Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 3,297, founded in 1873.
Bandon earns a D, ranked 104th of 142 in Oregon, mostly because of incomes. The median household income is $48K, and 26% of residents live below the poverty line. One bright spot: it has 5 miles of trail. 26% of residents live below the poverty line in Bandon, above both Oregon’s towns (11%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). On hazard risk, just 20 of Oregon’s 228 towns do worse. Bandon has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Coquille River Light and Coquille River Life Boat Station.
Where Bandon beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Bandon is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 175 in 1880, a low of 175 in 1880, 3,321 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1905 and 2 maps from 1943 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bandon, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Oct 2, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Bandon.
Bandon is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has cooler summers than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Oregon.
5.1 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. The trail density in Bandon is 1.7 miles per square mile. The biggest park or preserve is Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, at 71 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ocean Shore State Recreation Area | 1.3 mi | 26 |
| 2. Coquille Point Unit - Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge | 1.1 mi | 27 |
| 3. Bullards Beach State Park | 0.7 mi | 32 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by Bandon SD 54. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ocean Crest Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 240 | B+ |
| Bandon Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 212 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
Bandon’s FEMA risk score is 91 of 100. Since 1981, 12 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Bandon.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
26.3% of residents live below the poverty line, against 11.9% across Oregon, which weighs on its D− for jobs and income. The median household earns $48,187, against $83,011 across Oregon.
People 65 and older are 36% of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 10% of residents (23% statewide). 14% of Bandon residents are under 18. Only 7 of the 142 Oregon towns we compare have a higher median age than Bandon.
| Bandon | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 56.9 years | 39.3 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 14% | 21% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 27% | 29% |
57% women, 43% men
About 75 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±5.5 points). Across Oregon, 50.1% of residents are women. Among residents 25 to 34, 82% are women (OR 49%).
| Bandon | OR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.8% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.2% | 9.6% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3.8% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.5% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.3% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.3% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 22.7% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.3% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.3% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.4% | 22.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 29.9% | 23.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.8% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.8% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.7% | 14.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,300, single groups can be off by several points
July afternoons average 66.7°, cooler than in 100% of U.S. towns; January nights average 40.3°.
Only 3 of the 142 Oregon towns we compare have a higher January low than Bandon. Bandon has warm winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. Among 142 Oregon towns, just 6 have a lower July high than Bandon.
| Bandon | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 67°F | 82°F | 85°F |
| January low | 40°F | 36°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
About one in 3 of Bandon’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Bandon has added 230 jobs, to 1,384 in 2023. Among 142 Oregon towns, just 5 have a lower median household income than Bandon.
| Bandon | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 33% | 9.5% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $48,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Bandon's reported crime rate is well below Oregon's. Among 75 Oregon towns, just 1 have a lower violent crime rate than Bandon. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Bandon | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.7 per 1,000 residents | 15.6 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Against the 5,079 U.S. towns with household incomes like Bandon’s, it is healthier than 88%, so its B− isn’t only a matter of income.
Bandon beats the Oregon average on 6 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 45% of adults have high blood pressure in Bandon. Only 3 of the 142 Oregon towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Bandon.
| Bandon | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 45% | 33% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 15% | 16% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Bandon | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 11.8% | 15.4% |
| Fewer adults in frequent mental distress | 15.1% | 17.5% |
| More adults with heart disease | 10.7% | 6.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 7.8 years of the Coos Bay area’s $62K median household income, the typical home (about $482K) costs more against local pay than in 91% of Oregon towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. 70.8% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 52.5% across Oregon.
Among 140 Oregon towns, just 9 have a lower median rent than Bandon.
| Bandon | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $963 a month | $1,415 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 63% | 65% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Bandon; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Bandon residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
4 places in Bandon on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Coos County, Oregon
Bandon () is a city in Coos County, Oregon, United States, located on the south side of the mouth of the Coquille River. The community was named by George Bennett, an Irish immigrant who settled in the area in 1873 and named the town after his hometown of Bandon, County Cork in Ireland. The population was 3,066 at the 2010 census and grew to 3,321 by the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Bandon grades D overall, better than 12% of U.S. towns and #104 of 142 in Oregon. It grades B− for health and B+ for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. That is 7.8 years of the area's median household income ($62,143 across the Coos Bay-North Bend, OR area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
2 notable people were born here, including Nyara Sabally and James V. Scotti.
