Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Round Rock, TX
VS
Tampa, FL
🏆 Round Rock leads 14 of 22 categories
Round Rock
Texas
14
wins
Cost of Living Index
97.6 ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$91,888 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
34 ✓ Safer
Population
120,465
Tampa
Florida
8
wins
Cost of Living Index
103.4⚠ High
Median Household Income
$66,802
Violent Crime Index
117⚠ High
Population
388,768 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Round Rock, TX
Pros
71% less violent crime than Tampa
Households earn $25,086 more per year on average
Violent crime is well below the national average (130.7 vs 380/100k)
Stronger job market — unemployment is 1.4 pts lower (3.8%)
6% cheaper overall cost of living than Tampa
Smaller class sizes — 14.6:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Higher rents — median is $1,586/mo
Tampa, FL
Pros
Rent averages $164/mo less ($1,422 vs $1,586)
Milder winters — January highs near 71°F vs 60°F
Cons
Median income trails Round Rock by $25,086/yr
Violent crime (444.6/100k) is above the U.S. average of 380
Higher unemployment (5.2% vs 3.8%)
Cost of living runs 6% higher than Round Rock
Key Differences at a Glance
Round Rock
Cost of Living
6% cheaper
COL index 97.6 vs 103.4 (100 = US avg)
Round Rock
Median Income
$25,086
$91,888 vs $66,802/yr
Round Rock
Violent Crime
71% lower
130.7 vs 444.6 per 100k
Round Rock
Unemployment
1.4 pp lower
3.8% vs 5.2% unemployment
Round Rock
Summer Heat
4.7°F warmer
July avg high 95.7°F vs 91.0°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Round Rock, TX | Tampa, FL |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 97.6 ✓ Cheaper | 103.4⚠ High |
| Median Home Value | $337,500⚠ High | $333,200⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,586⚠ High | $1,422⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $91,888 ✓ Higher | $66,802 |
| Unemployment Rate | 3.8%⚠ High ✓ Lower | 5.2%⚠ High |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 25.2 min | 24.8 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 19.6% ✓ Higher | 16.0% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 58 ✓ Safer | 98 |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 34 ✓ Safer | 117⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 92 | 70 ✓ Safer |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | A- (115) ✓ Better | B (103) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 14.6:1 ✓ Smaller | 19.7:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 42.3% | 43.3% ✓ Higher |
| High School or Higher | 93.2% ✓ Higher | 89.0% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | ROUND ROCK ISD | HILLSBOROUGH |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 59.7°F | 71.3°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 95.7°F ✓ Warmer | 91.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 36.2" ✓ Drier | 49.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 120,465 | 388,768 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 35.9 ✓ Older | 35.5 |
| Homeownership Rate | 55.6% ✓ Higher | 50.5% |
| Under 18 | 25.0% ✓ More | 20.8% |
| Over 65 | 10.3% | 13.0% ✓ More |
Frequently Asked Questions
Round Rock's cost of living index is 97.6 vs Tampa's 103.4 (US average = 100).
Round Rock is 6% less expensive overall.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, Round Rock leads 14 of 22 categories. Round Rock wins 14 and Tampa wins 8. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Round Rock to Tampa or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($337,500 vs $333,200 median home), income ($91,888 vs $66,802), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Round Rock, TX and Tampa, FL are about 931 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.