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Compare towns

Celeste vs Valley Mills

135 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (4× in Celeste) and average commute (9 min in Valley Mills).

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Celeste, TXOne of the healthiest townsTexas · 1,019 people
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Valley Mills, TXOne of the healthiest townsTexas · 1,136 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.

CelesteOne of the healthiest towns
Health79% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$354K typical home18% above the TX typical home SchoolsBetter than 63%of TX districts All about Celeste →
Valley MillsOne of the healthiest towns
Health69% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 63%of TX districts All about Valley Mills →
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.

Trails4×
Celeste has more miles of trail
Celeste 1.2 miValley Mills 0.3 mi
Average commute9 min
Valley Mills has the shorter commute
Celeste 37 minValley Mills 28 min
Typical home built16 yrs
Valley Mills’s homes are older
Celeste 1974Valley Mills 1958
Street grid+47%
Valley Mills has the more walkable street grid
Valley Mills 89.9Celeste 61.3
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $180 more a month in Celeste

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.

Celeste$2,180/mo
Typical home $354K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.10% · or rent about $959/mo · Housing →
Valley Mills$2,000/mo
Typical home $323K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.13% · or rent about $1,172/mo · Housing →

The difference: $180 a month, about $2,200 a year, between Celeste and Valley Mills.

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
BCelesteBetter than 63% of districts in the state BValley MillsBetter than 63% of districts in the state
Health
C−CelesteHealthier than 21% of U.S. towns CValley MillsHealthier than 31% 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
CelesteValley Mills
Snow a year0″1″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)44th30th
Outdoors & history
CelesteValley Mills
Trails1 mi0 mi
Conserved land0%0%
Community
CelesteValley Mills
Library hours a week—20 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

135 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

CelesteTXValley MillsTX
Celeste ↔ Valley Mills135 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.

CelesteValley Mills
People
Population 1,019Lowest 1,136Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -0.6%Lowest TX: +15.9% +2.2%Highest TX: +15.9%
Median age 27.8±5.3Lowest 22% below TX 31.7±4.9Highest 11% below TX
Valley Mills and Celeste are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 33%±17.1Lowest TX: 25% 33.1%±5.9Highest TX: 25%
Valley Mills and Celeste are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 8.2%±4.5Lowest TX: 13.4% 10.7%±3.8Highest TX: 13.4%
Valley Mills and Celeste are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13.9%Highest TX: 33.8% 8.6%Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.4%±4Highest TX: 6.2% 2%±1.3Lowest TX: 6.2%
Celeste and Valley Mills are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $54,375±$23kHighest 31% below TX $51,607±$36kLowest 34% below TX
Celeste and Valley Mills are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $184,700±$29kHighest 35% below TX $176,200±$30kLowest 38% below TX
Celeste and Valley Mills are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $959±$165Lowest 32% below TX $1,172±$92Highest 16% below TX
Valley Mills and Celeste are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,040Highest 52% below TX $1,992Lowest 53% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 61.9%±36.5Lowest TX: 51.7% 83.2%±40Highest TX: 51.7%
Valley Mills and Celeste are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 21.2%Highest TX: 13.8% 12%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 68.8%Lowest TX: 62.6% 69.4%Highest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1974Highest 18 yrs older than TX 1958Lowest 34 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 37 minHighest 39% above TX 28 minLowest 3% above TX
Work from home 9.3%±6.1Highest TX: 14.4% 3.6%±2Lowest TX: 14.4%
Celeste and Valley Mills are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 3.8%Lowest 4.3%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 35.8 miHighest 22.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.49Highest 0.42Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Dallas (12%)Waco (25%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Valley MillsFew work in Celeste
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 1.2 miHighest 0.3 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.9 miHighest 0.3 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 2Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 61.3Lowest 89.9Highest
Schools
School district CELESTE ISDVALLEY MILLS ISD
High school in town Celeste H SNone in town
Students per teacherat that high school 7.6 —
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.

Celeste neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Celeste’s Town Square.

Valley Mills neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Valley Mills’s Town Square.

Add a town

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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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