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Waskom vs Merkel

347 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (4× in Waskom) and street grid (2.1× in Merkel).

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Waskom, TXHomes around $191KTexas · 2,084 people

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Merkel, TXKnown for its schoolsTexas · 2,699 people

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.

WaskomHomes around $191K

Housing$191K typical home36% below the TX typical home Health71% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about Waskom →

MerkelKnown for its schools

Schools#280 for schools in TXof 583 towns Housing$208K typical home31% below the TX typical home

Outdoors#166 most walkable in TX0.2 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves All about Merkel →

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.

Waskom has more miles of trail

Waskom 0.8 miMerkel 0.2 mi

Street grid2.1×

Merkel has the more walkable street grid

Merkel 85.3Waskom 40.0

Property tax bill+42%

Tax bills are bigger in Merkel

Merkel $1,164Waskom $819

Growth since 2010+7 pts

Merkel has grown faster since 2010

Merkel -4.6%Waskom -11.6%

Work in town+11.2 pts

More of Merkel’s workers stay in town

Merkel 19.9%Waskom 8.7%

Typical home built15 yrs

Merkel’s homes are older

Waskom 1976Merkel 1961

★ 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 paymentRate%

Waskom$1,140/mo

Typical home $191K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.89% · or rent about $928/mo · Housing →

Merkel$1,260/mo

Typical home $208K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.01% · or rent about $1,058/mo · Housing →

The difference: $120 a month, about $1,400 a year, between Merkel and Waskom.

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

–WaskomNot graded B+MerkelSafer than 69% of U.S. towns

Schools

BWaskomBetter than 60% of districts in the state BMerkelBetter than 59% of districts in the state

Health

CWaskomHealthier than 29% of U.S. towns C−MerkelHealthier than 21% 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

WaskomMerkel

Snow a year0″2″

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)28th 39th

Outdoors & history

WaskomMerkel

Trails1 mi 0 mi

Conserved land0%0%

Community

WaskomMerkel

Library hours a week24 hrs —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

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

347 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WaskomTX MerkelTX

Waskom ↔ Merkel347 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.

Only big differences vs Texas average

WaskomMerkel

People

Population 2,084Lowest 2,699Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -11.6%Lowest TX: +15.9% -4.6%Highest TX: +15.9%

Median age 36.2±7.9Highest about the TX average 35.4±6.7Lowest about the TX average

Waskom and Merkel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 24.6%±4.1Lowest TX: 25% 29.7%±5.4Highest TX: 25%

Merkel and Waskom are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 17.1%±3.6Lowest TX: 13.4% 17.2%±3.3Highest TX: 13.4%

Merkel and Waskom are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 10.4%Lowest TX: 33.8% 12.4%Highest TX: 33.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.1%±1.9 TX: 6.2% 2.1%±1.8 TX: 6.2%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $55,781±$22kLowest 29% below TX $73,500±$24kHighest 6% below TX

Merkel and Waskom are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $92,000±$11kLowest 68% below TX $115,100±$43kHighest 59% below TX

Merkel and Waskom are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $928±$166Lowest 34% below TX $1,058±$120Highest 25% below TX

Merkel and Waskom are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $819Lowest 81% below TX $1,164Highest 72% below TX

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 50%±94.9Highest TX: 51.7% 11.3%±11.2Lowest TX: 51.7%

Waskom and Merkel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 17.1%Highest TX: 13.8% 11.4%Lowest TX: 13.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 74.1%Highest TX: 62.6% 73%Lowest TX: 62.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1976Highest 16 yrs older than TX 1961Lowest 31 yrs older than TX

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 27 minLowest about the TX average 27 minHighest about the TX average

Work from home 5.3%±9.3Highest TX: 14.4% 5%±3.1Lowest TX: 14.4%

Waskom and Merkel are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 8.7%Lowest 19.9%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 39.8 miHighest 16.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.82Highest 0.78Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Marshall (14%)Abilene (38%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MerkelFew work in Waskom

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.8 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.3 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 40.0Lowest 85.3Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading —#280 of 583 in TX

School district WASKOM ISDMERKEL ISD

High school in town Waskom H SMerkel H S

Students per teacherat that high school 8.3Highest 7.7Lowest

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.

Waskom neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Waskom’s Town Square.

Merkel neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Merkel’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Waskom and Merkel

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

Towns like Waskom

Cooper2,055 people · $101K homes

Munday1,407 people · $80K homes

Itasca2,073 people · $115K homes

Odem2,102 people · $89K 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.