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Tomball vs Brenham

47 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+72% in Tomball) and trails (3.2× in Brenham).

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Tomball, TXKnown for its schoolsTexas · 13,655 people
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Brenham, TXA history townTexas · 18,641 people
Swap order
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

TomballKnown for its schools
Schools#41 for schools in TXof 583 towns Housing$357K typical home19% above the TX typical home Work15,293 jobsbased in Tomball, a regional job hub All about Tomball →
BrenhamA history town
HistorySettled in 184434 places on the National Register Work12,718 jobsbased in Brenham, a regional job hub Outdoors#46 most trails in TX16 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves All about Brenham →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Property tax bill+72%
Tax bills are bigger in Tomball
Tomball $5,341Brenham $3,097
Trails3.2×
Brenham has more miles of trail
Brenham 16.1 miTomball 5.1 mi
Home values+51%
Homes cost more in Tomball
Tomball $364,300Brenham $241,100
Average commute16 min
Brenham has the shorter commute
Tomball 33 minBrenham 18 min
Work in town+23.5 pts
More of Brenham’s workers stay in town
Brenham 35.6%Tomball 12.1%
Work from home+11.4 pts
More people work from home in Tomball
Tomball 19.8%Brenham 8.4%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Tomball places higher on 13 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
C−TomballSafer than 23% of U.S. towns C−BrenhamSafer than 23% of U.S. towns
Schools
ATomballBetter than 92% of districts in the state B+BrenhamBetter than 71% of districts in the state
Health
B+TomballHealthier than 71% of U.S. towns C+BrenhamHealthier than 43% of U.S. towns
13Tomball
9Brenham

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

Shortest commuteGetting around · 653 towns #566#65 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 180 towns #155#37 Most trailsOutdoors · 405 towns #228#46 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #210#480 Most conserved landOutdoors · 572 towns #438#223 Most remote workersWork · 624 towns #95#324 Lowest obesityHealth · 652 towns #120#314 Highest graduation rateSchools · 584 towns #179#339

Left end = #1 in Texas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Tomball’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $240 more a month in Tomball

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.

Tomball$2,310/mo
Typical home $357K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.47% · or rent about $1,226/mo · Housing →
Brenham$2,080/mo
Typical home $329K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.28% · or rent about $1,157/mo · Housing →

The difference: $240 a month, about $2,800 a year, between Tomball and Brenham.

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.

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
TomballBrenham
Snow a year0″0″
January low—41°F
July high—94°F
Growing season (days)—279d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)51st27th
Outdoors & history
TomballBrenham
Trails5 mi16 mi
Conserved land0.8%2.9%
Settled19071844
National Register places—34
Archive photos—12
Famous people born here—39
Community
TomballBrenham
Library hours a week65 hrs40 hrs
Colleges in town—1
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

47 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

TomballTXBrenhamTX
Tomball ↔ Brenham47 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.

TomballBrenham
People
Population 13,655Lowest 18,641Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +14.8%Highest TX: +15.9% +10.5%Lowest TX: +15.9%
Median age 37.7±2.5Highest 6% above TX 33.8±1.8Lowest 5% below TX
Tomball and Brenham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23%±3.3Highest TX: 25% 22%±2.8Lowest TX: 25%
Tomball and Brenham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 19.5%±3Lowest TX: 13.4% 20.2%±2.5Highest TX: 13.4%
Brenham and Tomball are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 35.9%Highest TX: 33.8% 32.5%Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.2%±2.4Lowest TX: 6.2% 10.6%±1.4Highest TX: 6.2%
Brenham and Tomball are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $78,562±$9kHighest about the TX average $65,112±$9kLowest 17% below TX
Tomball and Brenham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $364,300±$27kHighest 28% above TX $241,100±$12kLowest 15% below TX
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,226±$78Highest 13% below TX $1,157±$67Lowest 18% below TX
Tomball and Brenham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $5,341Highest 26% above TX $3,097Lowest 27% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 59.9%±11.1Highest TX: 51.7% 45.8%±9.6Lowest TX: 51.7%
Tomball and Brenham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 9.2%Lowest TX: 13.8% 18.9%Highest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 51.9%Highest TX: 62.6% 51.1%Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1994Highest 2 yrs newer than TX 1983Lowest 9 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 33 minHighest 25% above TX 18 minLowest 34% below TX
Work from home 19.8%±6.2Highest TX: 14.4% 8.4%±3.2Lowest TX: 14.4%
Work in townworking residents 12.1%Lowest 35.6%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.3 miLowest 33.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.30Highest 1.59Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Houston (39%)Houston (13%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BrenhamFew work in Tomball
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.8%Lowest 2.9%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 5.1 miLowest 16.1 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miLowest 1.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 6Lowest 7Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 49.8Lowest 71.7Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #41 of 583 in TX#194 of 583 in TX
School district TOMBALL ISDBRENHAM ISD
High school in town Tomball H SBrenham H S
Students per teacherat that high school 18.1Highest 14.1Lowest
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.

Tomball neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tomball’s Town Square.

Brenham neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Brenham’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Tomball

+ Compare
Houston2,328,253 people · $278K homes

Towns like Tomball

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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.

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