Hood River is a city and county seat of Hood River County, Oregon, and a
river port on the Columbia River. The town was named for the nearby stream,
Hood River. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 5,831.
History
A Post office was established at the site of the present town in September
30, 1850, and the town itself was incorporated in 1881.
Long an agricultural center, Hood River experienced a boom of growth with
its discovery as a gateway to world-class wind surfing in the Columbia River
Gorge. The rapid increase in the cost of housing has forced many less
affluent long-time residents to nearby communities, some as far away as The
Dalles
Hood River is also the home for the International Museum of Carousel Art
and the employee-owned Full Sail Brewing Company, a major Oregon
microbrewery.
Geography
Hood River is located at 45°42'24" North, 121°31'18" West (45.706665,
-121.521719)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of
7.5 km˛ (2.9 mi˛). 5.3 km˛ (2.0 mi˛) of it is land and 2.2 km˛ (0.8 mi˛) of
it is water. The total area is 28.97% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 5,831 people, 2,429 households, and
1,442 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,098.2/km˛
(2,839.4/mi˛). There are 2,645 housing units at an average density of 498.2/km˛
(1,288.0/mi˛). The racial makeup of the city is 80.83% White, 0.60% African
American, 0.99% Native American, 1.15% Asian, 0.19% Pacific Islander, 13.58%
from other races, and 2.66% from two or more races. 23.17% of the population
are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 2,429 households out of which 32.3% have children under the age of
18 living with them, 44.1% are married couples living together, 11.6% have a
female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% are non-families.
32.8% of all households are made up of individuals and 14.8% have someone
living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is
2.38 and the average family size is 3.06.
In the city the population is spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18,
9.7% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who
are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100
females there are 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there
are 87.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $31,580, and the median
income for a family is $35,568. Males have a median income of $31,583 versus
$24,764 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,609. 17.3% of
the population and 12.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the
total people living in poverty, 28.7% are under the age of 18 and 14.3% are
65 or older.
