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%

Orting$3,290/mo

Typical home $551K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.86% · or rent about $2,284/mo · Housing →

Elk Plain$2,870/mo

Typical home $474K (Census) · tax rate 0.98% · or rent about $2,172/mo · Housing →

The difference: $420 a month, about $5,000 a year, between Orting and Elk Plain.

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

Orting places higher on 14 of 19 WA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Washington ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

BOrtingSafer than 57% of U.S. towns –Elk PlainNot graded

Schools

BOrtingBetter than 58% of districts in the state BElk PlainBetter than 56% of districts in the state

Health

B+OrtingHealthier than 70% of U.S. towns B−Elk PlainHealthier than 51% of U.S. towns

14Orting

5Elk Plain

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

Most conserved landOutdoors · 275 towns #20#255 Fastest growingGrowth · 279 towns #30#249 Highest graduation rateSchools · 254 towns #1#159 Most trailsOutdoors · 236 towns #7#145 Most activeHealth · 284 towns #83#178 Fewest smokersHealth · 284 towns #158#240 Most walkableOutdoors · 284 towns #64#142 HealthiestHealth · 284 towns #173#233

Left end = #1 in Washington. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Orting’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

OrtingElk Plain

Snow a year6″6″

January low33°F 33°F

July high76°F 76°F

Growing season (days)202d 202d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)88th 56th

Outdoors & history

OrtingElk Plain

Trails11 mi 6 mi

Conserved land15.5%0.5%

Settled1889 —

National Register places1 —

Archive photos12 —

Community

OrtingElk Plain

Library hours a week48 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

8 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

OrtingElk Plain

Orting ↔ Elk Plain8.2 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 Washington average

OrtingElk Plain

People

Population 8,978Lowest 14,276Highest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +34%Highest WA: +14.6% +2.3%Lowest WA: +14.6%

Median age 34.1±2.8Lowest 11% below WA 38±3.1Highest about the WA average

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

Kids under 18 26.5%±3.8Highest WA: 21.4% 23%±3.1Lowest WA: 21.4%

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

Age 65+ 11.2%±1.9Lowest WA: 16.6% 14.4%±1.6Highest WA: 16.6%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 24%Highest WA: 39.6% 17.5%Lowest WA: 39.6%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.1%±1.2Lowest WA: 5.7% 3.7%±1.4Highest WA: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $132,877±$10kHighest 35% above WA $107,313±$8kLowest 9% above WA

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $493,100±$22kHighest 13% below WA $473,500±$19kLowest 16% below WA

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,284±$419Highest 30% above WA $2,172±$187Lowest 23% above WA

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

Property taxmedian, yearly $4,246Lowest 7% below WA $4,629Highest about the WA average

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 59.2%±27Highest WA: 49.9% 47.3%±12.4Lowest WA: 49.9%

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

Below poverty line 2.4%Lowest WA: 9.9% 8.3%Highest WA: 9.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 83.5%Lowest WA: 63.8% 84.2%Highest WA: 63.8%

Typical home builtmedian year 2003Highest 18 yrs newer than WA 1993Lowest 8 yrs newer than WA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 40 minHighest 50% above WA 37 minLowest 37% above WA

Work from home 13.1%±3.8Highest WA: 19.8% 10.9%±2.3Lowest WA: 19.8%

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

Work in townworking residents 4.9%Highest 1%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.8 mi 15.8 mi

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.36Highest 0.16Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Seattle (10%)Tacoma (15%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Elk PlainFew work in Orting

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 15.5%Highest 0.5%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 11.0 miHighest 6.0 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 4.1 miHighest 0.7 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 9Highest 1Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 93.7Highest 59.7Lowest

Schools

School district Orting School DistrictBethel School District

High school in town Orting High SchoolBethel High School

Students per teacherat that high school 21.4Lowest 21.6Highest

Washington 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.

Orting neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Orting’s Town Square.

Elk Plain neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Elk Plain’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Orting and Elk Plain

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Orting

+ Compare

Tehaleh9,561 people · $742K homes

+ Compare

McMillin1,348 people · $611K homes

Towns like Orting

+ Compare

Granite Falls4,659 people · $563K homes

+ Compare

Moxee4,625 people · $363K homes

+ Compare

Sultan6,116 people · $526K homes

+ Compare

Bonney Lake22,090 people · $608K 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.

Orting vs Elk Plain

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $420 more a month in Orting

Orting places higher on 14 of 19 WA lists

What daily life feels like in each

8 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Orting and Elk Plain

Bordering Orting

Towns like Orting

Post to Orting

Check your email