More historic than 14% of U.S. towns · #420 of 642 in Texas. What drives it
Most of Sunnyvale was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 2006. Below: maps from 1959 on and the census since 1960.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Sunnyvale is more historic than 14% of U.S. towns, #420 of 642 in Texas. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
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HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Sunnyvale’s overall grade.
Few Texas towns list much on the Register (a typical Texas town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Sunnyvale’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (34% of Texas towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share (±2.7 points) is firm at this size.
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Sunnyvale’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The area now occupied by Sunnyvale was inhabited by various Native American tribes in the years before the European conquest of the Americas. It came under the rule of Spain in the 18th century, very close to the boundary of Spanish and French territory (although this boundary was carried upward a bit in 1819; see Adams-Onís Treaty). During this time, the area was relatively underdeveloped. However, some settlers migrated to Texas and would eventually settle in Sunnyvale.
Sunnyvale is more historic than 14% of U.S. towns, #420 of 642 in Texas. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Sunnyvale?
2% of Sunnyvale’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.7 points), against a typical 1.6% for a Texas town; the median home was built in 2006.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
