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Carbon vs Smyer

214 miles apart. The biggest differences: average commute (10 min in Smyer) and street grid (+41% in Carbon).

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Carbon, TXHomes around $212KTexas · 280 people

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Smyer, TXHomes around $144KTexas · 291 people

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.

CarbonHomes around $212K

Housing$212K typical home29% below the TX typical home All about Carbon →

SmyerHomes around $144K

Housing$144K typical home52% below the TX typical home SchoolsBetter than 81%of TX districts All about Smyer →

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.

Average commute10 min

Smyer has the shorter commute

Carbon 36 minSmyer 26 min

Street grid+41%

Carbon has the more walkable street grid

Carbon 56.9Smyer 40.3

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $390 more a month in Carbon

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 paymentRate%

Carbon$1,300/mo

Typical home $212K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.07% · or rent about $1,571/mo · Housing →

Smyer$910/mo

Typical home $144K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.35% · or rent about $1,292/mo · Housing →

The difference: $390 a month, about $4,600 a year, between Carbon and Smyer.

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.

Schools

–CarbonNot graded A−SmyerBetter than 81% of districts in the state

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

CarbonSmyer

Snow a year2″7″

January low30°F —

July high96°F —

Growing season (days)222d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)23rd 60th

Community

CarbonSmyer

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

214 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

CarbonTX SmyerTX

Carbon ↔ Smyer214 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.

Only big differences vs Texas average

CarbonSmyer

People

Population 280Lowest 291Highest

Median age 40±19.7Highest 12% above TX 39.8±9Lowest 12% above TX

Carbon and Smyer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 26.1%±10.2Highest TX: 25% 23%±10.1Lowest TX: 25%

Carbon and Smyer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 21.1%±15.1Lowest TX: 13.4% 24.4%±9.7Highest TX: 13.4%

Smyer and Carbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 8.7%Highest TX: 33.8% 3.8%Lowest TX: 33.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.9%±4.2Highest TX: 6.2% 0%±7.3Lowest TX: 6.2%

Carbon and Smyer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $80,500±$24kHighest about the TX average $45,625±$19kLowest 42% below TX

Carbon and Smyer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $84,500±$40kHighest 70% below TX $67,900±$26kLowest 76% below TX

Carbon and Smyer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,571±$702Highest 12% above TX $1,292±$803Lowest 8% below TX

Carbon and Smyer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $900Lowest 79% below TX $918Highest 78% below TX

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 16.7%±100Lowest TX: 51.7% 80%±100Highest TX: 51.7%

Smyer and Carbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 6.5%Lowest TX: 13.8% 7.6%Highest TX: 13.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 88.5%Lowest TX: 62.6% 89.3%Highest TX: 62.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1981Lowest 11 yrs older than TX 1984Highest 8 yrs older than TX

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 36 minHighest 34% above TX 26 minLowest about the TX average

Work from home 0%±12.2Lowest TX: 14.4% 8.2%±10.3Highest TX: 14.4%

Smyer and Carbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 0.8%Lowest 1%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 60.3 miHighest 16.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.27Lowest 0.38Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Eastland (9%)Lubbock (26%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SmyerFew work in Carbon

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.7 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.9 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 56.9Highest 40.3Lowest

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.

Carbon neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Carbon’s Town Square.

Smyer neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Smyer’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Carbon

Devers386 people · $121K homes

Bloomburg330 people · $63K homes

Trent280 people · $59K homes

Blum336 people · $69K homes

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.