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%

Live Oak$1,610/mo

Typical home $243K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.67% · or rent about $1,634/mo · Housing →

Tomball$2,310/mo

Typical home $357K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.47% · or rent about $1,226/mo · Housing →

The difference: $700 a month, about $8,400 a year, between Tomball and Live Oak.

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

Live Oak places higher on 11 of 23 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

DLive OakSafer than 12% of U.S. towns C−TomballSafer than 23% of U.S. towns

Schools

C+Live OakBetter than 42% of districts in the state ATomballBetter than 92% of districts in the state

Health

B+Live OakHealthier than 71% of U.S. towns B+TomballHealthier than 71% of U.S. towns

11Live Oak

10Tomball

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 180 towns #12#155 Shortest commuteGetting around · 653 towns #156#566 Highest graduation rateSchools · 584 towns #499#179 Most conserved landOutdoors · 572 towns #171#438 Most new homesHousing · 535 towns #289#49 Most walkableOutdoors · 653 towns #152#427 Cheapest rentCost of living · 624 towns #477#329 Most affordableCost of living · 651 towns #373#516

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

Live OakTomball

Snow a year0″0″

January low41°F —

July high95°F —

Growing season (days)277d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)35th 51st

Outdoors & history

Live OakTomball

Trails2 mi 5 mi

Conserved land4.3%0.8%

Settled—1907

Archive photos2 —

Community

Live OakTomball

Library hours a week—65 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined1 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

167 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Live OakTX TomballTX

Live Oak ↔ Tomball167 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

Live OakTomball

People

Population 15,984Highest 13,655Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +20.2%Highest TX: +15.9% +14.8%Lowest TX: +15.9%

Median age 35.7±2.5Lowest about the TX average 37.7±2.5Highest 6% above TX

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

Kids under 18 20.1%±4.1Lowest TX: 25% 23%±3.3Highest TX: 25%

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

Age 65+ 14%±2.5Lowest TX: 13.4% 19.5%±3Highest TX: 13.4%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 32.1%Lowest TX: 33.8% 35.9%Highest TX: 33.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.9%±1.6Lowest TX: 6.2% 7.2%±2.4Highest TX: 6.2%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $79,696±$4kHighest about the TX average $78,562±$9kLowest about the TX average

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $246,300±$15kLowest 13% below TX $364,300±$27kHighest 28% above TX

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,634±$87Highest 16% above TX $1,226±$78Lowest 13% below TX

Property taxmedian, yearly $4,113Lowest about the TX average $5,341Highest 26% above TX

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 39.4%±9.8Lowest TX: 51.7% 59.9%±11.1Highest TX: 51.7%

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

Below poverty line 5.5%Lowest TX: 13.8% 9.2%Highest TX: 13.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 57.9%Highest TX: 62.6% 51.9%Lowest TX: 62.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1990Lowest 2 yrs older than TX 1994Highest 2 yrs newer than TX

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 23% below TX 33 minHighest 25% above TX

Work from home 15%±5.9Lowest TX: 14.4% 19.8%±6.2Highest TX: 14.4%

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

Work in townworking residents 5.5%Lowest 12.1%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.8 miLowest 18.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.81Lowest 2.30Highest

Top workplaceoutside town San Antonio (53%)Houston (39%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in TomballFew work in Live Oak

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 4.3%Highest 0.8%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 2.0 miLowest 5.1 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 mi 0.4 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Lowest 6Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 88.0Highest 49.8Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #138 of 583 in TX #41 of 583 in TX

School district JUDSON ISDTOMBALL ISD

High school in town Judson Early College AcademyTomball H S

Students per teacherat that high school 20.8Highest 18.1Lowest

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.

Live Oak neighborsTown Square →

1 neighbor in Live Oak can answer.

Tomball neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tomball’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Live Oak and Tomball

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

Bordering Live Oak

+ Compare

San Antonio1,479,835 people · $236K homes

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Universal City20,189 people · $270K homes

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Selma11,503 people · $314K homes

+ Compare

Converse29,607 people · $248K homes

Towns like Live Oak

+ Compare

Brenham18,641 people · $241K homes

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Portland20,543 people · $235K homes

+ Compare

Leon Valley11,446 people · $253K homes

+ Compare

Lake Jackson27,974 people · $250K 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.

Live Oak vs Tomball

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $700 more a month in Tomball

Live Oak places higher on 11 of 23 TX lists

What daily life feels like in each

167 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Live Oak and Tomball

Bordering Live Oak

Towns like Live Oak

Post to Live Oak

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