Compare towns
Penelope vs Iredell 56 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (+80% in Iredell) and jobs per worker (+50% in Iredell).
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.
Penelope A small town of 235
Quiet strengths Penelope doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Penelope →
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 $580 more a month in Iredell 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
Penelope $1,690 /mo
Typical home $250K (Zillow) · tax rate est. 1.8% · Housing →
Iredell $2,270 /mo
Typical home $336K (Zillow) · tax rate est. 1.8% · or rent about $1,214/mo · Housing →
The difference: $580 a month , about $7,000 a year , between Iredell and Penelope.
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 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.
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
Growing season (days) 250d —
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 56 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Penelope ↔ Iredell 56 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
235 Lowest 294 Highest
Median age
40.9 ±2.9 Lowest 15% above TX 43 ±12.8 Highest 21% above TX
Kids under 18
23.8% ±9 Lowest TX: 25% 24.1% ±7.6 Highest TX: 25%
Age 65+
17.9% ±12.4 Highest TX: 13.4% 16.3% ±9.4 Lowest TX: 13.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
19.6% Highest TX: 33.8% 18.4% Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
2.6% ±7.4 Lowest TX: 6.2% 4.1% ±5.3 Highest TX: 6.2%
Household incomemedian
$60,000 ±$25k Highest 24% below TX $54,250 ±$35k Lowest 31% below TX
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
— $68,600 ±$45k 76% below TX
Rentmedian gross, monthly
— $1,214 ±$529 13% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
40% ±100 Lowest TX: 51.7% 52.4% ±100 Highest TX: 51.7%
Below poverty line
16.2% Highest TX: 13.8% 9.2% Lowest TX: 13.8%
Homeownersof occupied homes
86.3% Highest TX: 62.6% 83.7% Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year
1958 Lowest 34 yrs older than TX 1966 Highest 26 yrs older than TX
Average commuteone way
21 min Highest 22% below TX 21 min Lowest 23% below TX
Work from home
2.8% ±6.4 Lowest TX: 14.4% 12.8% ±13.2 Highest TX: 14.4%
Work in townworking residents
0% Lowest 1.7% Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
56.8 mi Highest 43.3 mi Lowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.44 Lowest 0.66 Highest
Top workplaceoutside town
Waco (11%) Glen Rose (10%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Iredell Few work in Penelope
Conserved landshare of the town
0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles
0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
0.0 mi 0.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
46.3 Lowest 83.4 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.
Penelope or Iredell: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Penelope? → Moving to Penelope: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Penelope’s Town Square.
Iredell or Penelope: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Iredell? → Moving to Iredell: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Iredell’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Penelope and Iredell One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Towns like Penelope 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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