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%

Mojave$1,340/mo

Typical home $237K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.50% · or rent about $1,214/mo · Housing →

Orange Cove$1,730/mo

Typical home $300K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $1,103/mo · Housing →

The difference: $390 a month, about $4,700 a year, between Orange Cove and Mojave.

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

Mojave places higher on 10 of 19 CA lists

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.

Safety

–MojaveNot graded BOrange CoveSafer than 63% of U.S. towns

Schools

B+MojaveBetter than 68% of districts in the state B−Orange CoveBetter than 48% of districts in the state

Health

DMojaveHealthier than 6% of U.S. towns D−Orange CoveHealthier than 3% of U.S. towns

10Mojave

9Orange Cove

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #824#134 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #568#332 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #493#788 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #762#568 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #211#376 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #619#431 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #165#334 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #667#832

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

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

MojaveOrange Cove

Snow a year1″0″

January low33°F 38°F

July high97°F 100°F

Growing season (days)241d 307d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)79th 40th

Outdoors & history

MojaveOrange Cove

Trails94 mi 0 mi

Conserved land0.5%0.9%

Settled—1948

National Register places—1

Archive photos—4

Community

MojaveOrange Cove

Library hours a week13 hrs 39 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.

MojaveCA Orange CoveCA

Mojave ↔ Orange Cove128 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

MojaveOrange Cove

People

Population 5,173Lowest 9,695Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +10.9%Highest CA: +6.1% +6.3%Lowest CA: +6.1%

Median age 31.1±4.2Highest 18% below CA 26±2.7Lowest 31% below CA

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

Kids under 18 33.6%±5Lowest CA: 22% 35.3%±4.3Highest CA: 22%

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

Age 65+ 8.7%±2.8Highest CA: 15.7% 7.5%±2.1Lowest CA: 15.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 8.7%Lowest CA: 37.1% 10.1%Highest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 4.8%±2.7Lowest CA: 7.6% 5.5%±2Highest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $55,660±$13kHighest 44% below CA $46,629±$13kLowest 53% below CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $213,600±$28kLowest 71% below CA $254,000±$37kHighest 65% below CA

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,214±$117Highest 40% below CA $1,103±$82Lowest 46% below CA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,064Lowest 79% below CA $1,626Highest 68% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 55.6%±14.9Lowest CA: 55.3% 67.1%±12.8Highest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 25.5%Lowest CA: 12% 34%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 38.2%Lowest CA: 55.9% 43.2%Highest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1981Lowest 5 yrs newer than CA 1988Highest 12 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 32 minHighest 10% above CA 28 minLowest about the CA average

Work from home 10.3%±6.6Highest CA: 17.2% 1.4%±1.2Lowest CA: 17.2%

Work in townworking residents 19.8%Highest 6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 42.8 miHighest 20.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.24Highest 0.26Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Lancaster (11%)Fresno (13%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Orange CoveFew work in Mojave

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.5%Lowest 0.9%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 94.1 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.6 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 3Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 7.9Lowest 121Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #568 of 574 in CA #332 of 574 in CA

School district Kern County ROP · Mojave UnifiedKings Canyon Joint Unified

High school in town Mojave Jr./Sr. HighOrange Cove High

Students per teacherat that high school 20.0Highest 18.5Lowest

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.

Mojave neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mojave’s Town Square.

Orange Cove neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Orange Cove’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Mojave

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Holtville5,617 people · $310K homes

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

Mojave vs Orange Cove

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $390 more a month in Orange Cove

Mojave places higher on 10 of 19 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

128 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Mojave and Orange Cove

Towns like Mojave

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