Compare towns
Balmorhea vs Buckholts 392 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (4.1× in Balmorhea) and street grid (2.8× in Balmorhea).
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.
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 $1,420 more a month in Buckholts 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
Balmorhea $370 /mo
Typical home $54K (Census) · tax rate 1.82% · Housing →
Buckholts $1,780 /mo
Typical home $297K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.93% · or rent about $710/mo · Housing →
The difference: $1,420 a month , about $17,000 a year , between Buckholts and Balmorhea.
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
Outdoors & history
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 392 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Balmorhea ↔ Buckholts 392 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
456 Highest 374 Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
— -29.1% TX: +15.9%
Median age
38.1 ±12.5 Highest 7% above TX 31.3 ±13.1 Lowest 12% below TX
Kids under 18
29.6% ±10.6 Lowest TX: 25% 31.8% ±5.6 Highest TX: 25%
Age 65+
22.1% ±9.3 Highest TX: 13.4% 18.7% ±9.4 Lowest TX: 13.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
3.1% Highest TX: 33.8% 3% Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
0% ±4.7 TX: 6.2% 0% ±5.7 TX: 6.2%
Household incomemedian
— $33,333 ±$19k 58% below TX
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$54,400 ±$7k Lowest 81% below TX $75,600 ±$22k Highest 73% below TX
Rentmedian gross, monthly
— $710 ±$154 49% below TX
Property taxmedian, yearly
$988 Highest 77% below TX $700 Lowest 83% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
64.9% ±62.3 Highest TX: 51.7% 63.9% ±33 Lowest TX: 51.7%
Below poverty line
38.8% Lowest TX: 13.8% 47.9% Highest TX: 13.8%
Homeownersof occupied homes
52.6% Lowest TX: 62.6% 54.3% Highest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year
1969 Lowest 23 yrs older than TX 1985 Highest 7 yrs older than TX
Average commuteone way
14 min Lowest 47% below TX 29 min Highest 7% above TX
Work from home
0% ±8 Lowest TX: 14.4% 1.3% ±3.7 Highest TX: 14.4%
Work in townworking residents
0% Lowest 0.6% Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
149.8 mi Highest 41.8 mi Lowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.58 Highest 0.14 Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town
Town of Pecos (13%) Temple (17%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Buckholts Few work in Balmorhea
Conserved landshare of the town
0.2% Highest 0% Lowest
Trailsmapped miles
0.2 mi Highest 0.0 mi Lowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.4 mi Highest 0.0 mi Lowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
1 Highest 0 Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
121 Highest 42.8 Lowest
“±” 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.
Balmorhea or Buckholts: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Balmorhea? → Moving to Balmorhea: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Balmorhea’s Town Square.
Buckholts or Balmorhea: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Buckholts? → Moving to Buckholts: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Buckholts’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Balmorhea and Buckholts One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Towns like Balmorhea 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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