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Deschutes County, Oregon

Coordinates: 43°55′N 121°13′W / 43.91°N 121.22°W / 43.91; -121.22
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Deschutes County, Oregon
County
Old U.S. Post Office in Bend, Oregon
Old U.S. Post Office in Bend, Oregon
Map of Oregon highlighting Deschutes County
Location within the U.S. state of Oregon
Coordinates: 43°55′N 121°13′W / 43.91°N 121.22°W / 43.91; -121.22
Country United States
State Oregon
FoundedDecember 13, 1916
Named afterDeschutes River
SeatBend
Largest cityBend
Area
 • Total
3,055 sq mi (7,910 km2)
 • Land3,018 sq mi (7,820 km2)
 • Water37 sq mi (96 km2)  1.2%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
198,253
 • Estimate 
(2024)
211,535 Increase
 • Density65/sq mi (25/km2)
Time zoneUTC−8 (Pacific)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−7 (PDT)
Congressional districts2nd, 5th
Websitewww.deschutes.org

Deschutes County (/dəˈʃuːts/ də-SHOOTS) is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 198,253.[1] The county seat is Bend.[2] The county was created in 1916 out of part of Crook County and was named for the Deschutes River, which itself was named by French-Canadian trappers of the early 19th century. It is the political and economic hub of Central Oregon. Deschutes comprises the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area[3] and media market. Deschutes is Oregon's fastest-growing and most recently formed county.[4]

History

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French-Canadian fur trappers of the Hudson's Bay Company gave the name Rivière des Chutes (River of the Falls) to the Deschutes River, from which the county derived its name.[5]

On December 13, 1916, Deschutes County was created from the southern part of Crook County. Bend has been the county seat since the county's formation. It was the last county in Oregon to be established.

The Shevlin-Hixon Lumber Company also operated within the Bend area processing Ponderosa pine trees.

Geography

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According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 3,055 square miles (7,910 km2), of which 3,018 square miles (7,820 km2) is land and 37 square miles (96 km2) (1.2%) is water.[6]

Adjacent counties

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National protected areas

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
19209,622—
193014,74953.3%
194018,63126.3%
195021,81217.1%
196023,1005.9%
197030,44231.8%
198062,142104.1%
199074,95820.6%
2000115,36753.9%
2010157,73336.7%
2020198,25325.7%
2024 (est.)211,535[7] Increase6.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10]
1990–2000[11] 2010–2020[12]
Deschutes County grew by 39.4% from 2000 to 2007, making it by far the fastest-growing county in Oregon, at more than four times the state average.

2020 census

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As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 198,253. Of the residents, 20.2% were under the age of 18 and 21.2% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 42.5 years. For every 100 females there were 98.2 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.3 males. 70.8% of residents lived in urban areas and 29.2% lived in rural areas.[13][14]

The racial makeup of the county was 85.3% White, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.4% from some other race, and 8.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 8.7% of the population.[15]

There were 80,217 households in the county, of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 22.3% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[14]

There were 94,110 housing units, of which 14.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 68.9% were owner-occupied and 31.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.2%.[14]

Deschutes County, Oregon – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 1980[16] Pop 1990[17] Pop 2000[18] Pop 2010[19] Pop 2020[20] % 1980 % 1990 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 60,227 72,303 107,177 139,470 164,595 96.92% 96.46% 92.90% 88.42% 83.02%
Black or African American alone (NH) 38 78 207 524 786 0.06% 0.10% 0.18% 0.33% 0.40%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 493 609 875 1,197 1,139 0.79% 0.81% 0.76% 0.76% 0.57%
Asian alone (NH) 257 426 831 1,412 2,421 0.41% 0.57% 0.72% 0.90% 1.22%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) x [21] x [22] 81 183 258 x x 0.07% 0.12% 0.13%
Other race alone (NH) 75 16 77 141 1,028 0.12% 0.02% 0.07% 0.09% 0.52%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) x [23] x [24] 1,815 3,088 10,789 x x 1.57% 1.96% 5.44%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 1,052 1,526 4,304 11,718 17,237 1.69% 2.04% 3.73% 7.43% 8.69%
Total 62,142 74,958 115,367 157,733 198,253 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2010 census

