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Bishop vs Ballinger

315 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (4.1× in Ballinger) and work in town (+36.7 pts in Ballinger).

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Bishop, TXKnown for its schoolsTexas · 3,103 people
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Ballinger, TXAn outdoors townTexas · 3,583 people
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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.

BishopKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 46%of TX districts Housing$138K typical home54% below the TX typical home Health85% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Bishop →
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 →
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.

Jobs per worker4.1×
Ballinger is more of a job hub
Ballinger 1.06Bishop 0.26
Work in town+36.7 pts
More of Ballinger’s workers stay in town
Ballinger 44.6%Bishop 7.9%
Property tax bill+52%
Tax bills are bigger in Bishop
Bishop $2,109Ballinger $1,392
Average commute11 min
Ballinger has the shorter commute
Bishop 29 minBallinger 18 min
Trails2×
Bishop has more miles of trail
Bishop 1.4 miBallinger 0.7 mi
Typical home built17 yrs
Ballinger’s homes are older
Bishop 1973Ballinger 1956
★ What stands out · Report cards

Ballinger places higher on 12 of 19 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
–BishopNot graded BBallingerSafer than 57% of U.S. towns
Schools
B−BishopBetter than 46% of districts in the state C+BallingerBetter than 39% of districts in the state
Health
DBishopHealthier than 15% of U.S. towns C+BallingerHealthier than 36% of U.S. towns
7Bishop
12Ballinger

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Shortest commuteGetting around · 653 towns #443#74 Lowest obesityHealth · 652 towns #535#252 HealthiestHealth · 651 towns #514#317 Lowest depressionHealth · 652 towns #69#256 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 652 towns #522#344 Most walkableOutdoors · 653 towns #235#74 Most conserved landOutdoors · 572 towns #276#417 Most activeHealth · 652 towns #506#350

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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.

Bishop$940/mo
Typical home $138K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.89% · or rent about $952/mo · Housing →
Ballinger$890/mo
Typical home $141K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.27% · or rent about $986/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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
BishopBallinger
Snow a year0″1″
January low47°F31°F
July high96°F96°F
Growing season (days)329d233d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)78th68th
Outdoors & history
BishopBallinger
Trails1 mi1 mi
Conserved land2.2%1%
National Register places—3
Community
BishopBallinger
Library hours a week16 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

315 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BishopTXBallingerTX
Bishop ↔ Ballinger315 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.

BishopBallinger
People
Population 3,103Lowest 3,583Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.3%Highest TX: +15.9% -3.9%Lowest TX: +15.9%
Median age 39.5±8.8Lowest 11% above TX 44.7±6.6Highest 26% above TX
Ballinger and Bishop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23.6%±5.1Highest TX: 25% 21.6%±5Lowest TX: 25%
Bishop and Ballinger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 23.8%±7.7Lowest TX: 13.4% 24.9%±5.1Highest TX: 13.4%
Ballinger and Bishop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.7%Highest TX: 33.8% 16.6%Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.8%±1.8Highest TX: 6.2% 2.2%±1.6Lowest TX: 6.2%
Bishop and Ballinger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $58,152±$23kLowest 26% below TX $58,870±$5kHighest 25% below TX
Ballinger and Bishop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $111,800±$20kHighest 61% below TX $109,400±$21kLowest 61% below TX
Bishop and Ballinger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $952±$193Lowest 32% below TX $986±$120Highest 30% below TX
Ballinger and Bishop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,109Highest 50% below TX $1,392Lowest 67% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 63.2%±16.1Highest TX: 51.7% 30.8%±21.6Lowest TX: 51.7%
Bishop and Ballinger are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 24.7%Highest TX: 13.8% 8.3%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 80%Highest TX: 62.6% 76.1%Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1973Highest 19 yrs older than TX 1956Lowest 36 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 29 minHighest 7% above TX 18 minLowest 33% below TX
Work from home 4.2%±3.5Lowest TX: 14.4% 4.9%±4.1Highest TX: 14.4%
Ballinger and Bishop are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 7.9%Lowest 44.6%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 24.8 miHighest 17.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.26Lowest 1.06Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Corpus Christi (21%)San Angelo (13%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BallingerFew work in Bishop
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.2%Highest 1%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 1.4 miHighest 0.7 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miHighest 0.2 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1 1
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 74.4Lowest 106Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #315 of 583 in TX#290 of 583 in TX
School district BISHOP CISDBALLINGER ISD
High school in town Bishop H SBallinger H S
Students per teacherat that high school 14.1Highest 9.2Lowest
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.

Bishop neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Bishop’s Town Square.

Ballinger neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Ballinger’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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