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Compare towns

Taft vs Freer

75 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (+86% in Taft) and street grid (+73% in Taft).

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Taft, TXHomes around $160KTexas · 2,871 people
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Freer, TXHomes around $76KTexas · 2,253 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 →
FreerHomes around $76K
Housing$76K typical home75% below the TX typical home Health66% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Freer →
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.

Property tax bill+86%
Tax bills are bigger in Taft
Taft $2,121Freer $1,143
Street grid+73%
Taft has the more walkable street grid
Taft 80.6Freer 46.6
Typical home built18 yrs
Taft’s homes are older
Freer 1982Taft 1964
Average commute5 min
Taft has the shorter commute
Freer 32 minTaft 27 min
Growth since 2010+4.6 pts
Taft has grown faster since 2010
Taft -8.1%Freer -12.7%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $590 more a month in Taft

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 →
Freer$470/mo
Typical home $76K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.20% · or rent about $739/mo · Housing →

The difference: $590 a month, about $7,100 a year, between Taft and Freer.

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

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
BTaftSafer than 63% of U.S. towns –FreerNot graded
Schools
CTaftBetter than 30% of districts in the state C+FreerBetter than 41% of districts in the state
Health
DTaftHealthier than 7% of U.S. towns CFreerHealthier than 34% of U.S. towns
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
TaftFreer
Snow a year0″0″
January low45°F43°F
July high93°F97°F
Growing season (days)324d304d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)77th28th
Outdoors & history
TaftFreer
Trails1 mi—
Conserved land4.4%—
National Register places2—
Community
TaftFreer
Library hours a week43 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

75 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

TaftTXFreerTX
Taft ↔ Freer75 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.

TaftFreer
People
Population 2,871Highest 2,253Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -8.1%Highest TX: +15.9% -12.7%Lowest TX: +15.9%
Median age 30.9±7Lowest 13% below TX 31.5±1.2Highest 12% below TX
Freer and Taft 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% 24%±4.9Lowest TX: 25%
Taft and Freer 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% 16%±4.4Highest TX: 13.4%
Freer 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%Highest TX: 33.8% 9.7%Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.5%±2.4Highest TX: 6.2% 0%±0.9Lowest TX: 6.2%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $73,032±$22kHighest 7% below TX $64,145±$29kLowest 18% below TX
Taft and Freer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $124,200±$49kHighest 56% below TX $95,500±$70kLowest 66% below TX
Taft and Freer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,179±$442Highest 16% below TX $739±$259Lowest 47% below TX
Taft and Freer 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 $1,143Lowest 73% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 46.8%±14.1Highest TX: 51.7% 4.7%±16.5Lowest TX: 51.7%
Below poverty line 21.3%Highest TX: 13.8% 20.1%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 69%Highest TX: 62.6% 68.6%Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1964Lowest 28 yrs older than TX 1982Highest 10 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 27 minLowest about the TX average 32 minHighest 21% above TX
Work from home 0%±1.6Lowest TX: 14.4% 7.7%±7.6Highest TX: 14.4%
Freer 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%Lowest 13.2%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.3 miLowest 71.3 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.57Lowest 0.74Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Corpus Christi (29%)Corpus Christi (9%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in FreerFew work in Taft
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 4.4%Highest 0%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 0.6 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miHighest 0.0 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 80.6Highest 46.6Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #498 of 583 in TX—
School district ERATH EXCELS ACADEMY INC · TAFT ISDFREER ISD
High school in town Taft H SFreer H S
Students per teacherat that high school 10.6Highest 7.8Lowest
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.

Freer neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Freer’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Taft and Freer

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

Bordering Taft

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

Towns like Taft

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Sonora2,691 people · $143K homes
W
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West Orange3,420 people · $111K homes
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Overton2,444 people · $115K homes
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Eagle Lake3,485 people · $138K 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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