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 paymentRate%

Roma$600/mo

Typical home $94K (Census) · tax rate 1.29% · or rent about $563/mo · Housing →

Donna$1,020/mo

Typical home $154K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.63% · or rent about $806/mo · Housing →

The difference: $420 a month, about $5,100 a year, between Donna and Roma.

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

Roma places higher on 12 of 22 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

BRomaSafer than 55% of U.S. towns D−DonnaSafer than 1% of U.S. towns

Schools

CRomaBetter than 27% of districts in the state DDonnaBetter than 7% of districts in the state

Health

D−RomaHealthier than 3% of U.S. towns D−DonnaHealthier than 3% of U.S. towns

12Roma

10Donna

Lists won, of 22 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #546#81 SafestSafety · 470 towns #169#467 Most remote workersWork · 624 towns #120#463 Best schoolsSchools · 583 towns #338#566 Most trailsOutdoors · 405 towns #71#227 Fastest growingGrowth · 640 towns #197#357 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 180 towns #179#136 Lowest depressionHealth · 652 towns #148#256

Left end = #1 in Texas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Roma’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

RomaDonna

Snow a year0″0″

January low49°F —

July high102°F —

Growing season (days)363d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)38th 60th

Outdoors & history

RomaDonna

Trails6 mi 3 mi

Conserved land0.5%0.5%

Settled1936 —

National Register places2 —

Community

RomaDonna

Library hours a week—49 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined1 0

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

62 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

RomaTX DonnaTX

Roma ↔ Donna62 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.

Only big differences vs Texas average

RomaDonna

People

Population 11,545Lowest 16,833Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +18.4%Highest TX: +15.9% +6.3%Lowest TX: +15.9%

Median age 28±2.8Lowest 21% below TX 28.2±2.6Highest 21% below TX

Donna and Roma are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 37.6%±5.4Lowest TX: 25% 39%±5.2Highest TX: 25%

Donna and Roma are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 14.8%±3.2Highest TX: 13.4% 14.5%±2Lowest TX: 13.4%

Roma and Donna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.4%Highest TX: 33.8% 13.7%Lowest TX: 33.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.6%±2.2Highest TX: 6.2% 4.1%±1.2Lowest TX: 6.2%

Roma and Donna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $24,579±$6kLowest 69% below TX $40,438±$5kHighest 48% below TX

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $94,400±$21kHighest 67% below TX $86,100±$16kLowest 70% below TX

Roma and Donna are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $563±$170Lowest 60% below TX $806±$97Highest 43% below TX

Donna and Roma are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,215Lowest 71% below TX $1,401Highest 67% below TX

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 75.6%±10.3Highest TX: 51.7% 56.5%±8.5Lowest TX: 51.7%

Below poverty line 37.1%Lowest TX: 13.8% 40.7%Highest TX: 13.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 55.2%Lowest TX: 62.6% 57.5%Highest TX: 62.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1993Highest 1 yr newer than TX 1989Lowest 3 yrs older than TX

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 26 minHighest about the TX average 25 minLowest 8% below TX

Work from home 17.3%±7.2Highest TX: 14.4% 4.6%±1.9Lowest TX: 14.4%

Work in townworking residents 21.8%Highest 15.1%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 49.3 miHighest 11.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.63Lowest 1.07Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Rio Grande City (11%)McAllen (17%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in DonnaFew work in Roma

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.5% 0.5%

Trailsmapped miles 5.9 miHighest 3.2 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.0 miHighest 0.4 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Lowest 5Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 74.9Lowest 78.7Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #338 of 583 in TX #566 of 583 in TX

School district ROMA ISDIDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS · DONNA ISD

High school in town None in townDonna H S

Students per teacherat that high school — 13.4

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.

Roma neighborsTown Square →

T Weaver · 1w

Sunday Afternoon Plans

1 neighbor in Roma can answer.

Donna neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Donna’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Roma and Donna

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

Bordering Roma

+ Compare

Ramos115 people

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Moraida

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Escobares2,573 people · $73K homes

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Pena

Towns like Roma

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Beeville13,412 people · $95K homes

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Plainview19,711 people · $113K homes

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Pearsall9,045 people · $107K homes

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Jacksonville14,325 people · $120K 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.

Roma vs Donna

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $420 more a month in Donna

Roma places higher on 12 of 22 TX lists

What daily life feels like in each

62 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Sunday Afternoon Plans

Set another town beside Roma and Donna

Bordering Roma

Towns like Roma

Post to Roma

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