Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Olney vs San Saba

150 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (13× in San Saba) and rent (2.1× in San Saba).

×
Olney, TXHomes around $120KTexas · 3,015 people
×
San Saba, TXAn outdoors townTexas · 3,056 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.

OlneyHomes around $120K
Housing$120K typical home60% below the TX typical home Outdoors#73 most walkable in TX0.3 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves Schools#124 for schools in TXof 583 towns All about Olney →
San SabaAn outdoors town
Outdoors#39 most trails in TX3.9 miles of trails across 4 parks and preserves Housing$196K typical home35% below the TX typical home SafetySafer than 82%of U.S. towns we grade All about San Saba →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails13×
San Saba has more miles of trail
San Saba 3.9 miOlney 0.3 mi
Rent2.1×
Rent runs higher in San Saba
San Saba $943Olney $439
Average commute9 min
Olney has the shorter commute
San Saba 22 minOlney 13 min
Growth since 2010+9.1 pts
San Saba has grown faster since 2010
San Saba +0.6%Olney -8.5%
Property tax bill+26%
Tax bills are bigger in Olney
Olney $1,607San Saba $1,272
Jobs per worker+69%
Olney is more of a job hub
Olney 0.86San Saba 0.51
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $400 more a month in San Saba

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.

Olney$790/mo
Typical home $120K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.69% · or rent about $439/mo · Housing →
San Saba$1,200/mo
Typical home $196K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.03% · or rent about $943/mo · Housing →

The difference: $400 a month, about $4,800 a year, between San Saba and Olney.

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

San Saba places higher on 10 of 20 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
A−OlneySafer than 78% of U.S. towns A−San SabaSafer than 82% of U.S. towns
Schools
A−OlneyBetter than 83% of districts in the state C+San SabaBetter than 41% of districts in the state
Health
COlneyHealthier than 28% of U.S. towns CSan SabaHealthier than 25% of U.S. towns
9Olney
10San Saba

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Best schoolsSchools · 583 towns #124#329 Shortest commuteGetting around · 653 towns #7#224 Most conserved landOutdoors · 572 towns #250#106 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 652 towns #261#418 Cheapest rentCost of living · 624 towns #3#149 Fastest growingGrowth · 640 towns #594#459 Lowest depressionHealth · 652 towns #476#566 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #588#502

Left end = #1 in Texas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Olney’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
OlneySan Saba
Snow a year1″0″
January low—33°F
July high—93°F
Growing season (days)—234d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)35th46th
Outdoors & history
OlneySan Saba
Trails0 mi4 mi
Conserved land2.5%6.7%
Settled19091854
National Register places—1
Famous people born here11—
Community
OlneySan Saba
Library hours a week42 hrs28 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

150 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

OlneyTXSan SabaTX
Olney ↔ San Saba150 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.

OlneySan Saba
People
Population 3,015Lowest 3,056Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -8.5%Lowest TX: +15.9% +0.6%Highest TX: +15.9%
Median age 35.3±8.5Lowest about the TX average 35.9±3.5Highest about the TX average
San Saba and Olney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 25.6%±6.7Highest TX: 25% 20.8%±4Lowest TX: 25%
Olney and San Saba are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 15.7%±3.9Lowest TX: 13.4% 17.2%±3.7Highest TX: 13.4%
San Saba and Olney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13.8%Lowest TX: 33.8% 15.8%Highest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±0.7Lowest TX: 6.2% 1.3%±1.6Highest TX: 6.2%
San Saba and Olney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $36,250±$10kLowest 54% below TX $50,373±$5kHighest 36% below TX
San Saba and Olney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $95,100±$24kLowest 66% below TX $124,000±$64kHighest 56% below TX
San Saba and Olney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $439±$252Lowest 69% below TX $943±$58Highest 33% below TX
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,607Highest 62% below TX $1,272Lowest 70% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 26.2%±16Highest TX: 51.7% 25.7%±16.5Lowest TX: 51.7%
Olney and San Saba are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 26.4%Highest TX: 13.8% 15.2%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 63.1%Lowest TX: 62.6% 65.9%Highest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1965Lowest 27 yrs older than TX 1971Highest 21 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 13 minLowest 52% below TX 22 minHighest 16% below TX
Work from home 3.4%±2.6Lowest TX: 14.4% 4.9%±4.4Highest TX: 14.4%
San Saba and Olney are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 32.2%Highest 22.7%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.3 miLowest 43.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.86Highest 0.51Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Graham (5%)Austin (8%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in San SabaFew work in Olney
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2.5%Lowest 6.7%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.3 miLowest 3.9 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 1.4 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 4Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 107Lowest 118Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #124 of 583 in TX#329 of 583 in TX
School district OLNEY ISDSAN SABA ISD
High school in town Olney H SSan Saba H S
Students per teacherat that high school 6.7Lowest 9.6Highest
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.

Olney neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Olney’s Town Square.

San Saba neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to San Saba’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Olney and San Saba

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Towns like Olney

K
+ Compare
Kirbyville2,032 people · $87K homes
S
+ Compare
Seagraves2,691 people · $68K homes
+ Compare
Hearne4,555 people · $83K homes
+ Compare
De Leon2,516 people · $73K 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.

Post to Olney

We’ll email a one-tap link to publish your post. No password, and nothing is public until you click it.
Already a member? Sign in