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%

Jarrell$1,640/mo

Typical home $252K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.54% · or rent about $1,868/mo · Housing →

Sonterra$1,900/mo

Typical home $274K (Census) · tax rate 2.04% · or rent about $1,854/mo · Housing →

The difference: $260 a month, about $3,100 a year, between Sonterra and Jarrell.

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

Jarrell and Sonterra share a border

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

JarrellSonterra

Jarrell ↔ Sonterra1.2 miles apart · They share a border

Who commutes between them

261 Sonterra residents work in Jarrell (4.7% of its workers)

20 Jarrell residents work in Sonterra (1.7% of its workers)

Work & commute in Sonterra →

Report cards

Jarrell places higher on 13 of 17 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−JarrellSafer than 77% of U.S. towns –SonterraNot graded

Schools

CJarrellBetter than 30% of districts in the state CSonterraBetter than 30% of districts in the state

Health

BJarrellHealthier than 57% of U.S. towns B−SonterraHealthier than 49% of U.S. towns

13Jarrell

3Sonterra

Lists won, of 17 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 653 towns #351#101 Most educatedPeople · 653 towns #215#407 Lowest obesityHealth · 652 towns #252#363 Most remote workersWork · 624 towns #240#331 Lowest depressionHealth · 652 towns #383#476 Fewest smokersHealth · 652 towns #217#309 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 652 towns #291#374 Most affordableCost of living · 651 towns #499#418

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

JarrellSonterra

Snow a year0″0″

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)17th 22nd

Outdoors & history

JarrellSonterra

Trails1 mi 3 mi

Conserved land0%0%

Community

JarrellSonterra

Library hours a week—31 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.

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

JarrellSonterra

People

Population 3,295Lowest 10,563Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +78.2% TX: +15.9% —

Median age 34.9±2.7Highest about the TX average 29.2±1.9Lowest 18% below TX

Kids under 18 23.7%±4.9Lowest TX: 25% 31.4%±4.4Highest TX: 25%

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

Age 65+ 10.7%±2.8Highest TX: 13.4% 7.9%±2.4Lowest TX: 13.4%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 31.6%Highest TX: 33.8% 18.5%Lowest TX: 33.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.5%±4.3Highest TX: 6.2% 5.3%±2.1Lowest TX: 6.2%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $111,333±$12kHighest 42% above TX $92,319±$12kLowest 18% above TX

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $346,300±$14kHighest 22% above TX $273,600±$6kLowest 4% below TX

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,868±$225Highest 33% above TX $1,854±$80Lowest 32% above TX

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $5,317Lowest 26% above TX $5,592Highest 32% above TX

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 29.2%±25.1Lowest TX: 51.7% 70%±25.8Highest TX: 51.7%

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

Below poverty line 2.2%Lowest TX: 13.8% 10.4%Highest TX: 13.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 83.7%Highest TX: 62.6% 77%Lowest TX: 62.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 2015 23 yrs newer than TX 2015 23 yrs newer than TX

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 33 minLowest 25% above TX 34 minHighest 28% above TX

Work from home 11%±4.4Highest TX: 14.4% 8.2%±2.5Lowest TX: 14.4%

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

Work in townworking residents 6.5%Highest 1.5%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 26.8 mi 26.8 mi

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.63Highest 0.08Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Austin (27%)Austin (30%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 2% work in Sonterra5% work in Jarrell

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.7 miLowest 2.7 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 1.1 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 58.2Lowest 99.7Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #509 of 583 in TX #550 of 583 in TX

School district JARRELL ISDJARRELL ISD

High school in town None in townNone in town

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.

Jarrell neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Jarrell’s Town Square.

Sonterra neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sonterra’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Jarrell and Sonterra

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Towns like Jarrell

+ Compare

Ponder2,626 people · $321K homes

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Palmhurst2,601 people · $375K homes

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Aurora1,760 people · $342K 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.

Jarrell vs Sonterra

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $260 more a month in Sonterra

Jarrell and Sonterra share a border

Jarrell places higher on 13 of 17 TX lists

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Jarrell and Sonterra

Towns like Jarrell

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