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%

Nehalem$3,410/mo

Typical home $591K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.64% · or rent about $1,196/mo · Housing →

Gates$2,660/mo

Typical home $468K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.53% · or rent about $1,152/mo · Housing →

The difference: $760 a month, about $9,100 a year, between Nehalem and Gates.

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

B−NehalemBetter than 47% of districts in the state –GatesNot graded

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

NehalemGates

Snow a year1″10″

January low—36°F

July high—80°F

Growing season (days)—270d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)93rd 81st

Outdoors & history

NehalemGates

Trails0 mi —

Conserved land0%—

Settled1889 1950

Famous people born here—1

Community

NehalemGates

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

98 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

NehalemOR GatesOR

Nehalem ↔ Gates98 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

NehalemGates

People

Population 235Lowest 452Highest

Median age 55.1±11.1Lowest 36% above OR 57.2±4.8Highest 42% above OR

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

Kids under 18 7.7%±12.3Lowest OR: 19.9% 15.3%±8.2Highest OR: 19.9%

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

Age 65+ 35.7%±12.4Highest OR: 19.1% 23.7%±4.5Lowest OR: 19.1%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 26.7%Highest OR: 36.8% 16.9%Lowest OR: 36.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0%±7.8Lowest OR: 5.7% 3.8%±3Highest OR: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $76,071±$64kHighest 8% below OR $65,670±$5kLowest 21% below OR

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $456,700±$33kHighest 4% below OR $349,200±$29kLowest 27% below OR

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,196±$717Highest 22% below OR $1,152±$182Lowest 24% below OR

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,924Highest 25% below OR $1,841Lowest 53% below OR

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 5.3%±100Lowest OR: 52.5% 42.4%±46.3Highest OR: 52.5%

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

Below poverty line 8.9%Lowest OR: 11.9% 9.5%Highest OR: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 84.4%Highest OR: 63.3% 84%Lowest OR: 63.3%

Typical home builtmedian year 1984Highest 3 yrs newer than OR 1983Lowest 2 yrs newer than OR

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 24 minLowest 3% above OR 37 minHighest 61% above OR

Work from home 23%±14.1Highest OR: 19% 11.5%±7.5Lowest OR: 19%

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

Work in townworking residents 7.1%Highest 0.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 46.3 miHighest 32.3 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.49Highest 0.17Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Manzanita (9%)Salem (20%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in GatesFew work in Nehalem

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%

Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miHighest 0.1 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miHighest 0.2 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 139Highest 46.6Lowest

Schools

School district Neah-Kah-Nie SD 56—

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.

Nehalem neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Nehalem’s Town Square.

Gates neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Gates’s Town Square.

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Towns like Nehalem

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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.

Nehalem vs Gates

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $760 more a month in Nehalem

Grades and rankings, side by side

What daily life feels like in each

98 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Nehalem and Gates

Towns like Nehalem

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