Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Hearne vs Olney

213 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+62% in Olney) and growth since 2010 (+10.4 pts in Hearne).

×
Hearne, TXHomes around $175KTexas · 4,555 people
×
Olney, TXHomes around $120KTexas · 3,015 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.

HearneHomes around $175K
Housing$175K typical home42% below the TX typical home Outdoors#147 most walkable in TX0.5 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves Health98% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Hearne →
OlneyHomes around $120K
Housing$120K typical home60% below the TX typical home Outdoors#73 most walkable in TX0.3 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves Schools#124 for schools in TXof 583 towns All about Olney →
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.

Property tax bill+62%
Tax bills are bigger in Olney
Olney $1,607Hearne $993
Growth since 2010+10.4 pts
Hearne has grown faster since 2010
Hearne +1.9%Olney -8.5%
Work in town+14.6 pts
More of Olney’s workers stay in town
Olney 32.2%Hearne 17.6%
Trails+67%
Hearne has more miles of trail
Hearne 0.5 miOlney 0.3 mi
Average commute5 min
Olney has the shorter commute
Hearne 18 minOlney 13 min
★ What stands out · Report cards

Olney places higher on 11 of 20 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
B−HearneSafer than 53% of U.S. towns A−OlneySafer than 78% of U.S. towns
Schools
DHearneBetter than 10% of districts in the state A−OlneyBetter than 83% of districts in the state
Health
D−HearneHealthier than 2% of U.S. towns COlneyHealthier than 28% of U.S. towns
9Hearne
11Olney

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Best schoolsSchools · 583 towns #579#124 Most activeHealth · 652 towns #595#319 HealthiestHealth · 651 towns #639#378 Fewest smokersHealth · 652 towns #626#381 Lowest obesityHealth · 652 towns #601#363 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 652 towns #488#261 Lowest depressionHealth · 652 towns #256#476 SafestSafety · 470 towns #184#47

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $290 more a month in Hearne

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.

Hearne$1,090/mo
Typical home $175K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.19% · or rent about $641/mo · Housing →
Olney$790/mo
Typical home $120K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.69% · or rent about $439/mo · Housing →

The difference: $290 a month, about $3,500 a year, between Hearne and Olney.

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
HearneOlney
Snow a year1″1″
January low39°F—
July high95°F—
Growing season (days)277d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)33rd35th
Outdoors & history
HearneOlney
Trails1 mi0 mi
Conserved land3.8%2.5%
Settled—1909
National Register places1—
Famous people born here—11
Community
HearneOlney
Library hours a week37 hrs42 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

213 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

HearneTXOlneyTX
Hearne ↔ Olney213 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.

HearneOlney
People
Population 4,555Highest 3,015Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +1.9%Highest TX: +15.9% -8.5%Lowest TX: +15.9%
Median age 37.1±8.1Highest 4% above TX 35.3±8.5Lowest about the TX average
Hearne and Olney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23.5%±5Lowest TX: 25% 25.6%±6.7Highest TX: 25%
Olney and Hearne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.6%±4Highest TX: 13.4% 15.7%±3.9Lowest TX: 13.4%
Hearne and Olney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 12.5%Lowest TX: 33.8% 13.8%Highest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3%±2.1Highest TX: 6.2% 0%±0.7Lowest TX: 6.2%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $37,372±$7kHighest 52% below TX $36,250±$10kLowest 54% below TX
Hearne and Olney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $83,200±$15kLowest 71% below TX $95,100±$24kHighest 66% below TX
Olney and Hearne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $641±$134Highest 54% below TX $439±$252Lowest 69% below TX
Hearne and Olney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $993Lowest 77% below TX $1,607Highest 62% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 62.7%±14.3Highest TX: 51.7% 26.2%±16Lowest TX: 51.7%
Below poverty line 27.3%Highest TX: 13.8% 26.4%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 60.5%Lowest TX: 62.6% 63.1%Highest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1970Highest 22 yrs older than TX 1965Lowest 27 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 18 minHighest 33% below TX 13 minLowest 52% below TX
Work from home 4%±3.7Highest TX: 14.4% 3.4%±2.6Lowest TX: 14.4%
Hearne and Olney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 17.6%Lowest 32.2%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 29.8 miHighest 20.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.78Lowest 0.86Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Bryan (13%)Graham (5%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in OlneyFew work in Hearne
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 3.8%Highest 2.5%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.5 miHighest 0.3 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.2 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2 2
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 89.1Lowest 107Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #579 of 583 in TX#124 of 583 in TX
School district HEARNE ISDOLNEY ISD
High school in town Hearne JH/HSOlney H S
Students per teacherat that high school 7.6Highest 6.7Lowest
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.

Hearne neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Hearne’s Town Square.

Olney neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Olney’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Hearne and Olney

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Hearne

T
+ Compare
Tulia4,422 people · $81K homes
M
+ Compare
Mathis4,308 people · $82K homes
+ Compare
Carrizo Springs4,723 people · $87K homes
+ Compare
Marlin5,516 people · $66K 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.

Post to Hearne

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in