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Roma vs Pena

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: work in town (+21.8 pts in Roma) and street grid (+78% in Pena).

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Roma, TXAn outdoors townTexas · 11,545 people
P ×
Pena, TXA small town of 0Texas
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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.

RomaAn outdoors town
Outdoors#71 most trails in TX5.9 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves Health97% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 27%of TX districts All about Roma →
PenaA small town of 0
Quiet strengthsPena doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Pena →
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.

Work in town+21.8 pts
More of Roma’s workers stay in town
Roma 21.8%Pena 0%
Street grid+78%
Pena has the more walkable street grid
Pena 134Roma 74.9
★ What stands out · Where they are

Roma and Pena share a border

Straight-line miles between town centers.

RomaPenaRomaPena
Roma ↔ Pena2.0 miles apart · They share a border
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
BRomaSafer than 55% of U.S. towns –PenaNot graded
Schools
CRomaBetter than 27% of districts in the state –PenaNot graded
Health
D−RomaHealthier than 3% of U.S. towns –PenaNot graded
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
RomaPena
Snow a year0″0″
January low49°F45°F
July high102°F99°F
Growing season (days)363d321d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)38th50th
Outdoors & history
RomaPena
Trails6 mi—
Conserved land0.5%—
Settled1936—
National Register places2—
Community
RomaPena
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined10

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.

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.

RomaPena
People
Population 11,545Highest 0Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +18.4% TX: +15.9% —
Median age 28±2.8 21% below TX —
Kids under 18 37.6%±5.4 TX: 25% —
Age 65+ 14.8%±3.2 TX: 13.4% —
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.4% TX: 33.8% —
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.6%±2.2 TX: 6.2% —
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $24,579±$6k 69% below TX —
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $94,400±$21k 67% below TX —
Rentmedian gross, monthly $563±$170 60% below TX —
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,215 71% below TX —
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 75.6%±10.3 TX: 51.7% —
Below poverty line 37.1% TX: 13.8% —
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 55.2% TX: 62.6% —
Typical home builtmedian year 1993 1 yr newer than TX —
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 26 min about the TX average —
Work from home 17.3%±7.2 TX: 14.4% —
Work in townworking residents 21.8%Highest 0%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 49.3 miHighest 48.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.63Highest 0.00Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Rio Grande City (11%)Rio Grande City (24%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Pena12% work in Roma
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.5%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 5.9 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.0 mi —
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 74.9Lowest 134Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #338 of 583 in TX—
School district ROMA ISD—
High school in town None in town—
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.

Pena neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Pena’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Roma and Pena

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Bordering Roma

R
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Ramos115 people
M
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Moraida
E
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Escobares2,573 people · $73K homes
E
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Evergreen116 people

Towns like Roma

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Donna16,833 people · $86K homes
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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

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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