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Gainesville vs Orange

314 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (14.3× in Orange) and work in town (+9.7 pts in Gainesville).

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Gainesville, TXOne of the healthiest townsTexas · 17,883 people
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Orange, TXAn outdoors townTexas · 19,177 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.

GainesvilleOne of the healthiest towns
Health83% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$247K typical home18% below the TX typical home College town1 collegeNorth Central Texas College All about Gainesville →
OrangeAn outdoors town
Outdoors#70 most conserved land in TX11 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves Housing$186K typical home38% below the TX typical home Health87% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Orange →
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.

Trails14.3×
Orange has more miles of trail
Orange 11.4 miGainesville 0.8 mi
Work in town+9.7 pts
More of Gainesville’s workers stay in town
Gainesville 28.2%Orange 18.5%
Growth since 2010+4.8 pts
Gainesville has grown faster since 2010
Gainesville +8.7%Orange +3.9%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $390 more a month in Gainesville

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.

Gainesville$1,570/mo
Typical home $247K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.35% · or rent about $1,038/mo · Housing →
Orange$1,180/mo
Typical home $186K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.31% · or rent about $1,108/mo · Housing →

The difference: $390 a month, about $4,700 a year, between Gainesville and Orange.

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

Gainesville places higher on 11 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+GainesvilleSafer than 38% of U.S. towns COrangeSafer than 28% of U.S. towns
Schools
C+GainesvilleBetter than 41% of districts in the state COrangeBetter than 30% of districts in the state
Health
C−GainesvilleHealthier than 17% of U.S. towns DOrangeHealthier than 13% of U.S. towns
11Gainesville
9Orange

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

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #51#437 Most conserved landOutdoors · 572 towns #367#70 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 180 towns #22#76 Lowest obesityHealth · 652 towns #363#535 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 652 towns #397#225 Most remote workersWork · 624 towns #422#524 Most new homesHousing · 535 towns #330#243 SafestSafety · 470 towns #263#331

Left end = #1 in Texas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Gainesville’s rankings →

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
GainesvilleOrange
Snow a year3″0″
January low32°F40°F
July high94°F90°F
Growing season (days)242d273d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)50th83rd
Outdoors & history
GainesvilleOrange
Trails1 mi11 mi
Conserved land1.3%9.2%
Settled—1830
National Register places55
Community
GainesvilleOrange
Library hours a week49 hrs41 hrs
Colleges in town11
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

314 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

GainesvilleTXOrangeTX
Gainesville ↔ Orange314 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.

GainesvilleOrange
People
Population 17,883Lowest 19,177Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +8.7%Highest TX: +15.9% +3.9%Lowest TX: +15.9%
Median age 36.5±2Highest about the TX average 35.3±2.6Lowest about the TX average
Gainesville and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 24.4%±2.7Lowest TX: 25% 28.5%±3.4Highest TX: 25%
Orange and Gainesville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 16.6%±2.1Lowest TX: 13.4% 17.2%±2.1Highest TX: 13.4%
Orange and Gainesville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 19.4%Highest TX: 33.8% 18.6%Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.3%±1.1Lowest TX: 6.2% 3.9%±1.3Highest TX: 6.2%
Orange and Gainesville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $58,809±$4kLowest 25% below TX $62,891±$6kHighest 20% below TX
Orange and Gainesville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $177,000±$23kHighest 38% below TX $164,900±$26kLowest 42% below TX
Gainesville and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,038±$100Lowest 26% below TX $1,108±$67Highest 21% below TX
Orange and Gainesville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,382Highest 44% below TX $2,154Lowest 49% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 43.1%±7.6Lowest TX: 51.7% 50.6%±8.9Highest TX: 51.7%
Orange and Gainesville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 19.1%Highest TX: 13.8% 15.4%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 57.6%Lowest TX: 62.6% 59%Highest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1971Lowest 21 yrs older than TX 1973Highest 19 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 22 minLowest 17% below TX 23 minHighest 14% below TX
Work from home 5.6%±2.8Highest TX: 14.4% 3.3%±2.1Lowest TX: 14.4%
Gainesville and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 28.2%Highest 18.5%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 30.3 miHighest 21.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.24Highest 0.96Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Denton (6%)Beaumont (14%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in OrangeFew work in Gainesville
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1.3%Lowest 9.2%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.8 miLowest 11.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.5 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 9Highest 4Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 47.1Lowest 50.0Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #430 of 583 in TX#369 of 583 in TX
School district CALLISBURG ISD · GAINESVILLE ISDTEKOA ACADEMY OF ACCELERATED STUDIES STEM SCHOOL · LITTLE CYPRESS-MAURICEVILLE CISD
High school in town Gainesville H SNone in town
Students per teacherat that high school 16.1 —
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.

Gainesville neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Gainesville’s Town Square.

Orange neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Orange’s Town Square.

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Bordering Gainesville

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Lindsay1,142 people · $352K homes

Towns like Gainesville

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White Settlement18,150 people · $187K homes
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Sulphur Springs16,401 people · $218K homes
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Brownwood18,777 people · $144K homes
+ Compare
Palestine19,136 people · $166K 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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