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%

Sonterra$1,900/mo

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

Jarrell$1,640/mo

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

Sonterra and Jarrell share a border

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

SonterraJarrell

Sonterra ↔ Jarrell1.2 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

–SonterraNot graded A−JarrellSafer than 77% of U.S. towns

Schools

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

Health

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

3Sonterra

13Jarrell

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

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

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

SonterraJarrell

Snow a year0″0″

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

Outdoors & history

SonterraJarrell

Trails3 mi 1 mi

Conserved land0%0%

Community

SonterraJarrell

Library hours a week31 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

SonterraJarrell

People

Population 10,563Highest 3,295Lowest

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

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

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

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

Age 65+ 7.9%±2.4Lowest TX: 13.4% 10.7%±2.8Highest 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+ 18.5%Lowest TX: 33.8% 31.6%Highest TX: 33.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.3%±2.1Lowest TX: 6.2% 5.5%±4.3Highest 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 $92,319±$12kLowest 18% above TX $111,333±$12kHighest 42% 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 $273,600±$6kLowest 4% below TX $346,300±$14kHighest 22% above TX

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,854±$80Lowest 32% above TX $1,868±$225Highest 33% 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 $5,592Highest 32% above TX $5,317Lowest 26% above TX

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 70%±25.8Highest TX: 51.7% 29.2%±25.1Lowest 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 10.4%Highest TX: 13.8% 2.2%Lowest TX: 13.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 77%Lowest TX: 62.6% 83.7%Highest 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 34 minHighest 28% above TX 33 minLowest 25% above TX

Work from home 8.2%±2.5Lowest TX: 14.4% 11%±4.4Highest 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 1.5%Lowest 6.5%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 26.8 mi 26.8 mi

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 5% work in Jarrell2% work in Sonterra

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 2.7 miHighest 0.7 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.1 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1

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

Schools

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

Sonterra neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Sonterra’s Town Square.

Jarrell neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Jarrell’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Sonterra and Jarrell

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

Towns like Sonterra

+ Compare

Sanger9,641 people · $295K homes

+ Compare

Andrews13,468 people · $196K homes

+ Compare

Robinson12,800 people · $302K homes

+ Compare

Venus6,745 people · $271K 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.

Sonterra vs Jarrell

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $260 more a month in Sonterra

Sonterra and Jarrell 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 Sonterra and Jarrell

Towns like Sonterra

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