Population 5,780 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Rainier
Household size in Rainier
| Period | Rainier | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.52 | 2.57 | 2.50 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.56 | 2.63 | 2.55 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.85 | 2.63 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.66 | 2.51 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.13 | −0.06 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
At 2.66 people per household, Rainier sits close to the national average of 2.65. The typical household here is bigger than in the Portland area overall, where it has 2.51 people. Since 2006–10, household size has climbed from 2.52, even as the national average fell.
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 Rainier
| Period | Rainier | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 40.9 | 37.3 | 39.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 46.1 | 38.3 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 46.0 | 39.3 | 40.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.0 | 41.0 | 41.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +4.1 | +3.7 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.0, Rainier is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. The median age has climbed from 40.9 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. The youngest areas are in the center, the oldest in the south.
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 Rainier
| Period | Rainier | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.4% | 10.5% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 10.3% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.2% | 9.4% | 9.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 13.2% | 9.5% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | −1.0 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are a bit more common in Rainier than nationally: 13.2%, against 11.6%. The single-parent share has risen 3.7 points since 2006–10, even as the national share fell.
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 Rainier
Renters in Rainier
| Period | Rainier | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.8% | 36.6% | 36.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 22.8% | 39.1% | 38.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 21.1% | 37.6% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 22.1% | 38.3% | 36.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.4 pts | +1.7 pts | +0.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 22.1% of households in Rainier rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. About a third of owners (34.0%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the north and least common in the southeast.
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 Rainier
| Period | Rainier | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.8% | 7.4% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 16.3% | 6.8% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.8% | 6.1% | 8.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.8% | 7.1% | 7.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Rainier is close to the national rate: 9.8% of homes are empty, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in the wider Portland area (7.1%).
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 Rainier
| Period | Rainier | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1977 | 1976 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1975 | 1978 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1975 | 1980 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1978 | 1981 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +4 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Rainier are about the same age as the nation's housing: the median home was built in 1978, versus 1980 nationally. The median year built has moved up from 1973 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. Newer construction is concentrated in the southwest, while the east has the oldest housing.
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 Rainier
| Period | Rainier | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $669 | $961 | $870 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $856 | $1,105 | $982 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $955 | $1,374 | $1,183 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,035 | $1,794 | $1,601 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$366 | +$833 | +$731 | +$606 |
Rent in Rainier runs $1,035 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $366 a month since 2006–10, up 55%, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 36.3% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. Of the 115 Oregon cities with 5,000+ people, only ten have lower rents.
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 Rainier
Bachelor's degrees in Rainier
| Period | Rainier | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.4% | 33.3% | 29.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.8% | 34.5% | 30.2% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 15.5% | 39.2% | 33.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 16.8% | 42.6% | 36.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +2.4 pts | +9.3 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Rainier have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 16.8%, against 35.6% nationally. Since 2006–10, the share with a degree has risen 2.4 points, a smaller shift than nationally. College graduates are most concentrated in the northwest and least in the south.
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 Rainier
| Period | Rainier | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.0% | 90.0% | 88.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.3% | 90.6% | 89.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 90.5% | 91.9% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 91.7% | 93.2% | 91.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.7 pts | +3.2 pts | +3.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Rainier have finished high school (91.7%), a bit above the national rate of 89.3%. Still, the rate is lower than in the wider Portland area (93.2%). The share with a diploma has risen 4.7 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Rainier
| Period | Rainier | Portland area | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 8.6% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 9.6% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.8% | 4.7% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.0% | 4.6% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.1 pts | −4.0 pts | −3.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been harder to find in Rainier than nationally: unemployment was 7.0%, against 5.4%. Unemployment has fallen 3.1 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's 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).
Rainier 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainier | 2.66 | 45.0 | 13.2% | 22.1% | 9.8% | 1978 | $1,035 | 16.8% | 91.7% | 7.0% |
| West Rainier | 2.80 | 42.3 | 9.8% | 23.8% | 12.1% | 1984 | $957 | 23.8% | 88.6% | 1.4% |
| Prescott | 2.23 | 50.6 | 20.7% | 22.2% | 2.4% | 1974 | $984 | 13.5% | 90.7% | 2.5% |
| Goble | 2.45 | 50.0 | 9.7% | 14.6% | 11.8% | 1982 | $1,201 | 9.0% | 91.2% | 9.5% |
| Longview | 2.48 | 40.6 | 13.3% | 39.7% | 6.8% | 1968 | $1,450 | 16.0% | 89.3% | 6.3% |
| Carrolls | 2.70 | 49.0 | 10.0% | 25.5% | 8.4% | 1994 | $1,880 | 15.0% | 93.0% | 6.2% |
| Mayger | 2.73 | 46.5 | 10.2% | 14.4% | 11.9% | 1975 | $1,013 | 15.9% | 88.9% | 3.7% |
| Kelso | 2.68 | 41.8 | 12.4% | 32.3% | 5.0% | 1973 | $1,466 | 15.2% | 89.8% | 7.9% |
| Rose Valley | 2.95 | 43.4 | 13.3% | 9.2% | 4.8% | 1993 | $1,493 | 14.8% | 92.9% | 8.7% |
| Deer Island | 2.55 | 48.7 | 5.6% | 8.3% | 6.8% | 1989 | $923 | 15.4% | 93.0% | 12.0% |
| Inglis | 2.56 | 42.8 | 6.4% | 22.6% | 7.4% | 1970 | $986 | 14.6% | 83.0% | 1.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Bertram, TX · Belleville, WI · Bellevue, KY · Bellevue, MI · Bells, TN · Belvedere, SC · Belvidere, NJ · Ben Lomond, CA · Bennett, CO · Bensley, VA
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 Rainier. 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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