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%

Wasco$1,330/mo

Typical home $229K (Census) · tax rate 0.67% · or rent about $1,229/mo · Housing →

Rufus$1,060/mo

Typical home $183K (Census) · tax rate 0.66% · or rent about $800/mo · Housing →

The difference: $270 a month, about $3,300 a year, between Wasco and Rufus.

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

WascoRufus

Snow a year6″6″

January low—29°F

July high—88°F

Growing season (days)—191d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)83rd 83rd

Outdoors & history

WascoRufus

Trails0 mi —

Conserved land1.3%—

Settled1901 1965

National Register places1 —

Community

WascoRufus

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

7 miles apart

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

WascoRufus

Wasco ↔ Rufus7.1 miles apart

Who commutes between them

3 Wasco residents work in Rufus (1.8% of its workers)

3 Rufus residents work in Wasco (2.4% of its workers)

Work & commute in Wasco →

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

WascoRufus

People

Population 455Highest 212Lowest

Median age 45.7±14.3Lowest 13% above OR 48±15Highest 19% above OR

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

Kids under 18 14.9%±3.5Lowest OR: 19.9% 20.3%±15.6Highest OR: 19.9%

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

Age 65+ 29%±2.9Highest OR: 19.1% 27.8%±9Lowest OR: 19.1%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 7.8%Lowest OR: 36.8% 13.2%Highest OR: 36.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.7%±4.4Highest OR: 5.7% 1.4%±6.6Lowest OR: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $65,000±$28kHighest 22% below OR $39,306±$14kLowest 53% below OR

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $229,300±$34kHighest 52% below OR $182,800±$48kLowest 62% below OR

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,229±$136Highest 19% below OR $800±$107Lowest 48% below OR

Property taxmedian, yearly $1,543Highest 60% below OR $1,211Lowest 69% below OR

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 13.3%±43.1Lowest OR: 52.5% 60.7%±68.2Highest OR: 52.5%

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

Below poverty line 17.4%Lowest OR: 11.9% 24.5%Highest OR: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 74.2%Highest OR: 63.3% 72.4%Lowest OR: 63.3%

Typical home builtmedian year 1964Lowest 17 yrs older than OR 1983Highest 2 yrs newer than OR

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 23 minHighest about the OR average 12 minLowest 50% below OR

Work from home 5.9%±3.8Highest OR: 19% 0%±18.3Lowest OR: 19%

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

Work in townworking residents 2.4%Lowest 4.7%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 25.3 mi 25.3 mi

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.26Lowest 0.58Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Moro (14%)The Dalles (15%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 2% work in Rufus2% work in Wasco

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.3%Lowest 38.8%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.0 mi 0.0 mi

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Highest 0Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 61.7Highest 20.9Lowest

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.

Wasco neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Wasco’s Town Square.

Rufus neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Rufus’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Wasco

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Ione456 people · $160K homes

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North Powder563 people · $142K homes

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Arlington690 people · $253K homes

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Halfway312 people · $247K 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.

Wasco vs Rufus

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $270 more a month in Wasco

What daily life feels like in each

7 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Wasco and Rufus

Towns like Wasco

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