Population 237 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Kelso
Household size in Kelso
| Period | Kelso | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.09 | 2.57 | 2.50 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.63 | 2.55 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.66 | 2.63 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.23 | 2.51 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | +1.14 | −0.06 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Kelso are large by national standards, averaging 3.23 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.09, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Kelso
| Period | Kelso | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 58.7 | 37.3 | 39.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 54.8 | 38.3 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 53.6 | 39.3 | 40.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 39.2 | 41.0 | 41.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | −19.5 | +3.7 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
At 39.2, the median age in Kelso is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The population here is younger than in the Portland area overall, where the median age is 41.0.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Kelso
| Period | Kelso | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.5% | 10.5% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 2.8% | 10.3% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 9.4% | 9.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.9% | 9.5% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −4.6 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in Kelso: 1.9% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Kelso
Renters in Kelso
| Period | Kelso | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.9% | 36.6% | 36.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.7% | 39.1% | 38.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 11.7% | 37.6% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 11.7% | 38.3% | 36.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | +1.7 pts | +0.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Kelso is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 11.7% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 33.8% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Kelso
| Period | Kelso | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.2% | 7.4% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.1% | 6.8% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 6.1% | 8.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.3% | 7.1% | 7.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Kelso: 7.3% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. The Portland area as a whole looks much the same.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Kelso
| Period | Kelso | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1978 | 1977 | 1976 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1978 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1977 | 1980 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1997 | 1981 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +19 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Kelso has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1997, versus 1980 nationally.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Kelso
| Period | Kelso | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,613 | $961 | $870 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $933 | $1,105 | $982 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,435 | $1,374 | $1,183 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $2,026 | $1,794 | $1,601 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$413 | +$833 | +$731 | +$606 |
The median renter in Kelso pays $2,026 a month for rent and utilities, well above the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 51.0% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Kelso
Bachelor's degrees in Kelso
| Period | Kelso | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 26.6% | 33.3% | 29.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 25.1% | 34.5% | 30.2% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 39.2% | 33.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.6% | 42.6% | 36.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | −9.0 pts | +9.3 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Kelso: 17.6% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Kelso
| Period | Kelso | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.9% | 90.0% | 88.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.7% | 90.6% | 89.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 81.2% | 91.9% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 94.2% | 93.2% | 91.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | +9.4 pts | +3.2 pts | +3.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Kelso is above the national rate: 94.2% of adults have a diploma, against 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of the Portland area.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Kelso
| Period | Kelso | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.3% | 8.6% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 2.7% | 9.6% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 0.0% | 4.7% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.1% | 4.6% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.2 pts | −4.0 pts | −3.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Kelso is close to the national rate: 5.1% of the labor force, against 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Kelso compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kelso | 3.23 | 39.2 | 1.9% | 11.7% | 7.3% | 1997 | $2,026 | 17.6% | 94.2% | 5.1% |
| Boring | 2.71 | 48.1 | 5.8% | 10.9% | 6.9% | 1981 | $1,660 | 25.8% | 92.3% | 5.1% |
| Sandy | 2.83 | 38.4 | 9.4% | 22.0% | 8.1% | 1994 | $1,822 | 31.2% | 94.5% | 5.2% |
| Eagle Creek | 2.46 | 51.1 | 7.3% | 17.4% | 6.1% | 1983 | $1,477 | 23.6% | 89.8% | 4.4% |
| Cottrell | 2.77 | 51.6 | 8.6% | 12.4% | 13.9% | 1979 | $1,658 | 22.3% | 93.5% | 2.2% |
| Damascus | 3.04 | 43.8 | 11.3% | 10.8% | 2.9% | 1986 | $2,310 | 34.8% | 95.8% | 3.1% |
| Currinsville | 2.38 | 51.8 | 4.2% | 6.3% | 4.4% | 1979 | $812 | 22.9% | 94.1% | 12.9% |
| Estacada | 2.64 | 42.0 | 7.6% | 19.6% | 6.0% | 1994 | $1,019 | 13.7% | 93.7% | 3.0% |
| Corbett | 2.94 | 44.4 | 12.2% | 14.6% | 5.8% | 1972 | $1,970 | 44.7% | 95.7% | 4.7% |
| Marmot | 2.15 | 53.0 | 2.0% | 7.3% | 43.4% | 1977 | $2,140 | 35.2% | 99.6% | 2.1% |
| Gresham | 2.72 | 37.6 | 15.0% | 43.7% | 6.1% | 1983 | $1,701 | 22.7% | 86.6% | 5.5% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Blacksville, WV · Brems, IN · Braxton, KY · Brandon, TX · Boykins and Branchville, VA · Bosstown, WI · Bosler, WY · Boncarbo, CO · Bob White, WV · Brice, IN
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Kelso. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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