Compare towns
Spray vs Seneca 63 miles apart. The biggest differences: property tax bill (3.8× in Spray) and home values (+72% in Spray).
Where each one shines Two towns, two different strengths What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.
The biggest differences Where they part ways The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.
★ What stands out · Monthly cost A typical home costs $1,540 more a month in Spray 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 payment3.5% 10% 20% Rate
Spray $2,400 /mo
Typical home $409K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.76% · Housing →
Seneca $860 /mo
Typical home $156K (Census) · tax rate 0.34% · Housing →
The difference: $1,540 a month , about $18,500 a year , between Spray and Seneca.
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.
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.
Outdoors & history
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 63 miles apart Straight-line miles between town centers.
Spray ↔ Seneca 63 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.
Raising kids Affordability Owning a home Short commute Working from home Younger crowd Settled, older crowd Growing town Outdoorsy Walkable streets
Population
89 Lowest 109 Highest
Median age
67.6 ±9.7 Lowest 67% above OR 67.8 ±16.2 Highest 68% above OR
Kids under 18
11.2% ±37.9 Highest OR: 19.9% 9.2% ±24.3 Lowest OR: 19.9%
Age 65+
53.9% ±37.5 Highest OR: 19.1% 51.4% ±32.3 Lowest OR: 19.1%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+
7% Lowest OR: 36.8% 19.2% Highest OR: 36.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents
20.2% ±13.3 Highest OR: 5.7% 0% ±16.9 Lowest OR: 5.7%
Household incomemedian
— $39,821 ±$39k 52% below OR
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied
$269,400 ±$44k Highest 44% below OR $156,300 ±$29k Lowest 67% below OR
Property taxmedian, yearly
$2,038 Highest 47% below OR $538 Lowest 86% below OR
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent
100% ±100 Highest OR: 52.5% 50% ±100 Lowest OR: 52.5%
Below poverty line
21.1% Lowest OR: 11.9% 22% Highest OR: 11.9%
Homeownersof occupied homes
86% Highest OR: 63.3% 85.9% Lowest OR: 63.3%
Typical home builtmedian year
1970 Highest 11 yrs older than OR 1947 Lowest 34 yrs older than OR
Average commuteone way
2 min Lowest 92% below OR 17 min Highest 25% below OR
Work from home
22.2% ±16.6 Highest OR: 19% 0% ±27.7 Lowest OR: 19%
Work in townworking residents
2.1% Highest 1.5% Lowest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line
62.8 mi Lowest 116.3 mi Highest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub
0.77 Highest 0.23 Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town
Fossil (23%) John Day (8%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others
Few work in Seneca Few work in Spray
Conserved landshare of the town
0% Lowest 0.5% Highest
Trailsmapped miles
0.3 mi Lowest 0.8 mi Highest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi
1.0 mi 1.0 mi
Parks & preservesnamed on the map
0 Lowest 1 Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure
105 Highest 38.0 Lowest
School district
— John Day SD 3
High school in town
— None in town
“±” Census margin of error ACS 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.
Spray or Seneca: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Spray? → Moving to Spray: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Spray’s Town Square.
Seneca or Spray: which would you pick? → What’s it really like to live in Seneca? → Moving to Seneca: what should I know? →
Your question goes to Seneca’s Town Square.
Add a town Set another town beside Spray and Seneca One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.
Towns like Spray 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.
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