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Taft vs Eagle Lake

128 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (7.3× in Eagle Lake) and property tax bill (+46% in Taft).

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Taft, TXHomes around $160KTexas · 2,871 people
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Eagle Lake, TXAn outdoors townTexas · 3,485 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.

TaftHomes around $160K
Housing$160K typical home46% below the TX typical home Health93% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Outdoors#170 most conserved land in TX0.6 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves All about Taft →
Eagle LakeAn outdoors town
Outdoors#36 most trails in TX4.4 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves Health59% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Housing$171K typical home43% below the TX typical home All about Eagle Lake →
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.

Trails7.3×
Eagle Lake has more miles of trail
Eagle Lake 4.4 miTaft 0.6 mi
Property tax bill+46%
Tax bills are bigger in Taft
Taft $2,121Eagle Lake $1,448
★ What stands out · Report cards

Eagle Lake places higher on 12 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
BTaftSafer than 63% of U.S. towns –Eagle LakeNot graded
Schools
CTaftBetter than 30% of districts in the state C−Eagle LakeBetter than 20% of districts in the state
Health
DTaftHealthier than 7% of U.S. towns C+Eagle LakeHealthier than 41% of U.S. towns
8Taft
12Eagle Lake

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

Most new homesHousing · 535 towns #183#428 Fewest smokersHealth · 652 towns #469#171 HealthiestHealth · 651 towns #586#290 Highest graduation rateSchools · 584 towns #339#581 Most activeHealth · 652 towns #605#350 Lowest obesityHealth · 652 towns #601#363 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #373#520 Most educatedPeople · 653 towns #511#369

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

Taft$1,070/mo
Typical home $160K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.71% · or rent about $1,179/mo · Housing →
Eagle Lake$1,040/mo
Typical home $171K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.05% · or rent about $1,229/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
TaftEagle Lake
Snow a year0″0″
January low45°F39°F
July high93°F96°F
Growing season (days)324d255d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)77th54th
Outdoors & history
TaftEagle Lake
Trails1 mi4 mi
Conserved land4.4%3.1%
National Register places21
Archive photos—7
Famous people born here—6
Community
TaftEagle Lake
Library hours a week43 hrs36 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

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

128 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

TaftTXEagle LakeTX
Taft ↔ Eagle Lake128 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.

TaftEagle Lake
People
Population 2,871Lowest 3,485Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -8.1%Lowest TX: +15.9% -5.4%Highest TX: +15.9%
Median age 30.9±7Highest 13% below TX 30.8±4Lowest 13% below TX
Taft and Eagle Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 35.8%±8.6Highest TX: 25% 25.2%±8Lowest TX: 25%
Taft and Eagle Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 11.9%±3.2Lowest TX: 13.4% 14.7%±4.7Highest TX: 13.4%
Eagle Lake and Taft are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 14%Lowest TX: 33.8% 20.3%Highest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.5%±2.4Highest TX: 6.2% 2.9%±2.2Lowest TX: 6.2%
Taft and Eagle Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $73,032±$22kHighest 7% below TX $69,205±$25kLowest 12% below TX
Taft and Eagle Lake are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $124,200±$49kLowest 56% below TX $137,900±$29kHighest 51% below TX
Eagle Lake and Taft are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,179±$442Lowest 16% below TX $1,229±$267Highest 12% below TX
Eagle Lake and Taft are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $2,121Highest 50% below TX $1,448Lowest 66% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 46.8%±14.1Highest TX: 51.7% 15.4%±11Lowest TX: 51.7%
Below poverty line 21.3%Highest TX: 13.8% 14.1%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 69%Lowest TX: 62.6% 72.3%Highest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1964Lowest 28 yrs older than TX 1965Highest 27 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 27 minHighest about the TX average 27 minLowest about the TX average
Work from home 0%±1.6Lowest TX: 14.4% 3%±1.9Highest TX: 14.4%
Eagle Lake and Taft are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 10.3%Highest 8.9%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.3 miLowest 38.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.57Lowest 0.62Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Corpus Christi (29%)Houston (19%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Eagle LakeFew work in Taft
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 4.4%Highest 3.1%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.6 miLowest 4.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miLowest 1.5 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 2Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 80.6Lowest 81.3Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #498 of 583 in TX#528 of 583 in TX
School district ERATH EXCELS ACADEMY INC · TAFT ISDRICE CISD
High school in town Taft H SRice Challenge Academy
Students per teacherat that high school 10.6Lowest 28.5Highest
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.

Taft neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Taft’s Town Square.

Eagle Lake neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Eagle Lake’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Taft and Eagle Lake

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

Bordering Taft

T
+ Compare
Taft Southwest1,635 people · $94K homes

Towns like Taft

+ Compare
Sonora2,691 people · $143K homes
F
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Freer2,253 people · $96K homes
W
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West Orange3,420 people · $111K homes
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Overton2,444 people · $115K homes
Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Texas towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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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