Real Estate Directory - Oregon

Population: 3,559,596 (2003 figures)
Capital city/population: Salem 142,914
Largest cities/population:

  • Portland - 538,544
  • Salem - 142,914
  • Eugene - 142,185
  • Gresham - 95,816

Oregon is the ninth largest state, with a total area of 98,386 square miles. It has an even climate of cool summers and mild winters; however, the eastern portion of the state has lower temperatures, hotter summers, and cold winters. Average temperatures vary from 40ºF - 60ºF. Precipitation is abundant, averaging 60” annually. Oregon was admitted into the Union on February 14, 1859, and has more ghost towns than any other state.

HOUSING

Portland – The city continues to support a seller’s market, with average sale price for a single-family home of $282,000. Currently, there are over 2,000 homes for sale priced between $150,000 - $500,000. Sale prices have appreciated 16% in the past year. Portland offers its residents many amenities, including symphonies, art museums, sports arenas, and bike trails.

Salem – Home prices have risen over 10% in the past year, providing for a great real estate market. Homes are selling well, with home buyers having a great selection from which to choose. Average price for a single-family home is $168,930, with almost 60% of the homes being owner-occupied. This community has many cultural offerings, including museums, markets, fairs, shops, and movies. Residents enjoy the quality of life offered here.

Eugene – Home buyers have many choices in this great community. Average sales price increased 20% over the past year, going from $182,400 to $220,600. Eugene is a diverse city, rated as one of the top cities in the nation for cycling. Walking trails abound, leading past rivers and rose gardens. Truly a great place to live!

Gresham – Average prices for single-family homes rose to $229,000, up slightly from 2004, with an average of 44 days on the market. Most homes range from $141,000 - $239,000, providing home buyers with a great selection at reasonable prices. Few homes are priced over $1 million, which keeps the home buyers market evenly paced. The majority of homes under construction sell well before they are completed.

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

Principal industries include manufacturing, forestry, agriculture, tourism, technology, and publishing. Manufactured goods include lumber/wood products, computer equipment, foods, machinery, fabricated metals, and paper. Crops include greenhouse products, hay, wheat, grass seed, potatoes, onions, Christmas trees, pears, and mint. Total gross state product for 2004 was $ 128,126 million, with a per capita income for 2003 of $29,340.

SCHOOLS

Oregon has developed the Office of Educational Improvement and Innovation (EII) to ensure that all aspects of Oregon’s public and private education, K-12, are interconnected. This provides appropriate instruction for each student, leadership to the districts, and professional development for teachers and administrators. EII focuses on academic standards, alternative education, and continuous improvement planning. Student-teacher ratio for 1994 was 19:9, with an average teachers’ salary for 1995 of $39,650.

Higher-education institutions include the University of Oregon - Eugene; Oregon State University - Corvallis; and Portland State University. Other large schools include Lewis and Clark College and the University of Portland, both in Portland, and Willamette University – Salem

HISTORY

In his search for the Northwest Passage, Captain James Cook charted a portion of the Oregon coastline in 1778. Several years later, Robert Gray sailed up the Columbia River, establishing a U.S. claim to the area. The fur trade dominated the area when John Jacob Astor’s agents founded Astoria, the first permanent settlement in the Oregon country.

Wagon trains began moving westward over the Oregon Trail in the mid 1800s, and settlement disputes with the British followed. A boundary agreement was made in 1846, easing tensions. The California Gold Rush brought a market for nearby Oregon’s goods, and the Oregon gold strike attracted some settlement.

Transcontinental rail lines were completed to the coast, bringing trade and manufacturing. Lumbering became a leading industry, with logging camps built in the western portion of the state.

In recent years, issues over power development, irrigated farming, and environmental issues have dominated Oregon’s government. Restrictions on logging public lands were initiated, and environmentalists took on the timber industry in efforts to save the spotted owl.

RELIGION

  • Christian – 75%
    • Protestant – 55%
      • Baptist – 6%
      • Lutheran – 6%
      • Methodist – 4%
      • Presbyterian – 3%
      • Episcopal – 2%
      • Pentecostal – 2%
      • Church of Christ – 2%
      • Other Protestant or general Protestant – 30%
    • Roman Catholic – 15%
    • Mormon – 4%
    • Other Christian – 1%
  • Other Religions – 1%
  • Non-Religious – 24%

DEMOGRAPHICS

  • White - 83.5%
  • Hispanic - 8.0%
  • Black - 1.6%
  • Asian - 3.0%
  • Native American (U.S. Census) - 1.3%
  • Mixed race - 3.1%