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West Orange vs Taft

263 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (6× in Taft) and property tax bill (+85% in Taft).

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West Orange, TXHomes around $109KTexas · 3,420 people

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Taft, TXHomes around $160KTexas · 2,871 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.

West OrangeHomes around $109K

Housing$109K typical home64% below the TX typical home SchoolsBetter than 10%of TX districts Health88% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates All about West Orange →

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 →

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.

Taft has more miles of trail

Taft 0.6 miWest Orange 0.1 mi

Property tax bill+85%

Tax bills are bigger in Taft

Taft $2,121West Orange $1,147

Growth since 2010+8.6 pts

West Orange has grown faster since 2010

West Orange +0.5%Taft -8.1%

Average commute8 min

West Orange has the shorter commute

Taft 27 minWest Orange 20 min

Street grid+56%

Taft has the more walkable street grid

Taft 80.6West Orange 51.6

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $410 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.

Down paymentRate%

West Orange$660/mo

Typical home $109K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.04% · or rent about $1,407/mo · Housing →

Taft$1,070/mo

Typical home $160K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.71% · or rent about $1,179/mo · Housing →

The difference: $410 a month, about $4,900 a year, between Taft and West Orange.

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

Taft places higher on 11 of 21 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

C−West OrangeSafer than 23% of U.S. towns BTaftSafer than 63% of U.S. towns

Schools

DWest OrangeBetter than 10% of districts in the state CTaftBetter than 30% of districts in the state

Health

DWest OrangeHealthier than 12% of U.S. towns DTaftHealthier than 7% of U.S. towns

10West Orange

11Taft

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Lowest depressionHealth · 652 towns #566#69 SafestSafety · 470 towns #360#120 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 652 towns #261#574 Most new homesHousing · 535 towns #435#183 Shortest commuteGetting around · 653 towns #121#389 Highest graduation rateSchools · 584 towns #567#339 Most activeHealth · 652 towns #387#605 Most walkableOutdoors · 653 towns #407#196

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

West OrangeTaft

Snow a year0″0″

January low40°F 45°F

July high90°F 93°F

Growing season (days)273d 324d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)81st 77th

Outdoors & history

West OrangeTaft

Conserved land—4.4%

National Register places—2

Community

West OrangeTaft

Library hours a week—43 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

263 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

West OrangeTX TaftTX

West Orange ↔ Taft263 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

West OrangeTaft

People

Population 3,420Highest 2,871Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +0.5%Highest TX: +15.9% -8.1%Lowest TX: +15.9%

Median age 30.2±3.3Lowest 15% below TX 30.9±7Highest 13% below TX

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

Kids under 18 30.5%±7.7Lowest TX: 25% 35.8%±8.6Highest TX: 25%

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

Age 65+ 18.9%±5.3Highest TX: 13.4% 11.9%±3.2Lowest TX: 13.4%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 15.1%Highest TX: 33.8% 14%Lowest TX: 33.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.4%±2.5Lowest TX: 6.2% 3.5%±2.4Highest TX: 6.2%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $60,323±$17kLowest 23% below TX $73,032±$22kHighest 7% below TX

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $110,700±$19kLowest 61% below TX $124,200±$49kHighest 56% below TX

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,407±$155Highest about the TX average $1,179±$442Lowest 16% below TX

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,147Lowest 73% below TX $2,121Highest 50% below TX

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 60.9%±28.9Highest TX: 51.7% 46.8%±14.1Lowest TX: 51.7%

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

Below poverty line 22.9%Highest TX: 13.8% 21.3%Lowest TX: 13.8%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 74.8%Highest TX: 62.6% 69%Lowest TX: 62.6%

Typical home builtmedian year 1971Highest 21 yrs older than TX 1964Lowest 28 yrs older than TX

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 27% below TX 27 minHighest about the TX average

Work from home 0%±1.4 TX: 14.4% 0%±1.6 TX: 14.4%

Work in townworking residents 3.4%Lowest 10.3%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.8 miHighest 15.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.45Lowest 0.57Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Orange (17%)Corpus Christi (29%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in TaftFew work in West Orange

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2%Lowest 4.4%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.1 miLowest 0.6 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.4 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 51.6Lowest 80.6Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #508 of 583 in TX #498 of 583 in TX

School district WEST ORANGE-COVE CISDERATH EXCELS ACADEMY INC · TAFT ISD

High school in town West Orange-Stark H STaft H S

Students per teacherat that high school 11.3Highest 10.6Lowest

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.

West Orange neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to West Orange’s Town Square.

Taft neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Taft’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside West Orange and Taft

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

Bordering West Orange

Orange19,177 people · $165K homes

Towns like West Orange

San Diego3,675 people · $86K homes

Sonora2,691 people · $143K homes

Teague3,476 people · $120K homes

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.