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Compare towns

Ballinger vs Onalaska

293 miles apart. The biggest differences: growth since 2010 (+75.1 pts in Onalaska) and work in town (+39.5 pts in Ballinger).

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Ballinger, TXAn outdoors townTexas · 3,583 people
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Onalaska, TXHomes around $173KTexas · 3,210 people
Swap order
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.

BallingerAn outdoors town
Outdoors#74 most walkable in TX0.7 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves Housing$141K typical home53% below the TX typical home Health64% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Ballinger →
OnalaskaHomes around $173K
Housing$173K typical home42% below the TX typical home Schools#140 for schools in TXof 583 towns Health91% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Onalaska →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Growth since 2010+75.1 pts
Onalaska has grown faster since 2010
Onalaska +71.2%Ballinger -3.9%
Work in town+39.5 pts
More of Ballinger’s workers stay in town
Ballinger 44.6%Onalaska 5.1%
Property tax bill+48%
Tax bills are bigger in Onalaska
Onalaska $2,056Ballinger $1,392
Typical home built37 yrs
Ballinger’s homes are older
Onalaska 1993Ballinger 1956
Street grid2×
Ballinger has the more walkable street grid
Ballinger 106Onalaska 53.1
Jobs per worker+93%
Ballinger is more of a job hub
Ballinger 1.06Onalaska 0.55
★ What stands out · Report cards

Ballinger places higher on 14 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
BBallingerSafer than 57% of U.S. towns COnalaskaSafer than 26% of U.S. towns
Schools
C+BallingerBetter than 39% of districts in the state A−OnalaskaBetter than 83% of districts in the state
Health
C+BallingerHealthier than 36% of U.S. towns DOnalaskaHealthier than 9% of U.S. towns
14Ballinger
6Onalaska

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

Most new homesHousing · 535 towns #526#86 Fastest growingGrowth · 640 towns #534#42 Lowest depressionHealth · 652 towns #256#642 Most walkableOutdoors · 653 towns #74#395 Fewest smokersHealth · 652 towns #309#626 SafestSafety · 470 towns #152#342 HealthiestHealth · 651 towns #317#570 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #614#415

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $190 more a month in Onalaska

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.

Ballinger$890/mo
Typical home $141K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.27% · or rent about $986/mo · Housing →
Onalaska$1,080/mo
Typical home $173K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.24% · or rent about $1,083/mo · Housing →

The difference: $190 a month, about $2,300 a year, between Onalaska and Ballinger.

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.

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
BallingerOnalaska
Snow a year1″—
January low31°F—
July high96°F—
Growing season (days)233d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)68th73rd
Outdoors & history
BallingerOnalaska
Trails1 mi0 mi
Conserved land1%0.8%
National Register places3—
Community
BallingerOnalaska
Library hours a week—38 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

293 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BallingerTXOnalaskaTX
Ballinger ↔ Onalaska293 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.

BallingerOnalaska
People
Population 3,583Highest 3,210Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -3.9%Lowest TX: +15.9% +71.2%Highest TX: +15.9%
Median age 44.7±6.6Highest 26% above TX 43.8±12.1Lowest 23% above TX
Ballinger and Onalaska are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 21.6%±5Lowest TX: 25% 23.5%±6.2Highest TX: 25%
Onalaska and Ballinger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 24.9%±5.1Highest TX: 13.4% 16.8%±5.3Lowest TX: 13.4%
Ballinger and Onalaska are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.6%Highest TX: 33.8% 11.7%Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.2%±1.6Lowest TX: 6.2% 5%±4.7Highest TX: 6.2%
Onalaska and Ballinger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $58,870±$5kHighest 25% below TX $51,912±$31kLowest 34% below TX
Ballinger and Onalaska are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $109,400±$21kLowest 61% below TX $165,800±$82kHighest 42% below TX
Onalaska and Ballinger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $986±$120Lowest 30% below TX $1,083±$196Highest 23% below TX
Onalaska and Ballinger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,392Lowest 67% below TX $2,056Highest 51% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 30.8%±21.6Lowest TX: 51.7% 76.8%±39Highest TX: 51.7%
Onalaska and Ballinger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 8.3%Lowest TX: 13.8% 23.7%Highest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 76.1%Lowest TX: 62.6% 78.4%Highest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1956Lowest 36 yrs older than TX 1993Highest 1 yr newer than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 18 minLowest 33% below TX 22 minHighest 17% below TX
Work from home 4.9%±4.1Lowest TX: 14.4% 7.3%±6.7Highest TX: 14.4%
Onalaska and Ballinger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 44.6%Highest 5.1%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 17.3 miLowest 47.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.06Highest 0.55Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town San Angelo (13%)Houston (11%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in OnalaskaFew work in Ballinger
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1%Highest 0.8%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.7 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 106Highest 53.1Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #290 of 583 in TX#140 of 583 in TX
School district BALLINGER ISDONALASKA ISD
High school in town Ballinger H SOnalaska Jr./Sr. High
Students per teacherat that high school 9.2Lowest 12.5Highest
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.

Ballinger neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ballinger’s Town Square.

Onalaska neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Onalaska’s Town Square.

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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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