Compare towns
O'Brien vs Marquez 257 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (7.5× in Marquez) and average commute (21 min in O'Brien).
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.
O'Brien A small town of 130
Quiet strengths O'Brien doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about O'Brien →
Marquez A small town of 198
Quiet strengths Marquez doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Marquez →
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.
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 257 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
O'Brien ↔ Marquez 257 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
130 Lowest 198 Highest
Median age
24.3 ±26 Lowest 32% below TX 28.5 ±8 Highest 20% below TX
Kids under 18
28.5% ±20.4 Lowest TX: 25% 33.3% ±16.8 Highest TX: 25%
Age 65+
30.8% ±29.7 Highest TX: 13.4% 8.1% ±21.1 Lowest TX: 13.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
8.3% Lowest TX: 33.8% 16.7% Highest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
1.5% ±11.7 Lowest TX: 6.2% 5.6% ±12 Highest TX: 6.2%
Household incomemedian
— $84,375 ±$20k 8% above TX
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$33,300 ±$28k 88% below TX —
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
66.7% ±100 Highest TX: 51.7% 0% ±100 Lowest TX: 51.7%
Below poverty line
72.3% Highest TX: 13.8% 9.2% Lowest TX: 13.8%
Homeownersof occupied homes
80% Lowest TX: 62.6% 86.2% Highest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year
1945 Lowest 47 yrs older than TX 1973 Highest 19 yrs older than TX
Average commuteone way
14 min Lowest 46% below TX 35 min Highest 33% above TX
Work from home
0% ±60 Lowest TX: 14.4% 1.2% ±3.4 Highest TX: 14.4%
Work in townworking residents
0% 0%
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
81.8 mi Lowest 90.8 mi Highest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.08 Lowest 0.60 Highest
Top workplaceoutside town
Haskell (10%) Houston (20%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Marquez Few work in O'Brien
Conserved landshare of the town
0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles
0.0 mi Lowest 0.5 mi Highest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.0 mi Lowest 0.4 mi Highest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
39.9 Highest 23.0 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.
O'Brien or Marquez: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in O'Brien? → Moving to O'Brien: what should I know? →
Your question goes to O'Brien’s Town Square.
Marquez or O'Brien: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Marquez? → Moving to Marquez: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Marquez’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside O'Brien and Marquez One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Towns like O'Brien 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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