Compare towns
Hedley vs Penelope 299 miles apart. The biggest differences: average commute (23 min in Penelope) and jobs per worker (2.8× in Hedley).
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.
Penelope A small town of 235
Quiet strengths Penelope doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Penelope →
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.
★ What stands out · Monthly cost A typical home costs $1,410 more a month in Penelope 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 payment3.5% 10% 20% Rate
Hedley $280 /mo
Typical home $43K (Census) · tax rate 1.55% · or rent about $622/mo · Housing →
Penelope $1,690 /mo
Typical home $250K (Zillow) · tax rate est. 1.8% · Housing →
The difference: $1,410 a month , about $16,900 a year , between Penelope and Hedley.
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.
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.
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 299 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Hedley ↔ Penelope 299 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.
Raising kids Affordability Owning a home Short commute Working from home Younger crowd Settled, older crowd Growing town Outdoorsy Walkable streets
Population
318 Highest 235 Lowest
Median age
40.5 ±16.3 Lowest 14% above TX 40.9 ±2.9 Highest 15% above TX
Kids under 18
11.6% ±7.6 Lowest TX: 25% 23.8% ±9 Highest TX: 25%
Age 65+
21.4% ±11.2 Highest TX: 13.4% 17.9% ±12.4 Lowest TX: 13.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
21.5% Highest TX: 33.8% 19.6% Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
7.5% ±8 Highest TX: 6.2% 2.6% ±7.4 Lowest TX: 6.2%
Household incomemedian
$38,750 ±$11k Lowest 51% below TX $60,000 ±$25k Highest 24% below TX
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$43,000 ±$7k 85% below TX —
Rentmedian gross, monthly
$622 ±$32 56% below TX —
Property taxmedian, yearly
$666 84% below TX —
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
0% ±100 Lowest TX: 51.7% 40% ±100 Highest TX: 51.7%
Below poverty line
6.9% Lowest TX: 13.8% 16.2% Highest TX: 13.8%
Homeownersof occupied homes
79.2% Lowest TX: 62.6% 86.3% Highest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year
1951 Lowest 41 yrs older than TX 1958 Highest 34 yrs older than TX
Average commuteone way
44 min Highest 64% above TX 21 min Lowest 22% below TX
Work from home
12% ±9.3 Highest TX: 14.4% 2.8% ±6.4 Lowest TX: 14.4%
Work in townworking residents
5.3% Highest 0% Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
67.8 mi Highest 56.8 mi Lowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
1.24 Highest 0.44 Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town
Amarillo (21%) Waco (11%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Penelope Few work in Hedley
Conserved landshare of the town
0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles
0.6 mi Highest 0.0 mi Lowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.9 mi Highest 0.0 mi Lowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
111 Highest 46.3 Lowest
“±” Census margin of error ACS 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.
Hedley or Penelope: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Hedley? → Moving to Hedley: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Hedley’s Town Square.
Penelope or Hedley: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Penelope? → Moving to Penelope: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Penelope’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Hedley and Penelope One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Towns like Hedley 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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