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%

Orange Cove$1,730/mo

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

Mojave$1,340/mo

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

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

Schools

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

Health

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

9Orange Cove

10Mojave

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

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

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Orange Cove’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

Orange CoveMojave

Snow a year0″1″

January low38°F 33°F

July high100°F 97°F

Growing season (days)307d 241d

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

Outdoors & history

Orange CoveMojave

Trails0 mi 94 mi

Conserved land0.9%0.5%

Settled1948 —

National Register places1 —

Archive photos4 —

Community

Orange CoveMojave

Library hours a week39 hrs 13 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.

Orange CoveCA MojaveCA

Orange Cove ↔ Mojave128 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

Orange CoveMojave

People

Population 9,695Highest 5,173Lowest

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

Median age 26±2.7Lowest 31% below CA 31.1±4.2Highest 18% 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 35.3%±4.3Highest CA: 22% 33.6%±5Lowest 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+ 7.5%±2.1Lowest CA: 15.7% 8.7%±2.8Highest 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+ 10.1%Highest CA: 37.1% 8.7%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.5%±2Highest CA: 7.6% 4.8%±2.7Lowest 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 $46,629±$13kLowest 53% below CA $55,660±$13kHighest 44% 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 $254,000±$37kHighest 65% below CA $213,600±$28kLowest 71% 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 $1,103±$82Lowest 46% below CA $1,214±$117Highest 40% 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 $1,626Highest 68% below CA $1,064Lowest 79% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 67.1%±12.8Highest CA: 55.3% 55.6%±14.9Lowest 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 34%Highest CA: 12% 25.5%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

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

Work in townworking residents 6%Lowest 19.8%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 20.8 miLowest 42.8 miHighest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in MojaveFew work in Orange Cove

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.9%Highest 0.5%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 94.1 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 1.6 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 3Highest 2Lowest

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

Schools

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

School district Kings Canyon Joint UnifiedKern County ROP · Mojave Unified

High school in town Orange Cove HighMojave Jr./Sr. High

Students per teacherat that high school 18.5Lowest 20.0Highest

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.

Orange Cove neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Orange Cove’s Town Square.

Mojave neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Mojave’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Orange Cove

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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.

Orange Cove vs Mojave

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 Orange Cove and Mojave

Towns like Orange Cove

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