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%

Elk Plain$2,870/mo

Typical home $474K (Census) · tax rate 0.98% · or rent about $2,172/mo · Housing →

Orting$3,290/mo

Typical home $551K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.86% · or rent about $2,284/mo · Housing →

The difference: $420 a month, about $5,000 a year, between Orting and Elk Plain.

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

Orting places higher on 14 of 19 WA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Washington ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

–Elk PlainNot graded BOrtingSafer than 57% of U.S. towns

Schools

BElk PlainBetter than 56% of districts in the state BOrtingBetter than 58% of districts in the state

Health

B−Elk PlainHealthier than 51% of U.S. towns B+OrtingHealthier than 70% of U.S. towns

5Elk Plain

14Orting

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most conserved landOutdoors · 275 towns #255#20 Fastest growingGrowth · 279 towns #249#30 Highest graduation rateSchools · 254 towns #159#1 Most trailsOutdoors · 236 towns #145#7 Most activeHealth · 284 towns #178#83 Fewest smokersHealth · 284 towns #240#158 Most walkableOutdoors · 284 towns #142#64 HealthiestHealth · 284 towns #233#173

Left end = #1 in Washington. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Elk Plain’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

Elk PlainOrting

Snow a year6″6″

January low33°F 33°F

July high76°F 76°F

Growing season (days)202d 202d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)56th 88th

Outdoors & history

Elk PlainOrting

Trails6 mi 11 mi

Conserved land0.5%15.5%

Settled—1889

National Register places—1

Archive photos—12

Community

Elk PlainOrting

Library hours a week—48 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

8 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Elk PlainOrting

Elk Plain ↔ Orting8.2 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 Washington average

Elk PlainOrting

People

Population 14,276Highest 8,978Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +2.3%Lowest WA: +14.6% +34%Highest WA: +14.6%

Median age 38±3.1Highest about the WA average 34.1±2.8Lowest 11% below WA

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

Kids under 18 23%±3.1Lowest WA: 21.4% 26.5%±3.8Highest WA: 21.4%

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

Age 65+ 14.4%±1.6Highest WA: 16.6% 11.2%±1.9Lowest WA: 16.6%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.5%Lowest WA: 39.6% 24%Highest WA: 39.6%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.7%±1.4Highest WA: 5.7% 3.1%±1.2Lowest WA: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $107,313±$8kLowest 9% above WA $132,877±$10kHighest 35% above WA

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $473,500±$19kLowest 16% below WA $493,100±$22kHighest 13% below WA

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,172±$187Lowest 23% above WA $2,284±$419Highest 30% above WA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $4,629Highest about the WA average $4,246Lowest 7% below WA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 47.3%±12.4Lowest WA: 49.9% 59.2%±27Highest WA: 49.9%

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

Below poverty line 8.3%Highest WA: 9.9% 2.4%Lowest WA: 9.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 84.2%Highest WA: 63.8% 83.5%Lowest WA: 63.8%

Typical home builtmedian year 1993Lowest 8 yrs newer than WA 2003Highest 18 yrs newer than WA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 37 minLowest 37% above WA 40 minHighest 50% above WA

Work from home 10.9%±2.3Lowest WA: 19.8% 13.1%±3.8Highest WA: 19.8%

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

Work in townworking residents 1%Lowest 4.9%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.8 mi 15.8 mi

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.16Lowest 0.36Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Tacoma (15%)Seattle (10%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in OrtingFew work in Elk Plain

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.5%Lowest 15.5%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 6.0 miLowest 11.0 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miLowest 4.1 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 9Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 59.7Lowest 93.7Highest

Schools

School district Bethel School DistrictOrting School District

High school in town Bethel High SchoolOrting High School

Students per teacherat that high school 21.6Highest 21.4Lowest

Washington 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.

Elk Plain neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Elk Plain’s Town Square.

Orting neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Orting’s Town Square.

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Bordering Elk Plain

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Graham35,079 people · $517K homes

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South Creek2,191 people · $611K homes

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Spanaway34,019 people · $446K homes

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Frederickson25,383 people · $477K homes

Towns like Elk Plain

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Enumclaw12,798 people · $525K homes

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Bonney Lake22,090 people · $608K homes

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Battle Ground21,886 people · $485K homes

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Washougal17,490 people · $552K 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.

Elk Plain vs Orting

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $420 more a month in Orting

Orting places higher on 14 of 19 WA lists

What daily life feels like in each

8 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Elk Plain and Orting

Bordering Elk Plain

Towns like Elk Plain

Post to Elk Plain

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