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Iron Gate vs Painter

220 miles apart. The biggest differences: street grid (2.9× in Iron Gate) and rent (+56% in Painter).

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Iron Gate, VAA small town of 426Virginia · 426 people

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Painter, VAHomes around $198KVirginia · 305 people

Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

Iron GateA small town of 426

Quiet strengthsIron Gate doesn’t stand out on the data we haveNeighbors can tell you what the numbers miss.

All about Iron Gate →

PainterHomes around $198K

Housing$198K typical home52% below the VA typical home All about Painter →

The biggest differences

Where they differ most

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Street grid2.9×

Iron Gate has the more walkable street grid

Iron Gate 94.8Painter 32.5

Rent runs higher in Painter

Painter $1,114Iron Gate $715

Average commute10 min

Painter has the shorter commute

Iron Gate 26 minPainter 16 min

Homeowners+8.6 pts renters

Painter has more renters

Iron Gate 91.9%Painter 83.3%

★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $610 more a month in Painter

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%

Iron Gate$510/mo

Typical home $85K (Census) · tax rate 0.89% · or rent about $715/mo · Housing →

Painter$1,120/mo

Typical home $198K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.49% · or rent about $1,114/mo · Housing →

The difference: $610 a month, about $7,300 a year, between Painter and Iron Gate.

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

Iron GatePainter

Snow a year10″7″

January low23°F 30°F

July high84°F 88°F

Growing season (days)172d 216d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)79th 70th

Outdoors & history

Iron GatePainter

National Register places—1

Archive photos9 9

Community

Iron GatePainter

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

220 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Iron GateVA PainterVA

Iron Gate ↔ Painter220 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 Virginia average

Iron GatePainter

People

Population 426Highest 305Lowest

Median age 39.8±9.7Highest about the VA average 33.3±10Lowest 15% below VA

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

Kids under 18 25.1%±9.1Lowest VA: 21.7% 33.4%±12.1Highest VA: 21.7%

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

Age 65+ 21.1%±4.6Highest VA: 16.7% 11.8%±10.5Lowest VA: 16.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13.1%Lowest VA: 42.2% 17.3%Highest VA: 42.2%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.9%±2.1Highest VA: 6.9% 1.3%±4.8Lowest VA: 6.9%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $70,000±$45kHighest 25% below VA $65,000±$18kLowest 30% below VA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $84,600±$6kLowest 78% below VA $158,300±$104kHighest 59% below VA

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $715±$257Lowest 55% below VA $1,114±$37Highest 29% below VA

Property taxmedian, yearly $754Lowest 73% below VA $782Highest 72% below VA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 81.8%±98.6Highest VA: 48.5% 25%±100Lowest VA: 48.5%

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

Below poverty line 10.4%Highest VA: 9.9% 6.2%Lowest VA: 9.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 91.9%Highest VA: 67.3% 83.3%Lowest VA: 67.3%

Typical home builtmedian year 1961Lowest 23 yrs older than VA 1967Highest 17 yrs older than VA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 26 minHighest 5% below VA 16 minLowest 40% below VA

Work from home 3.3%±5.7Lowest VA: 18.3% 5.2%±5.6Highest VA: 18.3%

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

Work in townworking residents 0% 0%

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.3 miLowest 50.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.24Highest 0.20Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Covington (14%)Accomac (6%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in PainterFew work in Iron Gate

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.5%Highest 0%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 94.8Highest 32.5Lowest

Virginia 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.

Iron Gate neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Iron Gate’s Town Square.

Painter neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Painter’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Iron Gate

Phenix418 people · $129K homes

Ridgeway1,051 people · $164K homes

Burkeville488 people · $88K homes

Pamplin City275 people · $124K homes

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