Lake
Oregon

What stands out

If you had to describe Lake County in numbers, start here: rainfall is in the bottom 5% of American counties (14 inches a year), unemployment is in the top 7% of American counties (5.4%), and the restaurant count per person is in the top 10% of American counties (1.3 per 1,000). Within Oregon it ranks 7th of 36 counties for rainfall, counting from the bottom.

Where you are

You live in Lake County, Oregon. 8,201 people live here with you, so most faces are familiar. The population shrank 1.0% last year, and more Americans moved out than in (net -29).

Oregon has no sales tax and a graduated income tax that reaches 9.9% at modest incomes, plus an estate tax that begins at $1 million, the lowest threshold in the country. Portland adds regional income taxes for homeless services and preschool. Statewide land-use rules limit sprawl, which keeps home prices high in the Willamette Valley. The state does not tax Social Security.

Money

The typical household here brings in $54,663 a year, lower than 68% of American counties. Employers pay an average wage of $50,918. Unemployment runs 5.4%, higher than 93% of American counties. 13% of workers work from home.

Oregon takes 8.2% of that median income in state income tax, about $4,464 a year.

Home

The median home costs $202K, cheaper than 62% of American counties, about 2.3 years of the median household's income. A two-bedroom rents for around $814 a month. Property tax is 0.81% of home value, roughly $1,371 a year on that median home, lower than 55% of American counties. 62% of households own rather than rent.

Safety and health

Violent crime here is 4.1 per 1,000 residents, higher than 62% of American counties. Drug overdoses killed 25 people per 100,000 in 2024, one of the harder-hit counties in the country.

A child born here can expect to live 76.5 years, longer than 58% of American counties. There are 9 active physicians in the county, about 11.0 per 10,000 people. 8.6% of people under 65 have no health insurance.

School

Local students test at grade level 2.99 where 3.0 is national grade level, lower than 57% of American counties. 87% of adults finished high school.

Neighbors and politics

In 2024 your neighbors voted Republican by 67 points, among the most lopsided counties in the country. 70% of eligible voters turned out. Under Oregon law you need local approval to carry a concealed handgun, abortion is protected by state law, and marijuana is legal for adults.

Weather and risk

The year averages 48°F, highs near 61 and lows near 35, colder than 82% of American counties. About 14 inches of rain and snow fall a year. FEMA puts natural-hazard risk at 41 out of 100, safer than 59% of American counties; the county has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 1953.

Getting around, going out

Home internet averages 142 Mbps down, slower than 74% of American counties. There are 9 airports in the county, counting general aviation. For a night or a weekend out: 1.3 full-service restaurants per 1,000 people.