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%

Northlake$3,270/mo

Typical home $487K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.77%+ · or rent about $1,746/mo · Housing →

Buda$2,360/mo

Typical home $351K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.77% · or rent about $1,852/mo · Housing →

The difference: $920 a month, about $11,000 a year, between Northlake and Buda.

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; “+” means the Census top-codes that town’s bill at $10,000, so its real rate is higher.

Report cards

Northlake places higher on 13 of 21 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

BNorthlakeSafer than 55% of U.S. towns C+BudaSafer than 43% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+NorthlakeBetter than 72% of districts in the state C+BudaBetter than 40% of districts in the state

Health

ANorthlakeHealthier than 93% of U.S. towns A−BudaHealthier than 84% of U.S. towns

13Northlake

8Buda

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 584 towns #212#484 Most new homesHousing · 535 towns #15#235 Most walkableOutdoors · 653 towns #575#415 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 652 towns #36#195 Lowest depressionHealth · 652 towns #383#256 Most trailsOutdoors · 405 towns #293#219 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #272#382 SafestSafety · 470 towns #167#238

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

NorthlakeBuda

Snow a year0″0″

January low—39°F

July high—96°F

Growing season (days)—273d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)34th 45th

Outdoors & history

NorthlakeBuda

Trails5 mi 4 mi

Conserved land6.6%5.2%

Settled—1881

National Register places—3

Community

NorthlakeBuda

Library hours a week—51 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

210 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

NorthlakeTX BudaTX

Northlake ↔ Buda210 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

NorthlakeBuda

People

Population 8,283Lowest 15,859Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +201.7%Highest TX: +15.9% +107.1%Lowest TX: +15.9%

Median age 32.6±2.9Lowest 8% below TX 37.2±1.7Highest 4% above TX

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

Kids under 18 31.1%±6Highest TX: 25% 27.9%±5.3Lowest TX: 25%

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

Age 65+ 6.3%±2Lowest TX: 13.4% 6.8%±1.9Highest TX: 13.4%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 52.6%Highest TX: 33.8% 50.1%Lowest TX: 33.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.1%±2.3Highest TX: 6.2% 4.3%±2.2Lowest TX: 6.2%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $123,469±$17kLowest 57% above TX $123,766±$8kHighest 58% above TX

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $565,600±$69kHighest 99% above TX $446,600±$35kLowest 57% above TX

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,746±$25Lowest 24% above TX $1,852±$139Highest 32% above TX

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $10,000+Highest at least 136% above TX $7,911Lowest 87% above TX

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 30.9%±18.7Highest TX: 51.7% 27.4%±14.1Lowest TX: 51.7%

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

Below poverty line 6.3%Highest TX: 13.8% 6%Lowest TX: 13.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 61.9%Lowest TX: 62.6% 76.6%Highest TX: 62.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 2015Highest 23 yrs newer than TX 2012Lowest 20 yrs newer than TX

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 32 minHighest 18% above TX 29 minLowest 9% above TX

Work from home 16.5%±5.6Lowest TX: 14.4% 21.3%±4.6Highest TX: 14.4%

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

Work in townworking residents 0.7%Lowest 4.9%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.3 miHighest 15.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.61Lowest 1.34Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Dallas (13%)Austin (50%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BudaFew work in Northlake

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 6.6%Highest 5.2%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 4.8 miHighest 3.9 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 3Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 27.3Lowest 51.0Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#111 of 583 in TX

School district NORTHWEST ISDHAYS CISD

High school in town None in townMoe and Gene Johnson H S

Students per teacherat that high school — 19.7

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.

Northlake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Northlake’s Town Square.

Buda neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Buda’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Northlake and Buda

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

Bordering Northlake

+ Compare

Flower Mound78,389 people · $560K homes

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Fort Worth963,194 people · $303K homes

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Justin5,447 people · $407K homes

+ Compare

Roanoke10,286 people · $467K homes

Towns like Northlake

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Boerne20,518 people · $458K homes

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Selma11,503 people · $314K homes

+ Compare

Liberty Hill8,371 people · $403K homes

+ Compare

Jersey Village7,817 people · $347K 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.

Northlake vs Buda

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $920 more a month in Northlake

Northlake places higher on 13 of 21 TX lists

What daily life feels like in each

210 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Northlake and Buda

Bordering Northlake

Towns like Northlake

Post to Northlake

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