kyle $90,323
Home values+33%
Homes cost more in Buda
Buda $446,600Kyle $334,600
Size3.6×
Kyle is the bigger place
Kyle 56,823Buda 15,859
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $360 more a month in Buda

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.

Buda$2,360/mo
Typical home $351K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.77% · or rent about $1,852/mo · Housing →
Kyle$2,000/mo
Typical home $294K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.84% · or rent about $1,752/mo · Housing →

The difference: $360 a month, about $4,300 a year, between Buda and Kyle.

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.

Where they are

Buda and Kyle share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

BudaKyleBudaKyle
Buda ↔ Kyle5.9 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
715 Kyle residents work in Buda (2.8% of its workers)
186 Buda residents work in Kyle (2.4% of its workers)
Work & commute in Kyle →
Report cards

Buda places higher on 13 of 22 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+BudaSafer than 43% of U.S. towns BKyleSafer than 58% of U.S. towns
Schools
C+BudaBetter than 40% of districts in the state C+KyleBetter than 40% of districts in the state
Health
A−BudaHealthier than 84% of U.S. towns B+KyleHealthier than 70% of U.S. towns
13Buda
7Kyle

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Best schoolsSchools · 583 towns #111#428 Most new homesHousing · 535 towns #235#41 Shortest commuteGetting around · 653 towns #452#611 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 652 towns #195#344 Most educatedPeople · 653 towns #90#222 SafestSafety · 470 towns #238#150 Most remote workersWork · 624 towns #81#188 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #382#279

Left end = #1 in Texas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Buda’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
BudaKyle
Snow a year0″0″
January low39°F39°F
July high96°F96°F
Growing season (days)273d273d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)45th41st
Outdoors & history
BudaKyle
Trails4 mi12 mi
Conserved land5.2%4.5%
Settled18811881
National Register places34
Community
BudaKyle
Library hours a week51 hrs52 hrs
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.

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.

BudaKyle
People
Population 15,859Lowest 56,823Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +107.1%Highest TX: +15.9% +63.1%Lowest TX: +15.9%
Median age 37.2±1.7Highest 4% above TX 34.1±1Lowest 4% below TX
Kids under 18 27.9%±5.3Highest TX: 25% 25.4%±2.1Lowest TX: 25%
Buda and Kyle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 6.8%±1.9Lowest TX: 13.4% 8%±1Highest TX: 13.4%
Kyle and Buda are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 50.1%Highest TX: 33.8% 31%Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.3%±2.2Lowest TX: 6.2% 7%±1.3Highest TX: 6.2%
Kyle and Buda are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $123,766±$8kHighest 58% above TX $90,323±$3kLowest 15% above TX
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $446,600±$35kHighest 57% above TX $334,600±$7kLowest 18% above TX
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,852±$139Highest 32% above TX $1,752±$95Lowest 25% above TX
Buda and Kyle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $7,911Highest 87% above TX $6,170Lowest 46% above TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 27.4%±14.1Lowest TX: 51.7% 58.7%±8.4Highest TX: 51.7%
Below poverty line 6%Lowest TX: 13.8% 8.9%Highest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 76.6%Highest TX: 62.6% 67.1%Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 2012Highest 20 yrs newer than TX 2010Lowest 18 yrs newer than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 29 minLowest 9% above TX 36 minHighest 36% above TX
Work from home 21.3%±4.6Highest TX: 14.4% 13.2%±1.8Lowest TX: 14.4%
Work in townworking residents 4.9%Lowest 5.3%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.8 miLowest 21.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.34Highest 0.35Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Austin (50%)Austin (45%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 2% work in Kyle3% work in Buda
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 5.2%Highest 4.5%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 3.9 miLowest 12.3 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 mi 0.4 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Lowest 12Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 51.0Lowest 53.2Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #111 of 583 in TX#428 of 583 in TX
School district HAYS CISDHAYS CISD · IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
High school in town Moe and Gene Johnson H SLehman H S
Students per teacherat that high school 19.7Highest 17.0Lowest
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.

Buda neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Buda’s Town Square.

Kyle neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Kyle’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Buda and Kyle

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

Bordering Buda

+ Compare
Austin979,539 people · $555K homes

Towns like Buda

+ Compare
Katy25,184 people · $402K homes
C
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Corinth23,385 people · $376K homes
M
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Manvel14,758 people · $339K homes
M
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Melissa20,136 people · $454K homes

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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