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Compare towns

Iola vs Orchard

81 miles apart. The biggest differences: rent (+64% in Orchard) and property tax bill (+54% in Orchard).

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Iola, TXHomes around $504KTexas · 372 people
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Orchard, TXKnown for its schoolsTexas · 338 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.

IolaHomes around $504K
Housing$504K typical home68% above the TX typical home SchoolsBetter than 83%of TX districts All about Iola →
OrchardKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 88%of TX districts All about Orchard →
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.

Rent+64%
Rent runs higher in Orchard
Orchard $1,205Iola $735
Property tax bill+54%
Tax bills are bigger in Orchard
Orchard $1,988Iola $1,292
Jobs per worker+68%
Orchard is more of a job hub
Orchard 0.37Iola 0.22
Bachelor’s degree++9.5 pts
More adults in Iola have a degree
Iola 17.6%Orchard 8.1%
Typical home built13 yrs
Orchard’s homes are older
Iola 1987Orchard 1974
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $1,670 more a month in Iola

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.

Iola$3,050/mo
Typical home $504K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.97% · or rent about $735/mo · Housing →
Orchard$1,380/mo
Typical home $231K (Census) · tax rate 0.86% · or rent about $1,205/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,670 a month, about $20,100 a year, between Iola and Orchard.

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
A−IolaBetter than 83% of districts in the state AOrchardBetter than 88% of districts in the state
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
IolaOrchard
Snow a year1″0″
January low37°F43°F
July high95°F94°F
Growing season (days)240d305d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)34th62nd
Outdoors & history
IolaOrchard
Trails—0 mi
Conserved land—0%
Settled2007—
Archive photos19
Community
IolaOrchard
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

81 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

IolaTXOrchardTX
Iola ↔ Orchard81 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.

IolaOrchard
People
Population 372Highest 338Lowest
Median age 46.4±5.6Lowest 30% above TX 47.6±17.1Highest 34% above TX
Orchard and Iola are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 13.2%±8.2Lowest TX: 25% 25.4%±10.6Highest TX: 25%
Orchard and Iola are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 26.6%±9.9Highest TX: 13.4% 22.8%±5.1Lowest TX: 13.4%
Iola and Orchard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.6%Highest TX: 33.8% 8.1%Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.5%±7.6Highest TX: 6.2% 2.1%±5.1Lowest TX: 6.2%
Iola and Orchard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $50,000±$33kLowest 36% below TX $54,583±$30kHighest 30% below TX
Orchard and Iola are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $133,300±$74kLowest 53% below TX $231,300±$125kHighest 18% below TX
Orchard and Iola are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $735±$14Lowest 48% below TX $1,205±$239Highest 14% below TX
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,292Lowest 69% below TX $1,988Highest 53% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 88.9%±25.4Lowest TX: 51.7% 100%±50.3Highest TX: 51.7%
Orchard and Iola are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 8.3%Highest TX: 13.8% 6.8%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 75.3%Lowest TX: 62.6% 76%Highest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1987Highest 5 yrs older than TX 1974Lowest 18 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 34 minHighest 26% above TX 32 minLowest 21% above TX
Work from home 0.6%±1.9Highest TX: 14.4% 0%±11Lowest TX: 14.4%
Iola and Orchard are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 0.6%Lowest 0.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 49.8 miHighest 27.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.22Lowest 0.37Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Houston (17%)Houston (32%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in OrchardFew work in Iola
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 53.2Lowest 57.4Highest
Schools
School district IOLA ISDBRAZOS ISD
High school in town Iola H SNone in town
Students per teacherat that high school 9.3 —
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.

Iola neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Iola’s Town Square.

Orchard neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Orchard’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Texas towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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