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%

Castroville$2,730/mo

Typical home $426K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.41% · or rent about $1,253/mo · Housing →

Tool$1,280/mo

Typical home $213K (Census) · tax rate 0.92% · or rent about $1,386/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,450 a month, about $17,400 a year, between Castroville and Tool.

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.

Safety

C+CastrovilleSafer than 41% of U.S. towns A−ToolSafer than 75% of U.S. towns

Schools

A−CastrovilleBetter than 80% of districts in the state A−ToolBetter than 75% of districts in the state

Health

B−CastrovilleHealthier than 51% of U.S. towns C−ToolHealthier than 22% of U.S. towns

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

CastrovilleTool

Snow a year0″0″

January low—35°F

July high—95°F

Growing season (days)—246d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)66th 37th

Outdoors & history

CastrovilleTool

Trails2 mi —

Conserved land7.3%—

Settled1844 —

National Register places5 —

Archive photos6 —

Famous people born here1 —

Community

CastrovilleTool

Library hours a week47 hrs —

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

257 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

CastrovilleTX ToolTX

Castroville ↔ Tool257 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

CastrovilleTool

People

Population 3,092Highest 2,367Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +10.2%Highest TX: +15.9% -2.9%Lowest TX: +15.9%

Median age 48.8±7.8Lowest 37% above TX 49.6±5.9Highest 39% above TX

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

Kids under 18 14.9%±4.8Lowest TX: 25% 16.7%±4.2Highest TX: 25%

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

Age 65+ 22.6%±5Lowest TX: 13.4% 22.9%±3Highest TX: 13.4%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 27.9%Highest TX: 33.8% 26.8%Lowest TX: 33.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6%±3.9Highest TX: 6.2% 1.4%±1.2Lowest TX: 6.2%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $78,460±$8kHighest about the TX average $71,333±$17kLowest 9% below TX

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $300,000±$41kHighest 6% above TX $213,300±$57kLowest 25% below TX

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,253±$170Lowest 11% below TX $1,386±$260Highest about the TX average

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $4,232Highest about the TX average $1,952Lowest 54% below TX

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 47.7%±22Lowest TX: 51.7% 62.9%±66.6Highest TX: 51.7%

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

Below poverty line 5.3%Lowest TX: 13.8% 17.3%Highest TX: 13.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 73%Lowest TX: 62.6% 81.1%Highest TX: 62.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1984Highest 8 yrs older than TX 1983Lowest 9 yrs older than TX

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 30 minLowest 13% above TX 47 minHighest 77% above TX

Work from home 16.5%±9.5Highest TX: 14.4% 11.3%±11Lowest TX: 14.4%

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

Work in townworking residents 2.7%Lowest 3.7%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 23.8 miLowest 40.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.70Highest 0.25Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town San Antonio (47%)Mabank (7%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ToolFew work in Castroville

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 7.3%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 1.6 miHighest 0.5 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 68.5Highest 59.0Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #58 of 583 in TX—

School district MEDINA VALLEY ISDMALAKOFF ISD

High school in town None in townNone in town

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.

Castroville neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Castroville’s Town Square.

Tool neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tool’s Town Square.

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Towns like Castroville

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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.

Castroville vs Tool

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,450 more a month in Castroville

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

257 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

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Towns like Castroville

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