Population 2,177 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Rockaway Beach
Household size in Rockaway Beach
| Period | Rockaway Beach | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.75 | 2.50 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.09 | 2.55 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.38 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 1.98 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.23 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in Rockaway Beach are small: just 1.98 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has climbed from 1.75 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
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 Rockaway Beach
| Period | Rockaway Beach | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 58.2 | 39.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 57.8 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 56.1 | 40.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 54.9 | 41.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | −3.3 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 54.9, Rockaway Beach is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
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 Rockaway Beach
| Period | Rockaway Beach | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.9% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 6.1% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 9.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.1% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 2.1% of households in Rockaway Beach, well below the national share of 11.6%.
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 Rockaway Beach
Renters in Rockaway Beach
| Period | Rockaway Beach | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 31.1% | 36.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 29.6% | 38.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 29.2% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 25.4% | 36.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −5.7 pts | +0.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Rockaway Beach own their homes; 25.4% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. About half of owners (48.5%) have paid off their mortgages, above 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 Rockaway Beach
| Period | Rockaway Beach | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 63.1% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 70.2% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 71.3% | 8.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 57.7% | 7.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.5 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Rockaway Beach: 57.7% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 Rockaway Beach
| Period | Rockaway Beach | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1973 | 1976 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1979 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1984 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1985 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +5 | +6 |
Homes in Rockaway Beach are a bit newer than the national norm: the median home was built in 1985, versus 1980 across the U.S. Oregon as a whole looks much the same.
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 Rockaway Beach
| Period | Rockaway Beach | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $760 | $870 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $911 | $982 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $945 | $1,183 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,115 | $1,601 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$355 | +$731 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Rockaway Beach costs $1,115 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 22.9% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
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 Rockaway Beach
Bachelor's degrees in Rockaway Beach
| Period | Rockaway Beach | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.4% | 29.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.7% | 30.2% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.7% | 33.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 28.7% | 36.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Nearly three in ten adults 25 and older in Rockaway Beach (28.7%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, 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 Rockaway Beach
| Period | Rockaway Beach | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 86.4% | 88.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 94.3% | 89.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 92.3% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 84.0% | 91.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | −2.4 pts | +3.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in six adults in Rockaway Beach never finished high school, well above the national share: only 84.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% 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 Rockaway Beach
| Period | Rockaway Beach | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.6% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 9.1% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 9.2% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.1% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.5 pts | −3.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Rockaway Beach: 7.1% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. 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).
Rockaway Beach 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockaway Beach | 1.98 | 54.9 | 2.1% | 25.4% | 57.7% | 1985 | $1,115 | 28.7% | 84.0% | 7.1% |
| Twin Rocks | 1.84 | 57.8 | 2.7% | 24.9% | 59.3% | 1988 | $1,114 | 26.4% | 82.2% | 6.9% |
| Garibaldi | 2.11 | 59.1 | 4.3% | 26.6% | 27.9% | 1971 | $1,061 | 27.3% | 91.7% | 2.2% |
| Brighton | 2.15 | 57.8 | 1.8% | 22.7% | 40.9% | 1974 | $1,035 | 39.8% | 93.2% | 4.2% |
| Wheeler | 2.14 | 58.1 | 1.9% | 21.7% | 40.8% | 1975 | $1,063 | 39.4% | 93.2% | 5.2% |
| Bay City | 2.31 | 47.8 | 8.8% | 19.8% | 13.4% | 1975 | $1,104 | 26.9% | 91.0% | 3.7% |
| Manzanita | 1.83 | 64.0 | 3.1% | 5.1% | 59.8% | 1986 | $1,576 | 49.4% | 93.7% | 5.8% |
| Nehalem | 1.85 | 63.8 | 3.4% | 7.1% | 42.7% | 1992 | $1,305 | 31.9% | 92.4% | 9.6% |
| Oceanside | 2.00 | 59.2 | 7.0% | 13.7% | 59.6% | 1992 | $1,167 | 46.0% | 99.7% | 0.5% |
| Hathaway Mead | 2.16 | 41.3 | 25.8% | 20.3% | 17.5% | 1980 | $1,526 | 30.0% | 85.7% | 1.9% |
| Netarts | 1.99 | 59.0 | 5.0% | 15.2% | 42.4% | 1989 | $1,264 | 37.1% | 99.0% | 4.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Bruce, WI · Dale, WI · Miramar, CA · Rosita, TX · Phelps, KY · Oregonia, OH · Oberlin, KS · Nora Springs, IA · Newell, WV · Morven, NC
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 Rockaway Beach. 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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