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Temple vs Belton

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (7× in Temple) and work in town (+26.3 pts in Temple).

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Temple, TXAn outdoors townTexas · 89,602 people
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Belton, TXA history townTexas · 24,356 people
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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.

TempleAn outdoors town
Outdoors#65 most conserved land in TX18 miles of trails across 40 parks and preserves Housing$246K typical home18% below the TX typical home Health78% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Temple →
BeltonA history town
HistorySettled in 185041 places on the National Register Outdoors#81 most conserved land in TX2.6 miles of trails across 16 parks and preserves Housing$313K typical home4% above the TX typical home All about Belton →
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×
Temple has more miles of trail
Temple 18.1 miBelton 2.6 mi
Work in town+26.3 pts
More of Temple’s workers stay in town
Temple 42.7%Belton 16.4%
Size3.7×
Temple is the bigger place
Temple 89,602Belton 24,356
Household income+15%
Households in Temple earn more
Temple $68,204Belton $59,130
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $440 more a month in Belton

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.

Temple$1,610/mo
Typical home $246K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.57% · or rent about $1,231/mo · Housing →
Belton$2,050/mo
Typical home $313K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.56% · or rent about $1,252/mo · Housing →

The difference: $440 a month, about $5,200 a year, between Belton and Temple.

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.

Where they are

Temple and Belton share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

TempleBeltonTempleBelton
Temple ↔ Belton6.5 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
2,505 Temple residents work in Belton (7% of its workers)
2,101 Belton residents work in Temple (23.8% of its workers)
Work & commute in Temple →
Report cards

Temple places higher on 16 of 24 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.

Schools
C+TempleBetter than 44% of districts in the state BBeltonBetter than 57% of districts in the state
Health
C−TempleHealthier than 22% of U.S. towns CBeltonHealthier than 32% of U.S. towns
16Temple
8Belton

Lists won, of 24 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 180 towns #72#169 Most-used librariesLibraries · 181 towns #106#57 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #49#187 Most trailsOutdoors · 405 towns #295#372 Highest incomeIncome · 653 towns #328#439 Fewest smokersHealth · 652 towns #309#217 Most library borrowingLibraries · 183 towns #77#102 HealthiestHealth · 651 towns #426#349

Left end = #1 in Texas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Temple’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
TempleBelton
Snow a year0″0″
January low—36°F
July high—95°F
Growing season (days)—251d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)23rd22nd
Outdoors & history
TempleBelton
Trails18 mi3 mi
Conserved land9.8%8.2%
Settled—1850
National Register places741
Archive photos—12
Community
TempleBelton
Library hours a week60 hrs42 hrs
Colleges in town11
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.

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.

TempleBelton
People
Population 89,602Highest 24,356Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +24.2%Lowest TX: +15.9% +26.6%Highest TX: +15.9%
Median age 33.8±1Highest 5% below TX 32.4±1.5Lowest 9% below TX
Temple and Belton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 26.6%±1.6Highest TX: 25% 24.3%±3.2Lowest TX: 25%
Temple and Belton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 15.1%±0.9Highest TX: 13.4% 13.9%±2Lowest TX: 13.4%
Temple and Belton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 30.6%Highest TX: 33.8% 28.3%Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 6.3%±0.8Lowest TX: 6.2% 11.1%±1.5Highest TX: 6.2%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $68,204±$2kHighest 13% below TX $59,130±$6kLowest 25% below TX
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $239,000±$7kLowest 16% below TX $258,700±$23kHighest 9% below TX
Belton and Temple are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,231±$37Lowest 12% below TX $1,252±$80Highest 11% below TX
Belton and Temple are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $3,749Lowest 11% below TX $4,038Highest 5% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 50.3%±4.3Lowest TX: 51.7% 63%±10.7Highest TX: 51.7%
Belton and Temple are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 16%Lowest TX: 13.8% 16.7%Highest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 52.3%Lowest TX: 62.6% 56%Highest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1991Lowest 1 yr older than TX 1994Highest 2 yrs newer than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 21 minLowest 21% below TX 23 minHighest 15% below TX
Work from home 11.4%±1.4Highest TX: 14.4% 10.6%±3.5Lowest TX: 14.4%
Temple and Belton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 42.7%Highest 16.4%Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 8.3 miLowest 17.8 miHighest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.51Highest 1.41Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Austin (7%)Temple (24%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 7% work in Belton24% work in Temple
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 9.8%Highest 8.2%Lowest
Trailsmapped miles 18.1 miHighest 2.6 miLowest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miHighest 0.1 miLowest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 40Highest 16Lowest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 47.6Lowest 50.3Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #275 of 583 in TX#318 of 583 in TX
School district BELTON ISD · TEMPLE ISDBELTON ISD
High school in town Temple H SBelton H S
Students per teacherat that high school 13.7 13.7
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.

Temple neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Temple’s Town Square.

Belton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Belton’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Temple and Belton

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Bordering Temple

M
+ Compare
Morgan's Point Resort4,750 people · $245K homes
P
+ Compare
Pendleton649 people · $268K homes

Towns like Temple

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Bryan87,939 people · $228K homes
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Tyler109,215 people · $235K homes
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Conroe102,360 people · $310K homes
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Longview82,923 people · $203K 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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