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%

Imbler$1,640/mo

Typical home $275K (Census) · tax rate 0.85% · Housing →

Seneca$860/mo

Typical home $156K (Census) · tax rate 0.34% · Housing →

The difference: $770 a month, about $9,300 a year, between Imbler and Seneca.

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

–ImblerNot graded B+SenecaBetter than 68% 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

ImblerSeneca

Snow a year9″—

January low25°F —

July high86°F —

Growing season (days)146d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)52nd 90th

Outdoors & history

ImblerSeneca

Trails—1 mi

Conserved land—0.5%

Settled1922 1970

Archive photos6 6

Community

ImblerSeneca

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

104 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ImblerOR SenecaOR

Imbler ↔ Seneca104 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

ImblerSeneca

People

Population 189Highest 109Lowest

Median age 57.8±4Lowest 43% above OR 67.8±16.2Highest 68% above OR

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

Kids under 18 18%±17Highest OR: 19.9% 9.2%±24.3Lowest OR: 19.9%

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

Age 65+ 27%±11.7Lowest OR: 19.1% 51.4%±32.3Highest OR: 19.1%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.3%Lowest OR: 36.8% 19.2%Highest OR: 36.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±9.7 OR: 5.7% 0%±16.9 OR: 5.7%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $66,250±$18kHighest 20% below OR $39,821±$39kLowest 52% below OR

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $275,000±$23kHighest 42% below OR $156,300±$29kLowest 67% below OR

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,346Highest 39% below OR $538Lowest 86% below OR

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

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

Below poverty line 27.5%Highest OR: 11.9% 22%Lowest OR: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 92.2%Highest OR: 63.3% 85.9%Lowest OR: 63.3%

Typical home builtmedian year 1977Highest 4 yrs older than OR 1947Lowest 34 yrs older than OR

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 17 minLowest 26% below OR 17 minHighest 25% below OR

Work from home 13.6%±8.8Highest OR: 19% 0%±27.7Lowest OR: 19%

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

Work in townworking residents 7.6%Highest 1.5%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miLowest 116.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.41Highest 0.23Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town La Grande (29%)John Day (8%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in SenecaFew work in Imbler

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0%Lowest 0.5%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 miLowest 0.8 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 miLowest 1.0 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 129Highest 38.0Lowest

Schools

School district —John Day SD 3

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.

Imbler neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Imbler’s Town Square.

Seneca neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Seneca’s Town Square.

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Towns like Imbler

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Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Oregon 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.

Imbler vs Seneca

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $770 more a month in Imbler

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

104 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Imbler and Seneca

Towns like Imbler

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