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Marlin vs Lamesa

312 miles apart. The biggest differences: work in town (+20.7 pts in Lamesa).

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Marlin, TXHomes around $92KTexas · 5,516 people
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Lamesa, TXAn outdoors townTexas · 8,393 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.

MarlinHomes around $92K
Housing$92K typical home69% below the TX typical home Outdoors#114 most walkable in TX0.5 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves Health98% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Marlin →
LamesaAn outdoors town
Outdoors#39 most walkable in TX0.4 miles of trails across 5 parks and preserves SchoolsBetter than 30%of TX districts Housing$108K typical home64% below the TX typical home All about Lamesa →
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.

Work in town+20.7 pts
More of Lamesa’s workers stay in town
Lamesa 33.8%Marlin 13.1%
★ What stands out · 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.

Marlin$660/mo
Typical home $92K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.31% · or rent about $689/mo · Housing →
Lamesa$710/mo
Typical home $108K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.63% · or rent about $813/mo · Housing →

The difference: $50 a month, about $700 a year, between Lamesa and Marlin.

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

Lamesa 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
B−MarlinSafer than 45% of U.S. towns CLamesaSafer than 31% of U.S. towns
Schools
C−MarlinBetter than 15% of districts in the state CLamesaBetter than 30% of districts in the state
Health
D−MarlinHealthier than 2% of U.S. towns DLamesaHealthier than 9% of U.S. towns
9Marlin
11Lamesa

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

Highest graduation rateSchools · 584 towns #556#41 Most remote workersWork · 624 towns #186#501 Lowest depressionHealth · 652 towns #476#256 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #463#609 Most new homesHousing · 535 towns #493#371 Lowest obesityHealth · 652 towns #620#495 SafestSafety · 470 towns #219#308 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 652 towns #418#536

Left end = #1 in Texas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Marlin’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
MarlinLamesa
Snow a year—3″
January low—26°F
July high—94°F
Growing season (days)—212d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)13th43rd
Outdoors & history
MarlinLamesa
Trails1 mi0 mi
Conserved land3.1%4.2%
Settled18341903
National Register places1—
Archive photos6—
Famous people born here24—
Community
MarlinLamesa
Library hours a week—41 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

312 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MarlinTXLamesaTX
Marlin ↔ Lamesa312 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.

MarlinLamesa
People
Population 5,516Lowest 8,393Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -8.5%Lowest TX: +15.9% -7.9%Highest TX: +15.9%
Median age 35±2.5Highest about the TX average 34.2±1.6Lowest 4% below TX
Marlin and Lamesa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 23.4%±5Lowest TX: 25% 27.7%±3.2Highest TX: 25%
Lamesa and Marlin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 16.2%±3.7Highest TX: 13.4% 16%±2.4Lowest TX: 13.4%
Marlin and Lamesa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.2%Highest TX: 33.8% 13.8%Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.8%±3Highest TX: 6.2% 2.3%±1Lowest TX: 6.2%
Marlin and Lamesa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $36,426±$12kLowest 54% below TX $49,007±$10kHighest 38% below TX
Lamesa and Marlin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $66,000±$21kLowest 77% below TX $95,000±$11kHighest 67% below TX
Lamesa and Marlin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $689±$54Lowest 51% below TX $813±$313Highest 42% below TX
Lamesa and Marlin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,525Lowest 64% below TX $1,551Highest 63% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 47%±8.5Lowest TX: 51.7% 50.8%±14.8Highest TX: 51.7%
Lamesa and Marlin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 26.7%Highest TX: 13.8% 22.7%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 66.1%Lowest TX: 62.6% 69.3%Highest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1967Highest 25 yrs older than TX 1963Lowest 29 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 24 minLowest 11% below TX 25 minHighest 7% below TX
Work from home 13.4%±8.3Highest TX: 14.4% 3.7%±2.2Lowest TX: 14.4%
Marlin and Lamesa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 13.1%Lowest 33.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 51.8 miHighest 43.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.53Lowest 0.70Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Waco (16%)Midland (10%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in LamesaFew work in Marlin
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 3.1%Lowest 4.2%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.5 miHighest 0.4 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 mi 0.1 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 5Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 97.5Lowest 126Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #569 of 583 in TX#534 of 583 in TX
School district MARLIN ISD—
High school in town Marlin High—
Students per teacherat that high school 14.5 —
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.

Marlin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Marlin’s Town Square.

Lamesa neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Lamesa’s Town Square.

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Towns like Marlin

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Hearne4,555 people · $83K homes
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Carrizo Springs4,723 people · $87K homes
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Childress5,834 people · $86K 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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