Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Roby vs Rotan

9 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+39% in Roby) and work in town (+20.4 pts in Rotan).

×
Roby, TXHomes around $121KTexas · 679 people
×
Rotan, TXHomes around $76KTexas · 1,204 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.

RobyHomes around $121K
Housing$121K typical home59% below the TX typical home SchoolsBetter than 22%of TX districts All about Roby →
RotanHomes around $76K
Housing$76K typical home75% below the TX typical home Health69% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 63%of TX districts All about Rotan →
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.

Property tax bill+39%
Tax bills are bigger in Roby
Roby $1,270Rotan $914
Work in town+20.4 pts
More of Rotan’s workers stay in town
Rotan 27.6%Roby 7.2%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $410 more a month in Roby

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.

Roby$920/mo
Typical home $121K (Zillow) · tax rate 2.77% · or rent about $593/mo · Housing →
Rotan$510/mo
Typical home $76K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.69% · or rent about $604/mo · Housing →

The difference: $410 a month, about $4,900 a year, between Roby and Rotan.

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.

Schools
C−RobyBetter than 22% of districts in the state BRotanBetter than 63% of districts in the state
Health
–RobyNot graded CRotanHealthier than 31% of U.S. towns
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
RobyRotan
Snow a year4″4″
January low34°F34°F
July high96°F96°F
Growing season (days)243d243d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)61st33rd
Outdoors & history
RobyRotan
Trails0 mi0 mi
Conserved land0%0%
Community
RobyRotan
Library hours a week—19 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

9 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

RobyRotanRobyRotan
Roby ↔ Rotan9.0 miles apart
Who commutes between them
17 Rotan residents work in Roby (3% of its workers)
10 Roby residents work in Rotan (4% of its workers)
Work & commute in Rotan →
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.

RobyRotan
People
Population 679Lowest 1,204Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -8.1%Highest TX: +15.9% -11.7%Lowest TX: +15.9%
Median age 36.9±7.9Highest 4% above TX 36.2±6Lowest about the TX average
Roby and Rotan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 27.2%±5.8Highest TX: 25% 21.7%±3.6Lowest TX: 25%
Roby and Rotan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 11.9%±5.2Lowest TX: 13.4% 19.4%±3.9Highest TX: 13.4%
Rotan and Roby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13.4%Lowest TX: 33.8% 13.7%Highest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.3%±2.3Lowest TX: 6.2% 1.7%±1.9Highest TX: 6.2%
Rotan and Roby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $59,758±$7kHighest 24% below TX $53,289±$7kLowest 32% below TX
Roby and Rotan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $45,800±$12kLowest 84% below TX $54,000±$10kHighest 81% below TX
Rotan and Roby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $593±$50Lowest 58% below TX $604±$159Highest 57% below TX
Rotan and Roby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,270Highest 70% below TX $914Lowest 78% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 28%±59.5Lowest TX: 51.7% 28.6%±13.5Highest TX: 51.7%
Rotan and Roby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 19.3%Lowest TX: 13.8% 19.4%Highest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 75%Highest TX: 62.6% 73.1%Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1959 33 yrs older than TX 1959 33 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 18 minLowest 32% below TX 21 minHighest 22% below TX
Work from home 4.5%±5.3Lowest TX: 14.4% 5.1%±3.8Highest TX: 14.4%
Rotan and Roby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 7.2%Lowest 27.6%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 37.3 miHighest 28.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.50Lowest 0.74Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Sweetwater (18%)Abilene (6%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 4% work in Rotan3% work in Roby
Outdoors
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 1 1
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 123Highest 99.8Lowest
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.

Roby neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Roby’s Town Square.

Rotan neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Rotan’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Roby and Rotan

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

Towns like Roby

+ Compare
Newcastle716 people · $49K homes
B
+ Compare
Big Wells544 people · $61K homes
+ Compare
Amherst902 people · $36K homes
W
+ Compare
Waelder603 people · $59K 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.

Post to Roby

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