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%

Isleton$2,290/mo

Typical home $411K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.39% · or rent about $1,168/mo · Housing →

Loyalton$1,830/mo

Typical home $310K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.80% · Housing →

The difference: $450 a month, about $5,500 a year, between Isleton and Loyalton.

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 California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools

A−IsletonBetter than 79% of districts in the state C+LoyaltonBetter than 39% of districts in the state

Life in each

Loyalton gets 38 more inches of snow a year

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

IsletonLoyalton

Snow a year0″38″

January low40°F —

July high91°F —

Growing season (days)343d —

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)81st 99th

Outdoors & history

IsletonLoyalton

Trails4 mi —

Conserved land10.7%—

Settled1923 —

National Register places1 —

Archive photos15 —

Community

IsletonLoyalton

Library hours a week24 hrs 6 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

128 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

IsletonCA LoyaltonCA

Isleton ↔ Loyalton128 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 California average

IsletonLoyalton

People

Population 522Lowest 748Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -1.2%Highest CA: +6.1% -3.8%Lowest CA: +6.1%

Median age 35.8±6.7Lowest 6% below CA 45±7.3Highest 19% above CA

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

Kids under 18 21.6%±6.9Lowest CA: 22% 23.8%±12.3Highest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 20.5%±7Lowest CA: 15.7% 28.6%±14.7Highest CA: 15.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 12.8%Lowest CA: 37.1% 28.8%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.4%±3.5Highest CA: 7.6% 0%±2.6Lowest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $53,194±$18kLowest 46% below CA $65,556±$26kHighest 34% below CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $326,200±$94kHighest 56% below CA $191,800±$31kLowest 74% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,168±$322 43% below CA —

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,270Lowest 75% below CA $1,538Highest 70% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 49.1%±44.7Lowest CA: 55.3% 100%±100Highest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 21.8%Highest CA: 12% 4.7%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 75.3%Lowest CA: 55.9% 95.5%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1972Highest 4 yrs older than CA 1960Lowest 16 yrs older than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 37 minHighest 27% above CA 24 minLowest 16% below CA

Work from home 1.5%±4.5Lowest CA: 17.2% 20.1%±15.7Highest CA: 17.2%

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

Work in townworking residents 3.3%Lowest 8%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 28.3 miLowest 32.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.49Lowest 0.62Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Rio Vista (8%)Downieville (14%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in LoyaltonFew work in Isleton

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 10.7%Highest 6.6%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 4.2 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 8.4 miHighest 0.7 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 131Lowest 217Highest

Schools

School district River Delta Joint UnifiedSierra-Plumas Joint Unified

High school in town None in townLoyalton High

Students per teacherat that high school — 13.5

California 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.

Isleton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Isleton’s Town Square.

Loyalton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Loyalton’s Town Square.

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Towns like Isleton

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Tulelake925 people · $170K 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.

Isleton vs Loyalton

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $450 more a month in Isleton

Grades and rankings, side by side

Loyalton gets 38 more inches of snow a year

128 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

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Towns like Isleton

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