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Belton vs Temple

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (7× in Temple) and work in town (+26.3 pts in Temple).

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Belton, TXA history townTexas · 24,356 people
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Temple, TXAn outdoors townTexas · 89,602 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.

BeltonA history town
HistorySettled in 185041 places on the National Register Outdoors#81 most conserved land in TX2.6 miles of trails across 16 parks and preserves Housing$313K typical home4% above the TX typical home All about Belton →
TempleAn outdoors town
Outdoors#65 most conserved land in TX18 miles of trails across 40 parks and preserves Housing$246K typical home18% below the TX typical home Health78% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Temple →
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.

Trails7×
Temple has more miles of trail
Temple 18.1 miBelton 2.6 mi
Work in town+26.3 pts
More of Temple’s workers stay in town
Temple 42.7%Belton 16.4%
Size3.7×
Temple is the bigger place
Temple 89,602Belton 24,356
Household income+15%
Households in Temple earn more
Temple $68,204Belton $59,130
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $440 more a month in Belton

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.

Belton$2,050/mo
Typical home $313K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.56% · or rent about $1,252/mo · Housing →
Temple$1,610/mo
Typical home $246K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.57% · or rent about $1,231/mo · Housing →

The difference: $440 a month, about $5,200 a year, between Belton and Temple.

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.

Where they are

Belton and Temple share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

BeltonTempleBeltonTemple
Belton ↔ Temple6.5 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
2,505 Temple residents work in Belton (7% of its workers)
2,101 Belton residents work in Temple (23.8% of its workers)
Work & commute in Temple →
Report cards

Temple places higher on 16 of 24 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.

Schools
BBeltonBetter than 57% of districts in the state C+TempleBetter than 44% of districts in the state
Health
CBeltonHealthier than 32% of U.S. towns C−TempleHealthier than 22% of U.S. towns
8Belton
16Temple

Lists won, of 24 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 180 towns #169#72 Most-used librariesLibraries · 183 towns #58#107 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #187#49 Most trailsOutdoors · 405 towns #372#295 Highest incomeIncome · 653 towns #439#328 Fewest smokersHealth · 652 towns #217#309 Most library borrowingLibraries · 183 towns #102#77 HealthiestHealth · 651 towns #349#426

Left end = #1 in Texas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Belton’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
BeltonTemple
Snow a year0″0″
January low36°F—
July high95°F—
Growing season (days)251d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)22nd23rd
Outdoors & history
BeltonTemple
Trails3 mi18 mi
Conserved land8.2%9.8%
Settled1850—
National Register places417
Archive photos12—
Community
BeltonTemple
Library hours a week42 hrs60 hrs
Colleges in town11
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.

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.

BeltonTemple
People
Population 24,356Lowest 89,602Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +26.6%Highest TX: +15.9% +24.2%Lowest TX: +15.9%
Median age 32.4±1.5Lowest 9% below TX 33.8±1Highest 5% below TX
Temple and Belton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 24.3%±3.2Lowest TX: 25% 26.6%±1.6Highest TX: 25%
Temple and Belton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 13.9%±2Lowest TX: 13.4% 15.1%±0.9Highest TX: 13.4%
Temple and Belton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 28.3%Lowest TX: 33.8% 30.6%Highest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 11.1%±1.5Highest TX: 6.2% 6.3%±0.8Lowest TX: 6.2%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $59,130±$6kLowest 25% below TX $68,204±$2kHighest 13% below TX
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $258,700±$23kHighest 9% below TX $239,000±$7kLowest 16% below TX
Belton and Temple are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,252±$80Highest 11% below TX $1,231±$37Lowest 12% below TX
Belton and Temple are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,038Highest 5% below TX $3,749Lowest 11% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 63%±10.7Highest TX: 51.7% 50.3%±4.3Lowest TX: 51.7%
Belton and Temple are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 16.7%Highest TX: 13.8% 16%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 56%Highest TX: 62.6% 52.3%Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1994Highest 2 yrs newer than TX 1991Lowest 1 yr older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minHighest 15% below TX 21 minLowest 21% below TX
Work from home 10.6%±3.5Lowest TX: 14.4% 11.4%±1.4Highest TX: 14.4%
Temple and Belton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 16.4%Lowest 42.7%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 17.8 miHighest 8.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.41Lowest 1.51Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Temple (24%)Austin (7%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 24% work in Temple7% work in Belton
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 8.2%Lowest 9.8%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 2.6 miLowest 18.1 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 16Lowest 40Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 50.3Highest 47.6Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #318 of 583 in TX#275 of 583 in TX
School district BELTON ISDBELTON ISD · TEMPLE ISD
High school in town Belton H STemple H S
Students per teacherat that high school 13.7 13.7
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.

Belton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Belton’s Town Square.

Temple neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Temple’s Town Square.

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Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Texas towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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