Compare towns
Anderson vs Penelope 110 miles apart. The biggest differences: typical home built (45 yrs in Penelope) and street grid (+52% in Anderson).
Where each one shines Two towns, two different strengths What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.
Penelope A small town of 235
Quiet strengths Penelope doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Penelope →
The biggest differences Where they differ most The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.
★ What stands out · Monthly cost A typical home costs $1,660 more a month in Anderson 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 payment3.5% 10% 20% Rate
Anderson $3,350 /mo
Typical home $550K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.02% · Housing →
Penelope $1,690 /mo
Typical home $250K (Zillow) · tax rate est. 1.8% · Housing →
The difference: $1,660 a month , about $19,900 a year , between Anderson and Penelope.
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 Grades and rankings, side by side 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.
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
Growing season (days) — 250d Outdoors & history
National Register places 1 — Community
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 110 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Anderson ↔ Penelope 110 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.
Raising kids Affordability Owning a home Short commute Working from home Younger crowd Settled, older crowd Growing town Outdoorsy Walkable streets
Population
202 Lowest 235 Highest
Median age
39.2 ±6.1 Lowest 10% above TX 40.9 ±2.9 Highest 15% above TX
Kids under 18
34.7% ±7.8 Highest TX: 25% 23.8% ±9 Lowest TX: 25%
Age 65+
22.8% ±19.3 Highest TX: 13.4% 17.9% ±12.4 Lowest TX: 13.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
27.5% Highest TX: 33.8% 19.6% Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
6.9% ±5.9 Highest TX: 6.2% 2.6% ±7.4 Lowest TX: 6.2%
Household incomemedian
$85,000 ±$58k Highest 8% above TX $60,000 ±$25k Lowest 24% below TX
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$216,200 ±$66k 24% below TX —
Property taxmedian, yearly
$2,200 48% below TX —
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
16.7% ±100 Lowest TX: 51.7% 40% ±100 Highest TX: 51.7%
Below poverty line
4.7% Lowest TX: 13.8% 16.2% Highest TX: 13.8%
Homeownersof occupied homes
84.1% Lowest TX: 62.6% 86.3% Highest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year
2003 Highest 11 yrs newer than TX 1958 Lowest 34 yrs older than TX
Average commuteone way
19 min Lowest 29% below TX 21 min Highest 22% below TX
Work from home
14.7% ±13.6 Highest TX: 14.4% 2.8% ±6.4 Lowest TX: 14.4%
Work in townworking residents
0.9% Highest 0% Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
34.8 mi Lowest 56.8 mi Highest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.58 Highest 0.44 Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town
Houston (14%) Waco (11%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Penelope Few work in Anderson
Conserved landshare of the town
0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles
1.3 mi Highest 0.0 mi Lowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
2.6 mi Highest 0.0 mi Lowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
1 Highest 0 Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
70.4 Highest 46.3 Lowest
School district
ANDERSON-SHIRO CISD —
High school in town
None in town —
“±” Census margin of error ACS 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.
Anderson or Penelope: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Anderson? → Moving to Anderson: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Anderson’s Town Square.
Penelope or Anderson: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Penelope? → Moving to Penelope: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Penelope’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Anderson and Penelope One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Towns like Anderson 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.
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