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 BGranite FallsSafer than 60% of U.S. towns

Schools

BOrtingBetter than 58% of districts in the state DGranite FallsBetter than 11% of districts in the state

Health

B+OrtingHealthier than 70% of U.S. towns A−Granite FallsHealthier than 81% of U.S. towns

9Orting

9Granite Falls

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Highest graduation rateSchools · 254 towns #1#247 Most conserved landOutdoors · 275 towns #20#166 Lowest obesityHealth · 284 towns #215#108 Most trailsOutdoors · 236 towns #7#94 Most walkableOutdoors · 284 towns #64#132 HealthiestHealth · 284 towns #173#106 Cheapest rentCost of living · 274 towns #231#167 Highest incomeIncome · 284 towns #59#114

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

Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

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 →

Granite Falls$3,410/mo

Typical home $579K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.77% · or rent about $1,825/mo · Housing →

The difference: $120 a month, about $1,500 a year, between Granite Falls and Orting.

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.

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

OrtingGranite Falls

Snow a year6″3″

January low33°F 32°F

July high76°F 74°F

Growing season (days)202d 188d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)88th 79th

Outdoors & history

OrtingGranite Falls

Trails11 mi 3 mi

Conserved land15.5%2.8%

Settled1889 1883

National Register places1 —

Archive photos12 12

Community

OrtingGranite Falls

Library hours a week48 hrs 56 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

70 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

OrtingWA Granite FallsWA

Orting ↔ Granite Falls70 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

OrtingGranite Falls

People

Population 8,978Highest 4,659Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +34%Highest WA: +14.6% +32.3%Lowest WA: +14.6%

Median age 34.1±2.8Lowest 11% below WA 36.6±1.8Highest 4% below WA

Granite Falls 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% 24.4%±5.8Lowest WA: 21.4%

Orting and Granite Falls 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% 13.4%±4.1Highest WA: 16.6%

Granite Falls 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%Lowest WA: 39.6% 25.5%Highest WA: 39.6%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.1%±1.2Lowest WA: 5.7% 4%±2.1Highest WA: 5.7%

Granite Falls 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 $105,136±$15kLowest 7% above WA

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $493,100±$22kLowest 13% below WA $562,700±$41kHighest about the WA average

Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,284±$419Highest 30% above WA $1,825±$203Lowest 4% above WA

Orting and Granite Falls 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 $4,359Highest 4% below WA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 59.2%±27Highest WA: 49.9% 57.3%±26.2Lowest WA: 49.9%

Orting and Granite Falls 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% 3.4%Highest WA: 9.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 83.5%Lowest WA: 63.8% 83.9%Highest WA: 63.8%

Typical home builtmedian year 2003Highest 18 yrs newer than WA 1999Lowest 14 yrs newer than WA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 40 minHighest 50% above WA 36 minLowest 33% above WA

Work from home 13.1%±3.8Highest WA: 19.8% 11.8%±5.6Lowest WA: 19.8%

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

Work in townworking residents 4.9%Lowest 5.1%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.8 miLowest 21.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.36Lowest 0.41Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Seattle (10%)Everett (18%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Granite FallsFew work in Orting

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 15.5%Highest 2.8%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 11.0 miHighest 2.6 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 4.1 miHighest 1.2 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 9Highest 3Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 93.7Highest 63.6Lowest

Schools

School district Orting School DistrictGranite Falls School District

High school in town Orting High SchoolGranite Falls High School

Students per teacherat that high school 21.4Highest 20.0Lowest

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.

Granite Falls neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Granite Falls’s Town Square.

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Bordering Orting

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Towns like Orting

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Ridgefield13,408 people · $614K 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 Granite Falls

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

Grades and rankings, side by side

A typical home costs about the same each month

What daily life feels like in each

70 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Orting and Granite Falls

Bordering Orting

Towns like Orting

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