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Compare towns

Merkel vs Itasca

169 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+63% in Itasca) and work in town (+15.9 pts in Merkel).

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Merkel, TXKnown for its schoolsTexas · 2,699 people
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Itasca, TXKnown for its schoolsTexas · 2,073 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.

MerkelKnown for its schools
Schools#280 for schools in TXof 583 towns Housing$208K typical home31% below the TX typical home Outdoors#166 most walkable in TX0.2 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves All about Merkel →
ItascaKnown for its schools
SchoolsBetter than 16%of TX districts Housing$208K typical home30% below the TX typical home Health70% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Itasca →
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+63%
Tax bills are bigger in Itasca
Itasca $1,901Merkel $1,164
Work in town+15.9 pts
More of Merkel’s workers stay in town
Merkel 19.9%Itasca 4%
Jobs per worker+63%
Merkel is more of a job hub
Merkel 0.78Itasca 0.48
Average commute5 min
Merkel has the shorter commute
Itasca 32 minMerkel 27 min
★ What stands out · 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.

Safety
B+MerkelSafer than 69% of U.S. towns –ItascaNot graded
Schools
BMerkelBetter than 59% of districts in the state C−ItascaBetter than 16% of districts in the state
Health
C−MerkelHealthier than 21% of U.S. towns CItascaHealthier than 30% of U.S. towns
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.

Merkel$1,260/mo
Typical home $208K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.01% · or rent about $1,058/mo · Housing →
Itasca$1,380/mo
Typical home $208K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.66% · or rent about $785/mo · Housing →

The difference: $110 a month, about $1,400 a year, between Itasca and Merkel.

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
MerkelItasca
Snow a year2″1″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)39th32nd
Outdoors & history
MerkelItasca
Trails0 mi0 mi
Conserved land0%0%
Archive photos—4
Community
MerkelItasca
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

169 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

MerkelTXItascaTX
Merkel ↔ Itasca169 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.

MerkelItasca
People
Population 2,699Highest 2,073Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4.6%Highest TX: +15.9% -5%Lowest TX: +15.9%
Median age 35.4±6.7Lowest about the TX average 36.1±6.1Highest about the TX average
Itasca and Merkel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 29.7%±5.4Highest TX: 25% 23.6%±3.9Lowest TX: 25%
Merkel and Itasca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 17.2%±3.3Highest TX: 13.4% 12.5%±2.6Lowest TX: 13.4%
Merkel and Itasca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 12.4%Lowest TX: 33.8% 16.3%Highest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.1%±1.8Lowest TX: 6.2% 6.9%±3.6Highest TX: 6.2%
Itasca and Merkel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $73,500±$24kLowest 6% below TX $77,227±$11kHighest about the TX average
Itasca and Merkel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $115,100±$43kHighest 59% below TX $114,800±$15kLowest 60% below TX
Merkel and Itasca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,058±$120Highest 25% below TX $785±$274Lowest 44% below TX
Merkel and Itasca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,164Lowest 72% below TX $1,901Highest 55% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 11.3%±11.2Lowest TX: 51.7% 19.7%±16Highest TX: 51.7%
Itasca and Merkel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 11.4%Highest TX: 13.8% 6.8%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 73% TX: 62.6% 73% TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1961Lowest 31 yrs older than TX 1972Highest 20 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 27 minLowest about the TX average 32 minHighest 19% above TX
Work from home 5%±3.1Highest TX: 14.4% 3.4%±3.1Lowest TX: 14.4%
Merkel and Itasca are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 19.9%Highest 4%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.8 miLowest 39.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.78Highest 0.48Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Abilene (38%)Fort Worth (8%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ItascaFew work in Merkel
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 85.3Highest 84.7Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #280 of 583 in TX—
School district MERKEL ISDITASCA ISD
High school in town Merkel H SItasca H S
Students per teacherat that high school 7.7Lowest 9.1Highest
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.

Merkel neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Merkel’s Town Square.

Itasca neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Itasca’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Merkel and Itasca

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Towns like Merkel

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Waskom2,084 people · $92K homes
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Cotulla3,664 people · $93K homes
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Crane2,640 people · $165K homes
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Karnes City3,605 people · $93K homes
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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