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%

Burnet$2,570/mo

Typical home $403K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.35% · or rent about $1,019/mo · Housing →

Briar$2,490/mo

Typical home $406K (Census) · tax rate 1.06% · or rent about $1,234/mo · Housing →

The difference: $80 a month, about $1,000 a year, between Burnet and Briar.

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

Burnet places higher on 12 of 18 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

A−BurnetSafer than 78% of U.S. towns –BriarNot graded

Schools

BBurnetBetter than 55% of districts in the state BBriarBetter than 57% of districts in the state

Health

C+BurnetHealthier than 43% of U.S. towns C+BriarHealthier than 37% of U.S. towns

12Burnet

5Briar

Lists won, of 18 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most trailsOutdoors · 405 towns #72#395 Shortest commuteGetting around · 653 towns #369#629 Fastest growingGrowth · 640 towns #335#158 Fewest smokersHealth · 652 towns #309#469 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #107#261 Cheapest rentCost of living · 624 towns #199#338 Most walkableOutdoors · 653 towns #501#642 Most remote workersWork · 624 towns #288#163

Left end = #1 in Texas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Burnet’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

BurnetBriar

Snow a year0″1″

January low34°F 33°F

July high94°F 95°F

Growing season (days)243d 237d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)36th 52nd

Outdoors & history

BurnetBriar

Trails10 mi 2 mi

Conserved land1.8%0%

Settled1852 —

National Register places1 —

Archive photos6 —

Famous people born here4 —

Community

BurnetBriar

Library hours a week29 hrs —

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

162 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BurnetTX BriarTX

Burnet ↔ Briar162 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

BurnetBriar

People

Population 6,732Lowest 7,228Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +7.5%Lowest TX: +15.9% +24.2%Highest TX: +15.9%

Median age 40.4±2.5Highest 13% above TX 38.3±2.7Lowest 8% above TX

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

Kids under 18 17.6%±4.4Lowest TX: 25% 24.3%±3.4Highest TX: 25%

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

Age 65+ 19.7%±3.6Highest TX: 13.4% 13.9%±2.1Lowest TX: 13.4%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 23.8%Highest TX: 33.8% 23.4%Lowest TX: 33.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.7%±2.4Highest TX: 6.2% 3.1%±3.3Lowest TX: 6.2%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $87,587±$13kLowest 12% above TX $104,238±$19kHighest 33% above TX

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $277,400±$49kLowest about the TX average $405,900±$47kHighest 43% above TX

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,019±$365Lowest 27% below TX $1,234±$533Highest 12% below TX

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $3,755Lowest 11% below TX $4,309Highest about the TX average

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 64.1%±11.9Highest TX: 51.7% 51.8%±20.1Lowest TX: 51.7%

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

Below poverty line 8.1%Highest TX: 13.8% 6.9%Lowest TX: 13.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 75.3%Lowest TX: 62.6% 82.6%Highest TX: 62.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1982Lowest 10 yrs older than TX 1996Highest 4 yrs newer than TX

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 27 minLowest about the TX average 39 minHighest 46% above TX

Work from home 9.8%±4.4Lowest TX: 14.4% 14.3%±5.8Highest TX: 14.4%

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

Work in townworking residents 12.9%Highest 1.2%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 37.3 miHighest 21.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.03Highest 0.08Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Austin (16%)Fort Worth (27%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BriarFew work in Burnet

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.8%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 10.1 miHighest 2.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.0 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 5Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 38.0Highest 11.2Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #278 of 583 in TX #321 of 583 in TX

School district BURNET CISDAZLE ISD

High school in town Burnet H SNone in town

Students per teacherat that high school 14.4 —

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.

Burnet neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Burnet’s Town Square.

Briar neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Briar’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Burnet and Briar

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

Towns like Burnet

+ Compare

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Pilot Point5,332 people · $293K homes

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Kennedale9,439 people · $380K 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.

Burnet vs Briar

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs about the same each month

Burnet places higher on 12 of 18 TX lists

What daily life feels like in each

162 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Burnet and Briar

Towns like Burnet

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