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As of the 2010 census, there were 157,733 people, 64,090 households, and 43,062 families living in the county.[25] The population density was 52.3 inhabitants per square mile (20.2 inhabitants/km2). There were 80,139 housing units at an average density of 26.6 units per square mile (10.3 units/km2).[26] The racial makeup of the county was 92.2% white, 0.9% Asian, 0.9% American Indian, 0.4% black or African American, 0.1% Pacific islander, 3.0% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 7.4% of the population.[25] In terms of ancestry, 24.0% were German, 15.3% were Irish, 14.5% were English, and 4.8% were American.[27]

Of the 64,090 households, 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 32.8% were non-families, and 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age was 40.2 years.[25]

The median income for a household in the county was $53,071 and the median income for a family was $61,605. Males had a median income of $43,543 versus $33,207 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,920. About 7.6% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 7.7% of those age 65 or over.[28]

2000 census

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As of the census[29] of 2000, there were 115,367 people, 45,595 households, and 31,962 families living in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile (15 people/km2). There were 54,583 housing units at an average density of 18 units per square mile (6.9/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.85% White, 0.19% Black or African American, 0.83% Native American, 0.74% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from other races, and 1.96% from two or more races. 3.73% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 19.4% were of German, 13.2% English, 11.4% Irish and 9.1% American ancestry.

There were 45,595 households, out of which 32.10% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.00% were married couples living together, 8.50% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 22.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the county, 24.80% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.80% from 18 to 24, 28.60% from 25 to 44, 25.70% from 45 to 64, and 13.10% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 98.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.00 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $41,847, and the median income for a family was $48,403. Males had a median income of $34,070 versus $25,069 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,767. About 6.30% of families and 9.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.40% of those under age 18 and 6.10% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

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View of the Cascades near La Pine, Oregon

Cities

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Census-designated places

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Former Community

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Resort Communities, etc.

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Unincorporated communities

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Politics

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From the 1920s to the 1980s, Deschutes County was a swing county, going for the winner of the Presidency every time but 1960. From the 1990s to the 2010s, Deschutes County fell politically more in line with the conservative eastern side of Oregon than the liberal western side. However, this has shifted in recent years, due in large part to the rapid growth and urbanization within the city of Bend. By January 2021, a narrow plurality of registered voters in Deschutes County were registered with the Democratic Party.[30] In addition, Joe Biden carried the county with 52.7% of the vote in the 2020 presidential election compared to 44.4% of the vote for Donald Trump, thereby marking the first time a Democratic Party candidate won the county since 1992 and the first time a Democratic Party candidate received a majority of the vote in the county since 1964.

In 2024, Deschutes County swung to the left, despite Oregon and the country swinging to the right. Kamala Harris received 53.47% of the vote, the highest vote share for a Democratic presidential nominee since 1964 in the county. This was also the first time the county voted for a losing Democratic nominee.

In 2008, the Democratic Party won the Oregon House seat encompassing the city of Bend, becoming the only Democratic-controlled district east of the Cascades,[31] though the Republicans retook the seat in 2010.[32] Republicans would hold the seat for the remainder of the decade until 2020, when Democrat Jason Kropf was elected to the State House and re-elected in 2022. In 2022, the 53rd District, including Redmond, elected Democrat Emerson Levy to the Oregon House. Portions of Deschutes County also fall into the 55th, 59th and 60th House Districts, respectively held by Republicans E. Werner Reschke, Vikki Breese-Iverson and Mark Owens. Deschutes County is also divvied up between the 27th, 28th and 30th Senate Districts in the Oregon Senate, respectively represented by Republicans Tim Knopp, Dennis Linthicum and Lynn Findley.

Deschutes County is currently one of 11 counties in Oregon in which therapeutic psilocybin is legal.

