Fate vs Leander

Which is the better fit for you?

Fate, TX
73
Area Score
Top 6% nationally
Leander, TX
76
Area Score
Top 3% nationally

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Leander receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Fate to Leander

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Everyday prices
4% lower
Regional price level 98.3 against 102.5 (US = 100)
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Enter your household income to see it.
A new two-bedroom lease
−$322 a month
HUD benchmarks it at $1,852 in Leander against $2,174 in Fate.
The median home
32% more
$506,200 in Leander against $384,300 in Fate.
The weather you would swap
Winters 4°F milder
Normal January lows are 40°F in Leander against 36°F in Fate; July highs are 94°F against 96°F (summers 2°F cooler).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

33 occupations have a published median wage in both places. Start typing, or choose from the list.

Median wages are the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ metro figures for that occupation, not a job offer, and the price level is the regional index; neither includes taxes, benefits or how senior you are.

Signals

Fate
Leander
Opportunity: Leander is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
77 · Top 13%
vs
81 · Top 6%
Growth: Leander is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
62 · Top 26%
vs
67 · Top 18%
Climate: Leander is the more favorable of the two.
Climate
68 · Bottom 42%
vs
70 · Bottom 48%
Physical resilience: Fate is the more favorable of the two.
Physical resilience
80 · Top 25%
vs
79 · Top 25%
Housing affordability: Leander is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
71 · Top 36%
vs
74 · Top 27%
Schools: Leander is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
70 · Top 24%
vs
79 · Top 13%
Access: Fate is the more favorable of the two.
Access
93 · Top 48%
vs
86 · Bottom 31%
Economic stability
76 · Top 9%
vs
76 · Top 10%

Measured values

MetricFateLeanderSource period
Population22,88474,0672024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income — the two are too close to separate$132,752 ±$10,239$139,048 ±$5,0552024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income$41,804$60,586 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Population density1,880/sq mi1,909/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$384,300$506,2002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent$2,500$1,939 — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$2,174$1,852 — more favorableFY2026
Cost of living index102.598.3 — more favorable2023
Homeownership rate91.5%73.4%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate4.0%3.9% — more favorableJuly 2026
Employment change (year over year)−0.2%+0.4% — more favorableJuly 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher42.3%53.3% — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate — the two are too close to separate3.7% ±2%5.6% ±1%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)15884912 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents6.911.5 — more favorable12 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−60.9%−44.4%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high96°F94°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low36°F40°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation38.4"33.0"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport20 mi — more favorable29 miNASR current cycle
Average commute38.3 min31.8 min — more favorable2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age31.636.32024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools3232024-25 school year
Students per teacher16.614.0 — more favorable2024-25 school year
Math proficiency64.4% — more favorable58.9%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency48.8%60.9% — more favorable2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility31.9%17.2%2024-25 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

2 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Fate

Elevated or high exposure: hail.

Leander

Elevated or high exposure: hail.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Fate
—
Fate: Your Score
73
Area Score
Leander
—
Leander: Your Score
76
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Fate, TX · Leander, TX · How this is calculated: methodology