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Robinson vs Elgin

77 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (5.5× in Elgin) and average commute (13 min in Robinson).

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Robinson, TXKnown for its schoolsTexas · 12,800 people
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Elgin, TXHomes around $268KTexas · 11,563 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.

RobinsonKnown for its schools
Schools#193 for schools in TXof 583 towns HealthHealthier than 64%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates Housing$305K typical home2% above the TX typical home All about Robinson →
ElginHomes around $268K
Housing$268K typical home11% below the TX typical home Outdoors#228 most walkable in TX2.3 miles of trails across 6 parks and preserves Health70% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Elgin →
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.

Street grid5.5×
Elgin has the more walkable street grid
Elgin 75.4Robinson 13.8
Average commute13 min
Robinson has the shorter commute
Elgin 32 minRobinson 19 min
Work from home+11.8 pts
More people work from home in Elgin
Elgin 21%Robinson 9.2%
Property tax bill+37%
Tax bills are bigger in Elgin
Elgin $6,400Robinson $4,666
Jobs per worker2.1×
Elgin is more of a job hub
Elgin 0.68Robinson 0.33
Trails+83%
Robinson has more miles of trail
Robinson 4.2 miElgin 2.3 mi
★ What stands out · Report cards

Robinson places higher on 14 of 21 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
B+RobinsonSafer than 72% of U.S. towns C+ElginSafer than 44% of U.S. towns
Schools
B+RobinsonBetter than 74% of districts in the state C−ElginBetter than 18% of districts in the state
Health
BRobinsonHealthier than 64% of U.S. towns CElginHealthier than 30% of U.S. towns
14Robinson
7Elgin

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 584 towns #41#431 Shortest commuteGetting around · 653 towns #106#542 Most walkableOutdoors · 653 towns #633#228 Best schoolsSchools · 583 towns #193#546 Lowest obesityHealth · 652 towns #120#495 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 652 towns #153#418 Most new homesHousing · 535 towns #237#34 Most remote workersWork · 624 towns #302#85

Left end = #1 in Texas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Robinson’s rankings →

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.

Robinson$1,990/mo
Typical home $305K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.54% · or rent about $1,419/mo · Housing →
Elgin$1,840/mo
Typical home $268K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.96% · or rent about $1,440/mo · Housing →

The difference: $150 a month, about $1,800 a year, between Robinson and Elgin.

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
RobinsonElgin
Snow a year0″0″
January low—39°F
July high—95°F
Growing season (days)—264d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)10th21st
Outdoors & history
RobinsonElgin
Trails4 mi2 mi
Conserved land0%2.2%
National Register places—2
Community
RobinsonElgin
Library hours a week—43 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

77 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

RobinsonTXElginTX
Robinson ↔ Elgin77 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.

RobinsonElgin
People
Population 12,800Highest 11,563Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +18.4%Lowest TX: +15.9% +20.3%Highest TX: +15.9%
Median age 35.1±3.3Lowest about the TX average 36.6±1.6Highest about the TX average
Elgin and Robinson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 27.8%±4.4Highest TX: 25% 25.6%±4.6Lowest TX: 25%
Robinson and Elgin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 14.6%±2.3Highest TX: 13.4% 12.8%±3Lowest TX: 13.4%
Robinson and Elgin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 22%Lowest TX: 33.8% 23.1%Highest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.3%±1.4Lowest TX: 6.2% 5.2%±2.2Highest TX: 6.2%
Elgin and Robinson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $99,289±$12kHighest 27% above TX $91,114±$14kLowest 16% above TX
Robinson and Elgin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $302,200±$29kLowest 6% above TX $326,400±$19kHighest 15% above TX
Elgin and Robinson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,419±$178Lowest about the TX average $1,440±$92Highest about the TX average
Elgin and Robinson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $4,666Lowest 10% above TX $6,400Highest 51% above TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 48.4%±22.3Highest TX: 51.7% 38.7%±15.5Lowest TX: 51.7%
Robinson and Elgin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 3.7%Lowest TX: 13.8% 5.3%Highest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 78.9%Highest TX: 62.6% 71.4%Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1990 2 yrs older than TX 1990 2 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 19 minLowest 28% below TX 32 minHighest 21% above TX
Work from home 9.2%±3.6Lowest TX: 14.4% 21%±6.2Highest TX: 14.4%
Work in townworking residents 4.5%Lowest 9.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.3 miLowest 21.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.33Lowest 0.68Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Waco (44%)Austin (40%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ElginFew work in Robinson
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 2.2%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 4.2 miHighest 2.3 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.3 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 6Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 13.8Lowest 75.4Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #193 of 583 in TX#546 of 583 in TX
School district ROBINSON ISDELGIN ISD
High school in town Robinson H SElgin H S
Students per teacherat that high school 13.0Lowest 19.1Highest
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.

Robinson neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Robinson’s Town Square.

Elgin neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Elgin’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Bordering Robinson

W
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Waco143,570 people · $222K homes
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Hewitt16,432 people · $273K homes

Towns like Robinson

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Bridge City9,640 people · $203K homes
G
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Glenn Heights18,096 people · $310K homes
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Sanger9,641 people · $295K homes
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Andrews13,468 people · $196K 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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