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 →

Waterloo$1,710/mo

Typical home $294K (Census) · tax rate 0.70% · or rent about $1,167/mo · Housing →

The difference: $680 a month, about $8,100 a year, between Barlow and Waterloo.

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.

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

BarlowWaterloo

Snow a year1″0″

January low35°F —

July high81°F —

Growing season (days)241d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)82nd 52nd

Outdoors & history

BarlowWaterloo

Trails—0 mi

Conserved land—3%

Settled1903 1893

Archive photos6 —

Famous people born here1 —

Community

BarlowWaterloo

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

53 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

BarlowOR WaterlooOR

Barlow ↔ Waterloo53 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

BarlowWaterloo

People

Population 105Lowest 229Highest

Median age 45.5±11.7Lowest 13% above OR 49.5±10.4Highest 23% above OR

Waterloo 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% 5.7%±8.6Lowest OR: 19.9%

Barlow and Waterloo 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% 26.6%±16.5Highest OR: 19.1%

Waterloo 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% 11%Lowest OR: 36.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1%±12.7Lowest OR: 5.7% 1.7%±6.2Highest OR: 5.7%

Waterloo and Barlow 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 $88,750±$26kLowest 7% above OR

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $413,600±$89kHighest 13% below OR $293,800±$128kLowest 38% below OR

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly — $1,167±$567 23% below OR

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,643Highest 32% below OR $2,068Lowest 47% below OR

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent — 50%±100 OR: 52.5%

Below poverty line 7.6%Highest OR: 11.9% 3.5%Lowest OR: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 97.7%Highest OR: 63.3% 95.5%Lowest OR: 63.3%

Typical home builtmedian year 1980Highest 1 yr older than OR 1971Lowest 10 yrs older than OR

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 20 minLowest 13% below OR 34 minHighest 48% above OR

Work from home 22%±15.2Highest OR: 19% 19.8%±14.4Lowest OR: 19%

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

Work in townworking residents 2.1%Highest 0%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.8 miLowest 21.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.81Highest 0.14Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Portland (29%)Lebanon (15%)

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

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 194Lowest 226Highest

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.

Waterloo neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Waterloo’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Barlow and Waterloo

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

Towns like Barlow

+ Compare

Summerville106 people · $275K homes

+ Compare

Elkton150 people · $283K homes

+ Compare

Nehalem235 people · $457K homes

+ Compare

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 Waterloo

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $680 more a month in Barlow

What daily life feels like in each

53 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Barlow and Waterloo

Towns like Barlow

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