United States presidential election results for Deschutes County, Oregon[33]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
1920 1,649 54.24% 1,072 35.26% 319 10.49%
1924 2,321 53.02% 1,015 23.18% 1,042 23.80%
1928 2,815 60.83% 1,702 36.78% 111 2.40%
1932 1,697 33.57% 2,962 58.60% 396 7.83%
1936 1,299 22.08% 4,278 72.71% 307 5.22%
1940 2,603 34.93% 4,775 64.07% 75 1.01%
1944 2,547 39.64% 3,807 59.24% 72 1.12%
1948 3,463 48.35% 3,499 48.85% 201 2.81%
1952 5,776 64.28% 3,174 35.32% 36 0.40%
1956 5,399 56.83% 4,102 43.17% 0 0.00%
1960 5,145 51.74% 4,776 48.03% 23 0.23%
1964 3,148 31.18% 6,947 68.82% 0 0.00%
1968 5,599 49.86% 4,859 43.27% 772 6.87%
1972 7,747 52.28% 6,319 42.64% 753 5.08%
1976 9,054 46.71% 9,480 48.91% 848 4.38%
1980 15,186 52.89% 9,641 33.57% 3,888 13.54%
1984 19,323 62.20% 11,671 37.57% 72 0.23%
1988 16,425 52.37% 14,264 45.48% 677 2.16%
1992 15,655 35.65% 15,693 35.73% 12,570 28.62%
1996 21,135 46.67% 17,151 37.88% 6,996 15.45%
2000 32,132 55.51% 22,061 38.11% 3,692 6.38%
2004 41,757 56.39% 31,179 42.11% 1,112 1.50%
2008 39,064 48.96% 38,819 48.66% 1,899 2.38%
2012 42,463 51.85% 36,961 45.13% 2,476 3.02%
2016 45,692 46.36% 42,444 43.07% 10,421 10.57%
2020 55,646 44.43% 65,962 52.67% 3,626 2.90%
2024 54,850 43.06% 68,108 53.47% 4,417 3.47%

Economy

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Deschutes County Road Department at work, February 2011

During the 1990s, Deschutes County experienced the most rapid growth of any county in Oregon, largely due to the year-round availability of recreational activities, and its location as the nearest population center to much of the central Cascade Range. Beyond tourism, principal industries in the county are lumber, ranching and agriculture—chiefly potatoes. The Forest Service owns 51% of the lands within the county boundaries.

Deschutes County is the home of four destination resorts as defined by Oregon's Department of Land Conservation and Development. These resorts are major employers within the county. Three of these resorts, Sunriver, Eagle Crest, and Pronghorn, are among the county's ten largest tax payers.[34]

Geology

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The overall defining landscape of Deschutes County is primarily marked with that of lava flows. Most of the lava found in Deschutes County issued forth from Newberry Volcano located just south of Bend. Because of this, many lava tubes are located within, including the prominent Lava River Cave. As a consequence, the county is the most cave-rich in the state of Oregon,[35] with over 500 known caves in the county.[36] Other prominent lava flows exist too, especially those related to the Mount Bachelor Volcanic Chain which consists of Mount Bachelor as well as three smaller shield volcanos, and a series of cinder cones.[37]

The Three Sisters mountains visible over the Crooked River Railroad Bridge north of Terrebonne

Large volcanoes serve as a backdrop to the city of Bend in Deschutes County, ranging from the prominent Three Sisters, Mount Washington, Mount Bachelor, Broken Top, Newberry, Tumalo Mountain, Maiden Peak and others. A group of geologists have discovered Smith Rock State Park is part of an ancient supervolcano called the Crooked River caldera with a rim nearly six times the diameter of Newberry Volcano's caldera. This ancient supervolcano has long gone extinct. Its crater rim is barely recognizable as remnants mark portions of Powell Buttes, Gray Butte, and the western front of the Ochoco Mountains at Barnes Butte.[38]

On the eastern side of the county, it is mostly characterized by large buttes of much older volcanic origin. Most of these did not create any proper lava flows, or at least none that are known to exist. Some of the prominent buttes include Horse Ridge, Pine Mountain, China Hat, and several others on the county border.

