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%

Universal City$1,810/mo

Typical home $265K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.91% · or rent about $1,315/mo · Housing →

Hurst$2,120/mo

Typical home $337K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.26% · or rent about $1,358/mo · Housing →

The difference: $320 a month, about $3,800 a year, between Hurst 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

Hurst places higher on 16 of 26 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−Universal CitySafer than 22% of U.S. towns CHurstSafer than 26% of U.S. towns

Schools

C+Universal CityBetter than 42% of districts in the state B+HurstBetter than 68% of districts in the state

Health

BUniversal CityHealthier than 58% of U.S. towns BHurstHealthier than 63% of U.S. towns

9Universal City

16Hurst

Lists won, of 26 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 584 towns #499#41 Most library borrowingLibraries · 183 towns #154#31 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 180 towns #9#101 Best libraries for kidsLibraries · 183 towns #106#37 Most trailsOutdoors · 405 towns #14#143 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #271#76 Best schoolsSchools · 583 towns #379#205 Most new homesHousing · 535 towns #347#496

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

Universal CityHurst

Snow a year0″2″

January low41°F 36°F

July high95°F 96°F

Growing season (days)277d 262d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)69th 48th

Outdoors & history

Universal CityHurst

Trails16 mi 6 mi

Conserved land12.4%5.1%

Archive photos—12

Famous people born here—6

Community

Universal CityHurst

Library hours a week40 hrs 50 hrs

Colleges in town1 —

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

237 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Universal CityTX HurstTX

Universal City ↔ Hurst237 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

Universal CityHurst

People

Population 20,189Lowest 39,861Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6.4%Lowest TX: +15.9% +8.2%Highest TX: +15.9%

Median age 37.1±3.5Lowest 4% above TX 37.8±1.6Highest 6% above TX

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

Kids under 18 22.5%±3.8Highest TX: 25% 21.6%±2.3Lowest TX: 25%

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

Age 65+ 14.4%±2.3Lowest TX: 13.4% 17.7%±1.6Highest TX: 13.4%

Hurst 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+ 33.6%Lowest TX: 33.8% 34.6%Highest TX: 33.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.9%±2.3Highest TX: 6.2% 4.6%±1.1Lowest TX: 6.2%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $74,811±$6kHighest 5% below TX $72,210±$6kLowest 8% below TX

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $269,600±$17kLowest 5% below TX $315,200±$12kHighest 11% above TX

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,315±$70Lowest 6% below TX $1,358±$55Highest 3% below TX

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $5,147Highest 22% above TX $3,987Lowest 6% below TX

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 38.7%±10.6Lowest TX: 51.7% 52.4%±7.2Highest TX: 51.7%

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

Below poverty line 8.8%Lowest TX: 13.8% 10.6%Highest TX: 13.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 57.5%Lowest TX: 62.6% 58%Highest TX: 62.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1984Highest 8 yrs older than TX 1975Lowest 17 yrs older than TX

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 26 minHighest about the TX average 25 minLowest 8% below TX

Work from home 9.9%±3.3Lowest TX: 14.4% 13.6%±2Highest TX: 14.4%

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

Work in townworking residents 3.2%Lowest 3.6%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 13.8 miHighest 12.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.57Lowest 0.90Highest

Top workplaceoutside town San Antonio (48%)Fort Worth (18%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in HurstFew work in Universal City

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 12.4%Highest 5.1%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 15.7 miHighest 5.9 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.8 miHighest 0.6 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 8Lowest 17Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 100Lowest 112Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #379 of 583 in TX #205 of 583 in TX

School district JUDSON ISDBIRDVILLE ISD · GRAPEVINE-COLLEYVILLE ISD

High school in town None in townBell H S

Students per teacherat that high school — 16.9

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.

Universal City neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Universal City’s Town Square.

Hurst neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hurst’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Universal City and Hurst

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

Bordering Universal City

+ Compare

Selma11,503 people · $314K homes

+ Compare

Schertz44,050 people · $317K homes

+ Compare

Converse29,607 people · $248K homes

+ Compare

Live Oak15,984 people · $246K homes

Towns like Universal City

+ Compare

Brenham18,641 people · $241K homes

+ Compare

Lake Jackson27,974 people · $250K homes

+ Compare

Tomball13,655 people · $364K homes

+ Compare

Kerrville24,755 people · $303K 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.

Universal City vs Hurst

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $320 more a month in Hurst

Hurst places higher on 16 of 26 TX lists

What daily life feels like in each

237 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Universal City and Hurst

Bordering Universal City

Towns like Universal City

Post to Universal City

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