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%

San Saba$1,200/mo

Typical home $196K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.03% · or rent about $943/mo · Housing →

Olney$790/mo

Typical home $120K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.69% · or rent about $439/mo · Housing →

The difference: $400 a month, about $4,800 a year, between San Saba and Olney.

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

San Saba places higher on 10 of 20 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

A−San SabaSafer than 82% of U.S. towns A−OlneySafer than 78% of U.S. towns

Schools

C+San SabaBetter than 41% of districts in the state A−OlneyBetter than 83% of districts in the state

Health

CSan SabaHealthier than 25% of U.S. towns COlneyHealthier than 28% of U.S. towns

10San Saba

9Olney

Lists won, of 20 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Best schoolsSchools · 583 towns #329#124 Shortest commuteGetting around · 653 towns #224#7 Most conserved landOutdoors · 572 towns #106#250 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 652 towns #418#261 Cheapest rentCost of living · 624 towns #149#3 Fastest growingGrowth · 640 towns #459#594 Lowest depressionHealth · 652 towns #566#476 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #502#588

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

San SabaOlney

Snow a year0″1″

January low33°F —

July high93°F —

Growing season (days)234d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)46th 35th

Outdoors & history

San SabaOlney

Trails4 mi 0 mi

Conserved land6.7%2.5%

Settled—1909

National Register places1 —

Famous people born here—11

Community

San SabaOlney

Library hours a week28 hrs 42 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 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

150 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

San SabaTX OlneyTX

San Saba ↔ Olney150 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

San SabaOlney

People

Population 3,056Highest 3,015Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +0.6%Highest TX: +15.9% -8.5%Lowest TX: +15.9%

Median age 35.9±3.5Highest about the TX average 35.3±8.5Lowest about the TX average

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

Kids under 18 20.8%±4Lowest TX: 25% 25.6%±6.7Highest TX: 25%

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

Age 65+ 17.2%±3.7Highest TX: 13.4% 15.7%±3.9Lowest TX: 13.4%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 15.8%Highest TX: 33.8% 13.8%Lowest TX: 33.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.3%±1.6Highest TX: 6.2% 0%±0.7Lowest TX: 6.2%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $50,373±$5kHighest 36% below TX $36,250±$10kLowest 54% below TX

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $124,000±$64kHighest 56% below TX $95,100±$24kLowest 66% below TX

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $943±$58Highest 33% below TX $439±$252Lowest 69% below TX

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,272Lowest 70% below TX $1,607Highest 62% below TX

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 25.7%±16.5Lowest TX: 51.7% 26.2%±16Highest TX: 51.7%

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

Below poverty line 15.2%Lowest TX: 13.8% 26.4%Highest TX: 13.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 65.9%Highest TX: 62.6% 63.1%Lowest TX: 62.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1971Highest 21 yrs older than TX 1965Lowest 27 yrs older than TX

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 22 minHighest 16% below TX 13 minLowest 52% below TX

Work from home 4.9%±4.4Highest TX: 14.4% 3.4%±2.6Lowest TX: 14.4%

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

Work in townworking residents 22.7%Lowest 32.2%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 43.3 miHighest 20.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.51Lowest 0.86Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Austin (8%)Graham (5%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in OlneyFew work in San Saba

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 6.7%Highest 2.5%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 3.9 miHighest 0.3 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.4 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 4Highest 2Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 118Highest 107Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #329 of 583 in TX #124 of 583 in TX

School district SAN SABA ISDOLNEY ISD

High school in town San Saba H SOlney H S

Students per teacherat that high school 9.6Highest 6.7Lowest

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.

San Saba neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to San Saba’s Town Square.

Olney neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Olney’s Town Square.

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Towns like San Saba

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Newton2,534 people · $102K 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.

San Saba vs Olney

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $400 more a month in San Saba

San Saba places higher on 10 of 20 TX lists

What daily life feels like in each

150 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside San Saba and Olney

Towns like San Saba

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