Conroe vs New Braunfels
The short version
- New Braunfels is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 4% lower than in the Conroe area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $309,600 in Conroe and $339,400 in New Braunfels.
- Households earn more in New Braunfels ($86,021 vs $76,206 median).
- New Braunfels has more scorching days: 128 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 108.
- New Braunfels is growing faster: +35.5% since 2020 vs +33%.
Side by side
| Conroe, TX | New Braunfels, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 119,564 | 122,492 |
| Growth since 2020 | +33% | +35.5% |
| People per square mile | 1,576 | 2,721 |
| Median age | 33.7 | 37.1 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34% | 39% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $76,206 | $86,021 |
| Median home value | $309,600 | $339,400 |
| Home value to income | 4.1× | 3.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,393 | $1,654 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 98.6 | 94.7 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 104.5 | 94.6 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $74,000 | $71,000 |
| Homeowners | 55% | 65% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 28.6 | 27.1 |
| Work from home | 12% | 16% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 0% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.9% | 4.2% |
| Poverty rate | 11.2% | 7.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 62° / 39° | 64° / 40° |
| July high / low | 94° / 72° | 96° / 73° |
| Precipitation per year | 48 in | 31 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 108 | 128 |
| Nights below freezing | 27 | 20 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 95.7 | 92.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 10% | 42% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.4% | -0.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +32.7% | +29.3% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Conroe: February to April. New Braunfels: February to April and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Conroe weather by month and New Braunfels weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $74,000 in Conroe and $71,000 in New Braunfels. Moving from Conroe to New Braunfels, you would need about $72,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Conroe and New Braunfels
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Conroe and New Braunfels.
Which would you pick?
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