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%

Leander$2,840/mo

Typical home $422K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.79% · or rent about $1,939/mo · Housing →

Allen$3,230/mo

Typical home $485K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.69% · or rent about $1,932/mo · Housing →

The difference: $390 a month, about $4,600 a year, between Allen and Leander.

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

Allen places higher on 17 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

A−LeanderSafer than 76% of U.S. towns B+AllenSafer than 70% of U.S. towns

Schools

A−LeanderBetter than 79% of districts in the state AAllenBetter than 92% of districts in the state

Health

ALeanderHealthier than 89% of U.S. towns AAllenHealthier than 92% of U.S. towns

7Leander

17Allen

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

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #336#39 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 180 towns #39#117 Most walkableOutdoors · 653 towns #300#48 Most library borrowingLibraries · 183 towns #82#17 Most-used librariesLibraries · 183 towns #128#74 Lowest depressionHealth · 652 towns #256#69 Most new homesHousing · 535 towns #43#190 Most trailsOutdoors · 405 towns #90#194

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

LeanderAllen

Snow a year0″3″

January low36°F —

July high96°F —

Growing season (days)259d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)33rd 60th

Outdoors & history

LeanderAllen

Trails32 mi 12 mi

Conserved land4.8%6.5%

Settled—1953

National Register places—1

Community

LeanderAllen

Library hours a week52 hrs 61 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

188 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

LeanderTX AllenTX

Leander ↔ Allen188 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

LeanderAllen

People

Population 74,067Lowest 110,265Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +123.2%Highest TX: +15.9% +24.2%Lowest TX: +15.9%

Median age 36.3±0.7Lowest about the TX average 38.4±0.9Highest 8% above TX

Kids under 18 26.9%±1.6Highest TX: 25% 25.4%±1.6Lowest TX: 25%

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

Age 65+ 8.5%±0.9Lowest TX: 13.4% 11.4%±0.9Highest TX: 13.4%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 53.3%Lowest TX: 33.8% 57.5%Highest TX: 33.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.5%±0.6Lowest TX: 6.2% 6.8%±0.9Highest TX: 6.2%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $139,048±$5kHighest 77% above TX $130,901±$8kLowest 67% above TX

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $506,200±$20kHighest 78% above TX $464,100±$8kLowest 64% above TX

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,939±$92Highest 38% above TX $1,932±$59Lowest 38% above TX

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $9,083Highest 115% above TX $7,844Lowest 85% above TX

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 46.2%±5.6Lowest TX: 51.7% 53.9%±5.7Highest TX: 51.7%

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

Below poverty line 5.8%Lowest TX: 13.8% 6.1%Highest TX: 13.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 73.4%Highest TX: 62.6% 69.4%Lowest TX: 62.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 2013Highest 21 yrs newer than TX 2003Lowest 11 yrs newer than TX

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 29 minHighest 9% above TX 28 minLowest 5% above TX

Work from home 30.6%±2.2Highest TX: 14.4% 26.7%±1.8Lowest TX: 14.4%

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

Work in townworking residents 9.3%Lowest 10.7%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.3 miHighest 13.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.50Lowest 0.70Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Austin (44%)Dallas (20%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in AllenFew work in Leander

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 4.8%Lowest 6.5%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 31.8 miHighest 11.5 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.8 miHighest 0.4 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 20Lowest 44Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 64.1Lowest 118Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #179 of 583 in TX #52 of 583 in TX

School district HARMONY PUBLIC SCHOOLS - CENTRAL TEXAS · LEANDER ISDALLEN ISD · PLANO ISD

High school in town Rouse H SAllen H S

Students per teacherat that high school 16.0Lowest 19.8Highest

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.

Leander neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Leander’s Town Square.

Allen neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Allen’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Leander and Allen

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

Bordering Leander

+ Compare

Cedar Park78,301 people · $514K homes

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Jonestown2,535 people · $558K homes

+ Compare

Georgetown85,999 people · $429K homes

+ Compare

Liberty Hill8,371 people · $403K homes

Towns like Leander

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Rockwall51,168 people · $412K homes

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League City116,215 people · $360K homes

+ Compare

Little Elm54,820 people · $421K homes

+ Compare

Mansfield77,510 people · $411K 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.

Leander vs Allen

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $390 more a month in Allen

Allen places higher on 17 of 26 TX lists

What daily life feels like in each

188 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Leander and Allen

Bordering Leander

Towns like Leander

Post to Leander

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