Compare towns
Melvin vs Lakeview 249 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (6.7× in Melvin) and average commute (44 min in Lakeview).
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.
Lakeview A small town of 62
Quiet strengths Lakeview doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Lakeview →
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 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.
Down payment3.5% 10% 20% Rate
Melvin $290 /mo
Typical home $43K (Census) · tax rate 1.62% · Housing →
Lakeview $250 /mo
Typical home $35K (Census) · tax rate 2.31% · Housing →
Within $50 a month of each other.
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.
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 249 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Melvin ↔ Lakeview 249 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
114 Highest 62 Lowest
Median age
54.3 ±23.8 Highest 53% above TX 51.5 ±15.8 Lowest 45% above TX
Kids under 18
4.4% ±32.5 Highest TX: 25% 0% ±68.4 Lowest TX: 25%
Age 65+
24.6% ±27.9 Highest TX: 13.4% 24.2% ±48.9 Lowest TX: 13.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
10.9% Lowest TX: 33.8% 13% Highest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
0% ±18.6 TX: 6.2% 0% ±34.2 TX: 6.2%
Household incomemedian
$70,313 ±$33k Highest 10% below TX $46,875 ±$17k Lowest 40% below TX
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$43,300 ±$4k Highest 85% below TX $34,600 ±$17k Lowest 88% below TX
Property taxmedian, yearly
$700 Lowest 83% below TX $800 Highest 81% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
0% ±100 TX: 51.7% 0% ±100 TX: 51.7%
Below poverty line
6.1% Lowest TX: 13.8% 9.7% Highest TX: 13.8%
Homeownersof occupied homes
91.7% Highest TX: 62.6% 77.8% Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year
1944 Highest 48 yrs older than TX 1938 Lowest 54 yrs older than TX
Average commuteone way
60 min Highest 124% above TX 16 min Lowest 40% below TX
Work from home
0% ±22.1 TX: 14.4% 0% ±46.9 TX: 14.4%
Work in townworking residents
5.6% Highest 0% Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
76.8 mi Highest 10.3 mi Lowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
1.94 Highest 0.29 Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town
San Angelo (13%) Memphis (50%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Lakeview Few work in Melvin
Conserved landshare of the town
0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles
0.1 mi Highest 0.0 mi Lowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.2 mi Highest 0.0 mi Lowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
105 Lowest 156 Highest
“±” 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.
Melvin or Lakeview: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Melvin? → Moving to Melvin: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Melvin’s Town Square.
Lakeview or Melvin: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Lakeview? → Moving to Lakeview: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Lakeview’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Melvin and Lakeview One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Towns like Melvin 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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