Compare towns
Buckholts vs Balmorhea
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 %
Buckholts $1,780 /mo
Typical home $297K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.93% · or rent about $710/mo · Housing →
Balmorhea $370 /mo
Typical home $54K (Census) · tax rate 1.82% · 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
Buckholts Balmorhea
Outdoors & history
Buckholts Balmorhea
Community
Buckholts Balmorhea
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.
Buckholts ↔ Balmorhea 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
Buckholts Balmorhea
People
Population
374 Lowest
456 Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census
-29.1%
TX: +15.9%
—
Median age
31.3 ±13.1 Lowest
12% below TX
38.1 ±12.5 Highest
7% above TX
Balmorhea and Buckholts are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18
31.8% ±5.6 Highest
TX: 25%
29.6% ±10.6 Lowest
TX: 25%
Buckholts and Balmorhea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+
18.7% ±9.4 Lowest
TX: 13.4%
22.1% ±9.3 Highest
TX: 13.4%
Balmorhea and Buckholts are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
3% Lowest
TX: 33.8%
3.1% Highest
TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
0% ±5.7
TX: 6.2%
0% ±4.7
TX: 6.2%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian
$33,333 ±$19k
58% below TX
—
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$75,600 ±$22k Highest
73% below TX
$54,400 ±$7k Lowest
81% below TX
Buckholts and Balmorhea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$710 ±$154
49% below TX
—
Property taxmedian, yearly
$700 Lowest
83% below TX
$988 Highest
77% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
63.9% ±33 Lowest
TX: 51.7%
64.9% ±62.3 Highest
TX: 51.7%
Balmorhea and Buckholts are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line
47.9% Highest
TX: 13.8%
38.8% Lowest
TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes
54.3% Highest
TX: 62.6%
52.6% Lowest
TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year
1985 Highest
7 yrs older than TX
1969 Lowest
23 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way
29 min Highest
7% above TX
14 min Lowest
47% below TX
Work from home
1.3% ±3.7 Highest
TX: 14.4%
0% ±8 Lowest
TX: 14.4%
Buckholts and Balmorhea are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents
0.6% Highest
0% Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
41.8 mi Lowest
149.8 mi Highest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.14 Lowest
0.58 Highest
Top workplaceoutside town
Temple (17%) Town of Pecos (13%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Balmorhea Few work in Buckholts
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town
0% Lowest
0.2% Highest
Trailsmapped miles
0.0 mi Lowest
0.2 mi Highest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.0 mi Lowest
0.4 mi Highest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
0 Lowest
1 Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
42.8 Lowest
121 Highest
Texas average“±” 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.
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.
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.
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Towns like Buckholts 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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