Two main types of lava flows are found within the county. The most common are the pāhoehoe flows which have been partially buried by volcanic ash, tephra deposits, and dirt over tens to hundreds of thousands of years. The ʻaʻā flows are fewer but much more prominent, with the most notable being associated with Lava Butte and the Lava Cast Forest in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument.

Education

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School districts include:[39]

The former Brothers School District merged into the Crook County district effective 2006.[40]

Deschutes County is in the boundary of Central Oregon Community College.[41]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "OMB Bulletin No. 20-01: Revised Delineations of Metropolitan Statistical Areas, Micropolitan Statistical Areas, and Combined Statistical Areas, and Guidance on Uses of the Delineations of These Areas" (PDF). United States Office of Management and Budget. March 6, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
  4. ^ Bilby, Robert; Hanna, Susan; Huntly, Nancy; et al. (July 8, 2007). "Human Population Impacts on Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife" (PDF). Independent Scientific Advisory Board. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 17, 2013. Retrieved September 15, 2008.
  5. ^ "Deschutes County". Oregon Blue Book. State of Oregon. Retrieved April 10, 2009.
  6. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  7. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  8. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  9. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  10. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  11. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  12. ^ "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 20, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  13. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  14. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  15. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved 10 December 2025.
  16. ^ "1980 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Oregon - Table 58 - Persons by Race and Table 59 - Total Persons and Spanish Origin Persons by Type of Spanish Origin and Race (p. 39/24-39/32)" (PDF). United States Census Bureau.
  17. ^ "1990 Census of Population - General Population Characteristics - Oregon - Table 5 - Race and Hispanic Origin" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. p. 9-30.
  18. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Deschutes County, Oregon". United States Census Bureau.
  19. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Deschutes County, Oregon". United States Census Bureau.
  20. ^ "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Deschutes County, Oregon". United States Census Bureau.
  21. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1980 Census
  22. ^ included in the Asian category in the 1990 Census
  23. ^ not an option in the 1980 Census
  24. ^ not an option in the 1990 Census
  25. ^ a b c "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 23, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  26. ^ "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 23, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  27. ^ "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 23, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  28. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 23, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  29. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  30. ^ "Oregon Secretary of State Election Statistics".
  31. ^ [1] Archived October 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  32. ^ "Jason Conger - Oregon State Representative, House District 54". Repjasonconger.com. Archived from the original on March 28, 2012. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  33. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  34. ^ Williams, Steve, "The Expansion of Oregon’s Destination Resorts" Archived May 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, WorkSource Oregon, www.qualityinfo.org, Oregon Employment Department, Salem, Oregon, March 29, 2007.
  35. ^ "Oregon High Desert Grotto". Ohdgrotto.com. Retrieved October 24, 2012.
  36. ^ Matt Skeels. "The Caves of Central Oregon". Oregon High Desert Grotto. Retrieved July 7, 2013.
  37. ^ Geologic Map of the Mount Bachelor Volcanic Chain and Surrounding Area, Cascade Range, Oregon (Map). 1 : 50,000. Cartography by D. F. Garcia; R. C. Ittner; S.E. Jefferies. U.S. Department of the Interior; U.S. Geological Survey; Scott, William E.; Gardner, Cynthia A. 1992.
  38. ^ McClaughry, Jason D.; Ferns, Mark L.; Gordon, Caroline L.; Patridge, Karyn A. (2009). "Field Trip Guide to the Oligocene Crooked River caldera: Central Oregon's Supervolcano, Crook, Deschutes, and Jefferson Counties, Oregon" (PDF). Oregon Geology. 69 (1): 25–44. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 27, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
  39. ^ Geography Division (December 18, 2020). 2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Deschutes County, OR (PDF) (Map). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved April 3, 2025. - Text list
  40. ^ Bousquet, Ernestine (August 30, 2005). "Brothers School to merge with Crook Co". The Bulletin. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ^ "Oregon Community Colleges and Community College Districts" (PDF). Oregon Department of Community Colleges & Workforce Development. Retrieved April 3, 2025.

Further reading

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43°55′N 121°13′W / 43.91°N 121.22°W / 43.91; -121.22

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