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Compare towns

Palacios vs Tool

246 miles apart. The biggest differences: rent (+77% in Tool) and average commute (24 min in Palacios).

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Palacios, TXOne of the healthiest townsTexas · 4,388 people
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Tool, TXOne of the healthiest townsTexas · 2,367 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.

PalaciosOne of the healthiest towns
Health62% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$198K typical home34% below the TX typical home Schools#238 for schools in TXof 583 towns All about Palacios →
ToolOne of the healthiest towns
Health78% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SafetySafer than 75%of U.S. towns we grade SchoolsBetter than 75%of TX districts All about Tool →
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.

Rent+77%
Rent runs higher in Tool
Tool $1,386Palacios $785
Average commute24 min
Palacios has the shorter commute
Tool 47 minPalacios 24 min
Trails3.4×
Palacios has more miles of trail
Palacios 1.7 miTool 0.5 mi
Property tax bill+38%
Tax bills are bigger in Palacios
Palacios $2,695Tool $1,952
Seasonal homes+19 pts
Tool has more second homes
Tool 20.5%Palacios 1.5%
Typical home built19 yrs
Palacios’s homes are older
Tool 1983Palacios 1964
★ 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
C+PalaciosSafer than 36% of U.S. towns A−ToolSafer than 75% of U.S. towns
Schools
BPalaciosBetter than 58% of districts in the state A−ToolBetter than 75% of districts in the state
Health
C+PalaciosHealthier than 38% of U.S. towns C−ToolHealthier than 22% 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.

Palacios$1,330/mo
Typical home $198K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.75% · or rent about $785/mo · Housing →
Tool$1,280/mo
Typical home $213K (Census) · tax rate 0.92% · or rent about $1,386/mo · 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.

Seasons
PalaciosTool
Snow a year0″0″
January low46°F35°F
July high91°F95°F
Growing season (days)321d246d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)87th37th
Outdoors & history
PalaciosTool
Trails2 mi—
Conserved land2%—
Settled1903—
National Register places4—
Community
PalaciosTool
Library hours a week40 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

246 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

PalaciosTXToolTX
Palacios ↔ Tool246 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.

PalaciosTool
People
Population 4,388Highest 2,367Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -6.8%Lowest TX: +15.9% -2.9%Highest TX: +15.9%
Median age 46.2±10.4Lowest 30% above TX 49.6±5.9Highest 39% above TX
Tool and Palacios are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 17.4%±7.3Highest TX: 25% 16.7%±4.2Lowest TX: 25%
Palacios and Tool are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 22.9%±7.7 TX: 13.4% 22.9%±3 TX: 13.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22.8%Lowest TX: 33.8% 26.8%Highest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.7%±2.9Highest TX: 6.2% 1.4%±1.2Lowest TX: 6.2%
Palacios and Tool are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $52,620±$17kLowest 33% below TX $71,333±$17kHighest 9% below TX
Tool and Palacios are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $153,800±$67kLowest 46% below TX $213,300±$57kHighest 25% below TX
Tool and Palacios are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $785±$300Lowest 44% below TX $1,386±$260Highest about the TX average
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,695Highest 36% below TX $1,952Lowest 54% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 89.6%±26.4Highest TX: 51.7% 62.9%±66.6Lowest TX: 51.7%
Palacios and Tool are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 19.2%Highest TX: 13.8% 17.3%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 84%Highest TX: 62.6% 81.1%Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1964Lowest 28 yrs older than TX 1983Highest 9 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 24 minLowest 12% below TX 47 minHighest 77% above TX
Work from home 0%±0.8Lowest TX: 14.4% 11.3%±11Highest TX: 14.4%
Tool and Palacios are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 10.9%Highest 3.7%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 56.3 miHighest 40.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.27Highest 0.25Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Houston (15%)Mabank (7%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ToolFew work in Palacios
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 2%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 1.7 miHighest 0.5 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 51.0Lowest 59.0Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #238 of 583 in TX—
School district PALACIOS ISDMALAKOFF ISD
High school in town Palacios Junior Senior H SNone in town
Students per teacherat that high school 11.2 —
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.

Palacios neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Palacios’s Town Square.

Tool neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Tool’s Town Square.

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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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