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Elsa vs Slaton

540 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (5.1× in Elsa) and typical home built (28 yrs in Slaton).

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Elsa, TXA regional job hubTexas · 5,697 people
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Slaton, TXHomes around $146KTexas · 5,761 people
Swap order
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.

ElsaA regional job hub
Work2,277 jobsbased in Elsa, a regional job hub Housing$140K typical home53% below the TX typical home Outdoors#75 most walkable in TX1.3 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves All about Elsa →
SlatonHomes around $146K
Housing$146K typical home51% below the TX typical home SchoolsBetter than 40%of TX districts Outdoors#145 most walkable in TX0.9 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves All about Slaton →
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 worker5.1×
Elsa is more of a job hub
Elsa 1.97Slaton 0.39
Typical home built28 yrs
Slaton’s homes are older
Elsa 1991Slaton 1963
Average commute8 min
Elsa has the shorter commute
Slaton 21 minElsa 13 min
Growth since 2010+4.4 pts
Elsa has grown faster since 2010
Elsa +0.1%Slaton -4.3%
Work in town+8.7 pts
More of Slaton’s workers stay in town
Slaton 12.9%Elsa 4.2%
Homeowners+8 pts renters
Elsa has more renters
Slaton 79.2%Elsa 71.2%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Elsa places higher on 12 of 21 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
C−ElsaSafer than 15% of U.S. towns C−SlatonSafer than 20% of U.S. towns
Schools
DElsaBetter than 11% of districts in the state C+SlatonBetter than 40% of districts in the state
Health
C−ElsaHealthier than 25% of U.S. towns DSlatonHealthier than 9% of U.S. towns
12Elsa
9Slaton

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 584 towns #431#41 Fewest smokersHealth · 652 towns #122#533 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #267#558 Most new homesHousing · 535 towns #229#443 Lowest depressionHealth · 652 towns #18#256 Shortest commuteGetting around · 653 towns #5#170 HealthiestHealth · 651 towns #406#565 Most conserved landOutdoors · 572 towns #349#479

Left end = #1 in Texas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Elsa’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.

Elsa$960/mo
Typical home $140K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.94% · or rent about $767/mo · Housing →
Slaton$960/mo
Typical home $146K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.65% · or rent about $994/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
ElsaSlaton
Snow a year0″5″
January low49°F—
July high96°F—
Growing season (days)355d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)67th54th
Outdoors & history
ElsaSlaton
Trails1 mi1 mi
Conserved land1.5%0.6%
Settled18001911
Archive photos24—
Famous people born here1—
Community
ElsaSlaton
Library hours a week42 hrs38 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined01

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

540 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ElsaTXSlatonTX
Elsa ↔ Slaton540 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.

ElsaSlaton
People
Population 5,697Lowest 5,761Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +0.1%Highest TX: +15.9% -4.3%Lowest TX: +15.9%
Median age 34±6.8Lowest 4% below TX 35.9±8.2Highest about the TX average
Slaton and Elsa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 29.6%±8.8Highest TX: 25% 27.9%±5.8Lowest TX: 25%
Elsa and Slaton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 13.1%±5.7Highest TX: 13.4% 12.1%±3.1Lowest TX: 13.4%
Elsa and Slaton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 7.9%Lowest TX: 33.8% 9.4%Highest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7.5%±4.3Highest TX: 6.2% 6.4%±2.1Lowest TX: 6.2%
Elsa and Slaton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $42,439±$16kLowest 46% below TX $56,676±$5kHighest 28% below TX
Slaton and Elsa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $81,600±$36kLowest 71% below TX $84,600±$7kHighest 70% below TX
Slaton and Elsa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $767±$494Lowest 45% below TX $994±$136Highest 29% below TX
Slaton and Elsa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,582Highest 63% below TX $1,398Lowest 67% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 81.8%±76.3Highest TX: 51.7% 40.7%±20.6Lowest TX: 51.7%
Elsa and Slaton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 31.8%Highest TX: 13.8% 15.7%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 71.2%Lowest TX: 62.6% 79.2%Highest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1991Highest 1 yr older than TX 1963Lowest 29 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 13 minLowest 53% below TX 21 minHighest 22% below TX
Work from home 5%±5.5 TX: 14.4% 5%±3.8 TX: 14.4%
Work in townworking residents 4.2%Lowest 12.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.3 miLowest 16.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.97Highest 0.39Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Edinburg (11%)Lubbock (52%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SlatonFew work in Elsa
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.5%Highest 0.6%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 1.3 miHighest 0.9 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.6 miHighest 0.2 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 3Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 106Highest 89.4Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #576 of 583 in TX#455 of 583 in TX
School district EDCOUCH-ELSA ISDSLATON ISD
High school in town Edcouch-Elsa H SSlaton H S
Students per teacherat that high school 12.3Highest 10.7Lowest
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.

Elsa neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Elsa’s Town Square.

Slaton neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 3d

Life in Slaton

1 neighbor in Slaton can answer.

Add a town

Set another town beside Elsa and Slaton

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Towns like Elsa

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Colorado City3,976 people · $70K 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.

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