A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Abernathy$1,180/mo

Typical home $184K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.43% · or rent about $868/mo · Housing →

Van$1,590/mo

Typical home $244K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.54% · or rent about $1,220/mo · Housing →

The difference: $410 a month, about $4,900 a year, between Van and Abernathy.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Abernathy places higher on 13 of 20 TX lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Texas ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

AAbernathySafer than 91% of U.S. towns B+VanSafer than 70% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+AbernathyBetter than 74% of districts in the state BVanBetter than 55% of districts in the state

Health

B−AbernathyHealthier than 54% of U.S. towns C+VanHealthier than 41% of U.S. towns

13Abernathy

6Van

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest depressionHealth · 652 towns #148#618 Highest graduation rateSchools · 584 towns #41#339 Shortest commuteGetting around · 653 towns #200#511 Cheapest rentCost of living · 624 towns #94#326 Fewest smokersHealth · 652 towns #171#381 Most walkableOutdoors · 653 towns #197#392 Most conserved landOutdoors · 572 towns #283#452 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 652 towns #344#153

Left end = #1 in Texas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Abernathy’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

AbernathyVan

Snow a year7″1″

January low24°F 33°F

July high91°F 93°F

Growing season (days)204d 235d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)63rd 14th

Outdoors & history

AbernathyVan

Trails0 mi —

Conserved land2.1%—

Archive photos5 —

Community

AbernathyVan

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

370 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

AbernathyTX VanTX

Abernathy ↔ Van370 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Texas average

AbernathyVan

People

Population 3,278Highest 2,806Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +2.1%Highest TX: +15.9% +1.2%Lowest TX: +15.9%

Median age 34.8±4.1Lowest about the TX average 36.3±6.2Highest about the TX average

Van and Abernathy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 33.4%±2.8Highest TX: 25% 32.7%±7.4Lowest TX: 25%

Abernathy and Van are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 12.5%±2Lowest TX: 13.4% 12.9%±4.1Highest TX: 13.4%

Van and Abernathy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 27%Lowest TX: 33.8% 28.1%Highest TX: 33.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.9%±1.9Lowest TX: 6.2% 3.7%±1.8Highest TX: 6.2%

Van and Abernathy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $87,531±$18kHighest 12% above TX $69,155±$10kLowest 12% below TX

Abernathy and Van are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $176,400±$27kHighest 38% below TX $169,900±$7kLowest 40% below TX

Abernathy and Van are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $868±$151Lowest 38% below TX $1,220±$124Highest 13% below TX

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,515Lowest 41% below TX $2,623Highest 38% below TX

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 28.5%±13.9Lowest TX: 51.7% 39.7%±17.5Highest TX: 51.7%

Van and Abernathy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 3%Lowest TX: 13.8% 8.7%Highest TX: 13.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 77.1%Lowest TX: 62.6% 78.4%Highest TX: 62.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1966Lowest 26 yrs older than TX 1981Highest 11 yrs older than TX

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 22 minLowest 19% below TX 31 minHighest 16% above TX

Work from home 4.2%±2.2Lowest TX: 14.4% 20.1%±10.5Highest TX: 14.4%

Work in townworking residents 12.2%Lowest 15.2%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.8 miLowest 25.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.59Lowest 1.19Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Lubbock (45%)Tyler (13%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in VanFew work in Abernathy

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.1%Highest 0.8%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.1 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 80.5Highest 53.3Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #162 of 583 in TX #182 of 583 in TX

School district ABERNATHY ISDVAN ISD

High school in town Abernathy H SVan H S

Students per teacherat that high school 9.1Lowest 14.9Highest

Texas average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Abernathy neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Abernathy’s Town Square.

Van neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Van’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Abernathy

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Reno3,500 people · $236K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Abernathy vs Van

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $410 more a month in Van

Abernathy places higher on 13 of 20 TX lists

What daily life feels like in each

370 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Abernathy and Van

Towns like Abernathy

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