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%

Barlow$2,390/mo

Typical home $414K (Census) · tax rate 0.64% · Housing →

Nehalem$3,410/mo

Typical home $591K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $1,196/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,030 a month, about $12,300 a year, between Nehalem and Barlow.

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 Oregon ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools

–BarlowNot graded B−NehalemBetter than 47% of districts in the state

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

BarlowNehalem

Snow a year1″1″

January low35°F —

July high81°F —

Growing season (days)241d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)82nd 93rd

Outdoors & history

BarlowNehalem

Trails—0 mi

Conserved land—0%

Settled1903 1889

Archive photos6 —

Famous people born here1 —

Community

BarlowNehalem

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

65 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BarlowOR NehalemOR

Barlow ↔ Nehalem65 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 Oregon average

BarlowNehalem

People

Population 105Lowest 235Highest

Median age 45.5±11.7Lowest 13% above OR 55.1±11.1Highest 36% above OR

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

Kids under 18 19%±24.1Highest OR: 19.9% 7.7%±12.3Lowest OR: 19.9%

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

Age 65+ 15.2%±28.9Lowest OR: 19.1% 35.7%±12.4Highest OR: 19.1%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 30.4%Highest OR: 36.8% 26.7%Lowest OR: 36.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1%±12.7Highest OR: 5.7% 0%±7.8Lowest OR: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $96,250±$59kHighest 16% above OR $76,071±$64kLowest 8% below OR

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $413,600±$89kLowest 13% below OR $456,700±$33kHighest 4% below OR

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly — $1,196±$717 22% below OR

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,643Lowest 32% below OR $2,924Highest 25% below OR

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent — 5.3%±100 OR: 52.5%

Below poverty line 7.6%Lowest OR: 11.9% 8.9%Highest OR: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 97.7%Highest OR: 63.3% 84.4%Lowest OR: 63.3%

Typical home builtmedian year 1980Lowest 1 yr older than OR 1984Highest 3 yrs newer than OR

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 13% below OR 24 minHighest 3% above OR

Work from home 22%±15.2Lowest OR: 19% 23%±14.1Highest OR: 19%

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

Work in townworking residents 2.1%Lowest 7.1%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.8 miLowest 46.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.81Lowest 2.49Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Portland (29%)Manzanita (9%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in NehalemFew work in Barlow

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.2 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 0.7 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 194Highest 139Lowest

Schools

School district —Neah-Kah-Nie SD 56

High school in town —None in town

Oregon 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.

Barlow neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Barlow’s Town Square.

Nehalem neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Nehalem’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Barlow and Nehalem

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

Towns like Barlow

+ Compare

Summerville106 people · $275K homes

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Elkton150 people · $283K homes

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Waterloo229 people · $294K homes

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Dayville206 people · $220K homes

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.

Barlow vs Nehalem

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $1,030 more a month in Nehalem

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

65 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Barlow and Nehalem

Towns like Barlow

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