Compare towns
Springlake vs O'Brien 153 miles apart. The biggest differences: jobs per worker (5.9× in Springlake) and street grid (2.5× in O'Brien).
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.
Springlake A small town of 98
Quiet strengths Springlake doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about Springlake →
O'Brien A small town of 130
Quiet strengths O'Brien doesn’t stand out on the data we have Neighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.
All about O'Brien →
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.
★ What stands out · 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.
Down payment3.5% 10% 20% Rate
Springlake $170 /mo
Typical home $23K (Census) · tax rate 2.27% · Housing →
O'Brien $220 /mo
Typical home $33K (Census) · tax rate est. 1.8% · Housing →
The difference: $60 a month , about $700 a year , between O'Brien and Springlake.
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.
Outdoors & history
Community
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 153 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Springlake ↔ O'Brien 153 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.
Raising kids Affordability Owning a home Short commute Working from home Younger crowd Settled, older crowd Growing town Outdoorsy Walkable streets
Population
98 Lowest 130 Highest
Median age
27.5 ±20.6 Highest 23% below TX 24.3 ±26 Lowest 32% below TX
Kids under 18
45.9% ±18.2 Highest TX: 25% 28.5% ±20.4 Lowest TX: 25%
Age 65+
16.3% ±41.7 Lowest TX: 13.4% 30.8% ±29.7 Highest TX: 13.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
0% Lowest TX: 33.8% 8.3% Highest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
0% ±21.6 Lowest TX: 6.2% 1.5% ±11.7 Highest TX: 6.2%
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$23,200 ±$12k Lowest 92% below TX $33,300 ±$28k Highest 88% below TX
Property taxmedian, yearly
$527 88% below TX —
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
0% ±100 Lowest TX: 51.7% 66.7% ±100 Highest TX: 51.7%
Below poverty line
8.2% Lowest TX: 13.8% 72.3% Highest TX: 13.8%
Homeownersof occupied homes
66.7% Lowest TX: 62.6% 80% Highest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year
1962 Highest 30 yrs older than TX 1945 Lowest 47 yrs older than TX
Average commuteone way
10 min Lowest 63% below TX 14 min Highest 46% below TX
Work from home
0% ±48.4 TX: 14.4% 0% ±60 TX: 14.4%
Work in townworking residents
1.6% Highest 0% Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
45.3 mi Lowest 81.8 mi Highest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.47 Highest 0.08 Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town
Muleshoe (14%) Haskell (10%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in O'Brien Few work in Springlake
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
0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
15.7 Lowest 39.9 Highest
“±” Census margin of error ACS 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.
Springlake or O'Brien: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Springlake? → Moving to Springlake: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Springlake’s Town Square.
O'Brien or Springlake: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in O'Brien? → Moving to O'Brien: what should I know? →
Your question goes to O'Brien’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Springlake and O'Brien One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Towns like Springlake 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.
Copyright © 2026 TownTapestry · The guide for every city and town in America · In loving memory of John Cullinane whose interest in maps and discovering new places was contagious. Share TownTapestry to support usBrowse by state · Privacy · Terms 
