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%

Loyalton$1,830/mo

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

Isleton$2,290/mo

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

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

LoyaltonIsleton

Snow a year38″0″

January low—40°F

July high—91°F

Growing season (days)—343d

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

Outdoors & history

LoyaltonIsleton

Trails—4 mi

Conserved land—10.7%

Settled—1923

National Register places—1

Archive photos—15

Community

LoyaltonIsleton

Library hours a week6 hrs 24 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.

LoyaltonCA IsletonCA

Loyalton ↔ Isleton128 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

LoyaltonIsleton

People

Population 748Highest 522Lowest

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

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

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

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

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

Age 65+ 28.6%±14.7Highest CA: 15.7% 20.5%±7Lowest 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+ 28.8%Highest CA: 37.1% 12.8%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±2.6Lowest CA: 7.6% 5.4%±3.5Highest 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 $65,556±$26kHighest 34% below CA $53,194±$18kLowest 46% 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 $191,800±$31kLowest 74% below CA $326,200±$94kHighest 56% below CA

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

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

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 100%±100Highest CA: 55.3% 49.1%±44.7Lowest 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 4.7%Lowest CA: 12% 21.8%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 20.1%±15.7Highest CA: 17.2% 1.5%±4.5Lowest 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 8%Highest 3.3%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 32.8 miHighest 28.3 miLowest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in IsletonFew work in Loyalton

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 6.6%Lowest 10.7%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 4.2 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miLowest 8.4 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0Lowest 1Highest

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

Schools

School district Sierra-Plumas Joint UnifiedRiver Delta Joint Unified

High school in town Loyalton HighNone in town

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.

Loyalton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Loyalton’s Town Square.

Isleton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Isleton’s Town Square.

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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.

Loyalton vs Isleton

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 Loyalton

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