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%

Waterloo$1,710/mo

Typical home $294K (Census) · tax rate 0.70% · or rent about $1,167/mo · Housing →

Barlow$2,390/mo

Typical home $414K (Census) · tax rate 0.64% · Housing →

The difference: $680 a month, about $8,100 a year, between Barlow and Waterloo.

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

WaterlooBarlow

Snow a year0″1″

January low—35°F

July high—81°F

Growing season (days)—241d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)52nd 82nd

Outdoors & history

WaterlooBarlow

Trails0 mi —

Conserved land3%—

Settled1893 1903

Archive photos—6

Famous people born here—1

Community

WaterlooBarlow

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

53 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

WaterlooOR BarlowOR

Waterloo ↔ Barlow53 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 Oregon average

WaterlooBarlow

People

Population 229Highest 105Lowest

Median age 49.5±10.4Highest 23% above OR 45.5±11.7Lowest 13% above OR

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

Kids under 18 5.7%±8.6Lowest OR: 19.9% 19%±24.1Highest OR: 19.9%

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

Age 65+ 26.6%±16.5Highest OR: 19.1% 15.2%±28.9Lowest OR: 19.1%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 11%Lowest OR: 36.8% 30.4%Highest OR: 36.8%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 1.7%±6.2Highest OR: 5.7% 1%±12.7Lowest OR: 5.7%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $88,750±$26kLowest 7% above OR $96,250±$59kHighest 16% above OR

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $293,800±$128kLowest 38% below OR $413,600±$89kHighest 13% below OR

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

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,167±$567 23% below OR —

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,068Lowest 47% below OR $2,643Highest 32% below OR

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 50%±100 OR: 52.5% —

Below poverty line 3.5%Lowest OR: 11.9% 7.6%Highest OR: 11.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 95.5%Lowest OR: 63.3% 97.7%Highest OR: 63.3%

Typical home builtmedian year 1971Lowest 10 yrs older than OR 1980Highest 1 yr older than OR

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 34 minHighest 48% above OR 20 minLowest 13% below OR

Work from home 19.8%±14.4Lowest OR: 19% 22%±15.2Highest OR: 19%

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

Work in townworking residents 0%Lowest 2.1%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.8 miHighest 15.8 miLowest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.14Lowest 0.81Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Lebanon (15%)Portland (29%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in BarlowFew work in Waterloo

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 3%Highest 0%Lowest

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 226Highest 194Lowest

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.

Waterloo neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Waterloo’s Town Square.

Barlow neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Barlow’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Waterloo and Barlow

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

Towns like Waterloo

+ Compare

Sodaville309 people · $347K homes

+ Compare

Adams292 people · $225K homes

+ Compare

Ukiah177 people

+ Compare

Mount Vernon364 people · $143K 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.

Waterloo vs Barlow

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $680 more a month in Barlow

What daily life feels like in each

53 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Waterloo and Barlow

Towns like Waterloo

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