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

BGranite FallsSafer than 60% of U.S. towns BOrtingSafer than 57% of U.S. towns

Schools

DGranite FallsBetter than 11% of districts in the state BOrtingBetter than 58% of districts in the state

Health

A−Granite FallsHealthier than 81% of U.S. towns B+OrtingHealthier than 70% of U.S. towns

9Granite Falls

9Orting

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

Highest graduation rateSchools · 254 towns #247#1 Most conserved landOutdoors · 275 towns #166#20 Lowest obesityHealth · 284 towns #108#215 Most trailsOutdoors · 236 towns #94#7 Most walkableOutdoors · 284 towns #132#64 HealthiestHealth · 284 towns #106#173 Cheapest rentCost of living · 274 towns #167#231 Highest incomeIncome · 284 towns #114#59

Left end = #1 in Washington. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Granite Falls’s rankings →

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%

Granite Falls$3,410/mo

Typical home $579K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.77% · or rent about $1,825/mo · Housing →

Orting$3,290/mo

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

The difference: $120 a month, about $1,500 a year, between Granite Falls and Orting.

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

Granite FallsOrting

Snow a year3″6″

January low32°F 33°F

July high74°F 76°F

Growing season (days)188d 202d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)79th 88th

Outdoors & history

Granite FallsOrting

Trails3 mi 11 mi

Conserved land2.8%15.5%

Settled1883 1889

National Register places—1

Archive photos12 12

Community

Granite FallsOrting

Library hours a week56 hrs 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

70 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Granite FallsWA OrtingWA

Granite Falls ↔ Orting70 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

Granite FallsOrting

People

Population 4,659Lowest 8,978Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +32.3%Lowest WA: +14.6% +34%Highest WA: +14.6%

Median age 36.6±1.8Highest 4% below WA 34.1±2.8Lowest 11% below WA

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

Kids under 18 24.4%±5.8Lowest WA: 21.4% 26.5%±3.8Highest WA: 21.4%

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

Age 65+ 13.4%±4.1Highest WA: 16.6% 11.2%±1.9Lowest WA: 16.6%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 25.5%Highest WA: 39.6% 24%Lowest WA: 39.6%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4%±2.1Highest WA: 5.7% 3.1%±1.2Lowest WA: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $105,136±$15kLowest 7% above WA $132,877±$10kHighest 35% above WA

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $562,700±$41kHighest about the WA average $493,100±$22kLowest 13% below WA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,825±$203Lowest 4% above WA $2,284±$419Highest 30% above WA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $4,359Highest 4% below WA $4,246Lowest 7% below WA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 57.3%±26.2Lowest WA: 49.9% 59.2%±27Highest WA: 49.9%

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

Below poverty line 3.4%Highest WA: 9.9% 2.4%Lowest WA: 9.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 83.9%Highest WA: 63.8% 83.5%Lowest WA: 63.8%

Typical home builtmedian year 1999Lowest 14 yrs newer than WA 2003Highest 18 yrs newer than WA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 36 minLowest 33% above WA 40 minHighest 50% above WA

Work from home 11.8%±5.6Lowest WA: 19.8% 13.1%±3.8Highest WA: 19.8%

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

Work in townworking residents 5.1%Highest 4.9%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.8 miHighest 15.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.41Highest 0.36Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Everett (18%)Seattle (10%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in OrtingFew work in Granite Falls

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.8%Lowest 15.5%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 2.6 miLowest 11.0 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.2 miLowest 4.1 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Lowest 9Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 63.6Lowest 93.7Highest

Schools

School district Granite Falls School DistrictOrting School District

High school in town Granite Falls High SchoolOrting High School

Students per teacherat that high school 20.0Lowest 21.4Highest

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.

Granite Falls neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Granite Falls’s Town Square.

Orting neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Orting’s Town Square.

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Set another town beside Granite Falls and Orting

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Bordering Granite Falls

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Lake Bosworth907 people · $678K homes

Towns like Granite Falls

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Moxee4,625 people · $363K homes

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La Center3,883 people · $585K homes

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Sultan6,116 people · $526K homes

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Rainier2,455 people · $426K 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.

Granite Falls vs Orting

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Grades and rankings, side by side

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

70 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Granite Falls and Orting

Bordering Granite Falls

Towns like Granite Falls

Post to Granite Falls

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