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Universal City vs Tomball

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

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Universal City, TXAn outdoors townTexas · 20,189 people
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Tomball, TXKnown for its schoolsTexas · 13,655 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.

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 →
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 →
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.

Universal City$1,810/mo
Typical home $265K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.91% · or rent about $1,315/mo · Housing →
Tomball$2,310/mo
Typical home $357K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.47% · or rent about $1,226/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−Universal CitySafer than 22% of U.S. towns C−TomballSafer than 23% of U.S. towns
Schools
C+Universal CityBetter than 42% of districts in the state ATomballBetter than 92% of districts in the state
Health
BUniversal CityHealthier than 58% of U.S. towns B+TomballHealthier than 71% of U.S. towns
7Universal City
15Tomball

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

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

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 CityTomball
Snow a year0″0″
January low41°F—
July high95°F—
Growing season (days)277d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)69th51st
Outdoors & history
Universal CityTomball
Trails16 mi5 mi
Conserved land12.4%0.8%
Settled—1907
Community
Universal CityTomball
Library hours a week40 hrs65 hrs
Colleges in town1—
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.

Universal CityTXTomballTX
Universal City ↔ Tomball165 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.

Universal CityTomball
People
Population 20,189Highest 13,655Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6.4%Lowest TX: +15.9% +14.8%Highest TX: +15.9%
Median age 37.1±3.5Lowest 4% above TX 37.7±2.5Highest 6% 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 22.5%±3.8Lowest TX: 25% 23%±3.3Highest 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+ 14.4%±2.3Lowest TX: 13.4% 19.5%±3Highest 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+ 33.6%Lowest TX: 33.8% 35.9%Highest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.9%±2.3Lowest TX: 6.2% 7.2%±2.4Highest 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 $74,811±$6kLowest 5% below TX $78,562±$9kHighest about the TX average
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 $269,600±$17kLowest 5% below TX $364,300±$27kHighest 28% above TX
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,315±$70Highest 6% below TX $1,226±$78Lowest 13% 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 $5,147Lowest 22% above TX $5,341Highest 26% above TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 38.7%±10.6Lowest TX: 51.7% 59.9%±11.1Highest 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 8.8%Lowest TX: 13.8% 9.2%Highest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 57.5%Highest TX: 62.6% 51.9%Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1984Lowest 8 yrs older than TX 1994Highest 2 yrs newer than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 minLowest about the TX average 33 minHighest 25% above TX
Work from home 9.9%±3.3Lowest TX: 14.4% 19.8%±6.2Highest TX: 14.4%
Work in townworking residents 3.2%Lowest 12.1%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 13.8 miLowest 18.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.57Lowest 2.30Highest
Top workplaceoutside town San Antonio (48%)Houston (39%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in TomballFew work in Universal City
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 12.4%Highest 0.8%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 15.7 miHighest 5.1 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 2.8 miHighest 0.4 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 8Highest 6Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 100Highest 49.8Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #379 of 583 in TX#41 of 583 in TX
School district JUDSON ISDTOMBALL ISD
High school in town None in townTomball H S
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.

Universal City neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Universal City’s Town Square.

Tomball neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tomball’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Universal City

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Selma11,503 people · $314K homes
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Schertz44,050 people · $317K homes
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Converse29,607 people · $248K homes
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Live Oak15,984 people · $246K homes

Towns like Universal City

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Brenham18,641 people · $241K homes
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Lake Jackson27,974 people · $250K homes
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Kerrville24,755 people · $303K homes
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Weatherford35,788 people · $312K 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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