Tomball receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Tomball
Houston
Opportunity
55 · Bottom 47%
vs51 · Bottom 39%
Growth
72 · Top 14%
vs63 · Top 28%
Climate
74 · Top 32%
vs75 · Top 27%
Physical resilience
21 · Bottom 16%
vs22 · Bottom 16%
Housing affordability
80 · Bottom 49%
vs69 · Bottom 33%
Schools
78 · Top 16%
vs45 · Bottom 41%
Access
92 · Bottom 49%
vs94 · Top 41%
Economic stability
56 · Bottom 41%
vs47 · Bottom 28%
Measured values
| Metric | Tomball | Houston | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,655 | 2,328,253 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $78,562 | $64,813 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $45,630 | $42,430 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,047/sq mi | 3,634/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $364,300 | $277,800 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,226 | $1,361 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 51.9% | 42.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.5% | -0.5% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 35.9% | 36.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.2% | 19.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 232 | 11,337 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 17.0 | 4.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -30.7% | -2.6% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 94°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 43°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 50.8" | 55.6" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 18 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 36.9 min | 29.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.7 | 34.4 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 28 | 885 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.80 | 15.51 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 54.5% | 34.2% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 55.3% | 39.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 36.3% | 71.1% | 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.
Physical risk tradeoff
Tomball
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, inland flooding.
Houston
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane, inland flooding.
Full profiles: Tomball, TX · Houston, TX · How this is calculated: methodology