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Tomball vs Universal City

165 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (4× in Tomball) and trails (3.1× in Universal City).

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Tomball, TXKnown for its schoolsTexas · 13,655 people
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Universal City, TXAn outdoors townTexas · 20,189 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 →
Universal CityAn outdoors town
Outdoors#14 most trails in TX16 miles of trails across 8 parks and preserves HealthHealthier than 58%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates College town1 collegeNortheast Lakeview College All about Universal City →
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.

Jobs per worker4×
Tomball is more of a job hub
Tomball 2.30Universal City 0.57
Trails3.1×
Universal City has more miles of trail
Universal City 15.7 miTomball 5.1 mi
Home values+35%
Homes cost more in Tomball
Tomball $364,300Universal City $269,600
Street grid2×
Universal City has the more walkable street grid
Universal City 100Tomball 49.8
Work from home+9.9 pts
More people work from home in Tomball
Tomball 19.8%Universal City 9.9%
Growth since 2010+8.4 pts
Tomball has grown faster since 2010
Tomball +14.8%Universal City +6.4%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $500 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 →
Universal City$1,810/mo
Typical home $265K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.91% · or rent about $1,315/mo · Housing →

The difference: $500 a month, about $6,000 a year, between Tomball and Universal City.

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

Tomball places higher on 15 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−Universal CitySafer than 22% of U.S. towns
Schools
ATomballBetter than 92% of districts in the state C+Universal CityBetter than 42% of districts in the state
Health
B+TomballHealthier than 71% of U.S. towns BUniversal CityHealthier than 58% of U.S. towns
15Tomball
7Universal City

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

Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 180 towns #155#9 Most conserved landOutdoors · 572 towns #438#49 Best schoolsSchools · 583 towns #41#379 Most new homesHousing · 535 towns #49#347 Highest graduation rateSchools · 584 towns #179#499 Most trailsOutdoors · 405 towns #228#14 Most walkableOutdoors · 653 towns #427#95 Shortest commuteGetting around · 653 towns #566#360

Left end = #1 in Texas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Tomball’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
TomballUniversal City
Snow a year0″0″
January low—41°F
July high—95°F
Growing season (days)—277d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)51st69th
Outdoors & history
TomballUniversal City
Trails5 mi16 mi
Conserved land0.8%12.4%
Settled1907—
Community
TomballUniversal City
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

165 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

TomballTXUniversal CityTX
Tomball ↔ Universal City165 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.

TomballUniversal City
People
Population 13,655Lowest 20,189Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +14.8%Highest TX: +15.9% +6.4%Lowest TX: +15.9%
Median age 37.7±2.5Highest 6% above TX 37.1±3.5Lowest 4% above TX
Tomball and Universal City 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% 22.5%±3.8Lowest TX: 25%
Tomball and Universal City are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 19.5%±3Highest TX: 13.4% 14.4%±2.3Lowest TX: 13.4%
Tomball and Universal City 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% 33.6%Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.2%±2.4Highest TX: 6.2% 6.9%±2.3Lowest TX: 6.2%
Tomball and Universal City 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 $74,811±$6kLowest 5% below TX
Tomball and Universal City 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 $269,600±$17kLowest 5% below TX
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,226±$78Lowest 13% below TX $1,315±$70Highest 6% below TX
Universal City and Tomball 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 $5,147Lowest 22% above TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 59.9%±11.1Highest TX: 51.7% 38.7%±10.6Lowest TX: 51.7%
Tomball and Universal City are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 9.2%Highest TX: 13.8% 8.8%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 51.9%Lowest TX: 62.6% 57.5%Highest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1994Highest 2 yrs newer than TX 1984Lowest 8 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 33 minHighest 25% above TX 26 minLowest about the TX average
Work from home 19.8%±6.2Highest TX: 14.4% 9.9%±3.3Lowest TX: 14.4%
Work in townworking residents 12.1%Highest 3.2%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.3 miHighest 13.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.30Highest 0.57Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Houston (39%)San Antonio (48%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Universal CityFew work in Tomball
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.8%Lowest 12.4%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 5.1 miLowest 15.7 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miLowest 2.8 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 6Lowest 8Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 49.8Lowest 100Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #41 of 583 in TX#379 of 583 in TX
School district TOMBALL ISDJUDSON ISD
High school in town Tomball H SNone in town
Students per teacherat that high school 18.1 —
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.

Universal City neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Universal City’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Tomball and Universal City

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Bordering Tomball

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Houston2,328,253 people · $278K homes

Towns like Tomball

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Bastrop11,156 people · $340K homes
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Leon Valley11,446 people · $253K homes
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Live Oak15,984 people · $246K homes
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Brenham18,641 people · $241K 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.

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