Guest, Sign inJoin
Compare towns

Slaton vs Elsa

540 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (5.1× in Elsa) and typical home built (28 yrs in Slaton).

×
Slaton, TXHomes around $146KTexas · 5,761 people
×
Elsa, TXA regional job hubTexas · 5,697 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.

SlatonHomes around $146K
Housing$146K typical home51% below the TX typical home SchoolsBetter than 40%of TX districts Outdoors#145 most walkable in TX0.9 miles of trails across 3 parks and preserves All about Slaton →
ElsaA regional job hub
Work2,277 jobsbased in Elsa, a regional job hub Housing$140K typical home53% below the TX typical home Outdoors#75 most walkable in TX1.3 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves All about Elsa →
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.

Jobs per worker5.1×
Elsa is more of a job hub
Elsa 1.97Slaton 0.39
Typical home built28 yrs
Slaton’s homes are older
Elsa 1991Slaton 1963
Average commute8 min
Elsa has the shorter commute
Slaton 21 minElsa 13 min
Growth since 2010+4.4 pts
Elsa has grown faster since 2010
Elsa +0.1%Slaton -4.3%
Work in town+8.7 pts
More of Slaton’s workers stay in town
Slaton 12.9%Elsa 4.2%
Homeowners+8 pts renters
Elsa has more renters
Slaton 79.2%Elsa 71.2%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Elsa places higher on 12 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
C−SlatonSafer than 20% of U.S. towns C−ElsaSafer than 15% of U.S. towns
Schools
C+SlatonBetter than 40% of districts in the state DElsaBetter than 11% of districts in the state
Health
DSlatonHealthier than 9% of U.S. towns C−ElsaHealthier than 25% of U.S. towns
9Slaton
12Elsa

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

Highest graduation rateSchools · 584 towns #41#431 Fewest smokersHealth · 652 towns #533#122 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #558#267 Most new homesHousing · 535 towns #443#229 Lowest depressionHealth · 652 towns #256#18 Shortest commuteGetting around · 653 towns #170#5 HealthiestHealth · 651 towns #565#406 Most conserved landOutdoors · 572 towns #479#349

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

Slaton$960/mo
Typical home $146K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.65% · or rent about $994/mo · Housing →
Elsa$960/mo
Typical home $140K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.94% · or rent about $767/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

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
SlatonElsa
Snow a year5″0″
January low—49°F
July high—96°F
Growing season (days)—355d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)54th67th
Outdoors & history
SlatonElsa
Trails1 mi1 mi
Conserved land0.6%1.5%
Settled19111800
Archive photos—24
Famous people born here—1
Community
SlatonElsa
Library hours a week38 hrs42 hrs
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.

Where they are

540 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

SlatonTXElsaTX
Slaton ↔ Elsa540 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.

SlatonElsa
People
Population 5,761Highest 5,697Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -4.3%Lowest TX: +15.9% +0.1%Highest TX: +15.9%
Median age 35.9±8.2Highest about the TX average 34±6.8Lowest 4% below TX
Slaton and Elsa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 27.9%±5.8Lowest TX: 25% 29.6%±8.8Highest TX: 25%
Elsa and Slaton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 12.1%±3.1Lowest TX: 13.4% 13.1%±5.7Highest TX: 13.4%
Elsa and Slaton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 9.4%Highest TX: 33.8% 7.9%Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.4%±2.1Lowest TX: 6.2% 7.5%±4.3Highest TX: 6.2%
Elsa and Slaton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $56,676±$5kHighest 28% below TX $42,439±$16kLowest 46% below TX
Slaton and Elsa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $84,600±$7kHighest 70% below TX $81,600±$36kLowest 71% below TX
Slaton and Elsa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $994±$136Highest 29% below TX $767±$494Lowest 45% below TX
Slaton and Elsa are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,398Lowest 67% below TX $1,582Highest 63% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 40.7%±20.6Lowest TX: 51.7% 81.8%±76.3Highest TX: 51.7%
Elsa and Slaton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 15.7%Lowest TX: 13.8% 31.8%Highest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 79.2%Highest TX: 62.6% 71.2%Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1963Lowest 29 yrs older than TX 1991Highest 1 yr older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 21 minHighest 22% below TX 13 minLowest 53% below TX
Work from home 5%±3.8 TX: 14.4% 5%±5.5 TX: 14.4%
Work in townworking residents 12.9%Highest 4.2%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 16.8 miHighest 16.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.39Lowest 1.97Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Lubbock (52%)Edinburg (11%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in ElsaFew work in Slaton
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.6%Lowest 1.5%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.9 miLowest 1.3 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 0.6 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 1Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 89.4Lowest 106Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #455 of 583 in TX#576 of 583 in TX
School district SLATON ISDEDCOUCH-ELSA ISD
High school in town Slaton H SEdcouch-Elsa H S
Students per teacherat that high school 10.7Lowest 12.3Highest
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.

Slaton neighborsTown Square →
T Weaver · 3d

Life in Slaton

1 neighbor in Slaton can answer.

Elsa neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Elsa’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Slaton and Elsa

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

Towns like Slaton

+ Compare
Muleshoe5,667 people · $99K homes
+ Compare
Colorado City3,976 people · $70K homes
+ Compare
Littlefield5,822 people · $79K homes
+ Compare
Karnes City3,605 people · $93K 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.

Post to Slaton

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