Goodnight, 2009
Bethany’s story
Bethany in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2009 and 7 maps from 1915 on.
Explore the history →
BethanyOR
A town of 33,106.
2 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Kingofthedead · Public domain
Population
33,106
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$752K
Census ACS
Household income
$168K
median
Median age
36.9
years
Jobs based here
3,755
A commuter town
TownGrade
A
#1 of 142 in OR
Is Bethany a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Bethany earns an A, 1st among Oregon's 142 graded towns. It is among the healthiest towns in the country on CDC estimates, the median household earns $168K, and its public schools beat 90% of Oregon towns on state tests and graduation. The exception is cost of living: homes are expensive, about $752K for a typical one and 7.7 times the Portland metro’s $97K median household income. 72% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Bethany, where Oregon’s towns sit at 27% and U.S. towns at 29%. Only 9 of Oregon’s 228 towns score higher on hazard risk. Bethany is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 94% of U.S. towns.
What makes Bethany stand out
Where Bethany beats most towns.
26 measures vs. Oregon
20 better5 too close to call1 worse
| Widest gap | Bethany | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.4% | 12.5% |
HealthA+
Healthier than 99% of U.S. towns
Beats OR on 20 of 26 CDC measures, trails it on 1
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
WalkabilityA
More walkable than 95% of U.S. towns
4.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
A growing town
Bethany has grown 52% from 2010 to 2020
20,646 counted in 2010 and 31,350 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Bethany grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Bethany is from typical.
HealthAmong the healthiest U.S. towns; Kaiser Foundation Hospital Westside 2.4 miles awayA+Open →Cost of livingDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 13.2 of 20; 3.4% of households have no carAOpen →Jobs & incomeAOpen →SchoolsAOpen →Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 188 attractions →Moda Center and 159 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bethany. Close and well known come first.
9 mi Stadium & arenaModa Center
8 mi Stadium & arenaProvidence Park
5 mi GardenForest Park
35 mi WaterfallMultnomah Falls
6 mi MuseumPittock Mansion
8 mi Stadium & arenaVeterans Memorial ColiseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Moda Center: Lugnuts, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Providence Park: Pdx.rollingthunder, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Forest Park: EncMstr, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Multnomah Falls: John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Pittock Mansion: PittockBack.jpg: Cacophony derivative work: Tiptoety talk, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Veterans Memorial Coliseum: Steve Morgan, CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
Moving to Bethany: who provides what
Bethany is unincorporated, so Washington County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPortland General Electric18.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterTualatin Valley Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesWashington CountyWashington County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Oregon you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereWashington County Clerk, Elections OfficeWashington County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code9722997229 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Oct 2, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Bethany.
Bethany is the healthiest town in Oregon, carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Oregon (mostly earthquakes) and has schools in the top 5% of Oregon.
HealthA+
Bethany stands out in Oregon and nationally, with fewer of its adults who report frequent physical distress
It is the healthiest of the 142 Oregon towns we grade on the CDC estimates behind the Health Grade. Its widest gap with Oregon is tooth loss: 5.4% of those 65+ have lost all their teeth, against 12.5% statewide.
9.3% of Bethany adults report frequent physical distress. Only 1 of the 142 Oregon towns we compare have a lower share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Bethany. 13% of Bethany adults report frequent mental distress.
99%healthier than U.S. townsA+Health Grade
| Bethany | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.3% | 15% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 18% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 35% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 6.6% | 13% | 14% |
26 measures vs. Oregon
20 better5 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Bethany | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.4% | 12.5% |
| Fewer adults with COPD | 3.1% | 6.8% |
| Fewer adults treating high blood pressure | 66.8% | 71.4% |
Kaiser Foundation Hospital Westside
2.4 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
99th
percentile among OR towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsA
For schools, Bethany earns an A
Its A ranks #6 of the 142 Oregon towns we grade for schools. Its A for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $752K.
Its public schools are run by Beaverton SD 48J. Two of its 8 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
90%of OR districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stoller Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 1,069 | A+ |
| Findley ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 549 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsA
19% of Bethany is conserved land
7.2 miles of trail in 19 parks and preserves. The trail density in Bethany is 1.3 miles per square mile. Among 140 Oregon towns, just 7 have a higher share of conserved land than Bethany.
#39for trails in OR
| Bethany | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 19% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.3 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
19%
conserved · 658 of 3,457 acres
7.2 mi
of trails · 1.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Kaiser Woods Natural Area | 0.5 mi | 26 |
| 2. Rock Creek Greenway | 0.2 mi | 80 |
| 3. Ben Graf Greenway | — | 25 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Compared with most of Oregon and the rest of the country, the median household income in Bethany is higher
Bethany has 3,755 jobs for its 14,386 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. Jobs based here grew from 2,765 in 2013 to 3,755.
4% of residents live below the poverty line in Bethany. Jobs based in Bethany grew to 3,755 in 2023, 990 more than in 2013. 39% of workers work from home in Bethany.
3%work in town
| Bethany | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 39% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $168,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.4% | 10% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Bethany3%
Portland26%
Hillsboro26%
Beaverton10%
Tigard3%
7 mi
median commute distance
3,755
jobs based in Bethany
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 94% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Low risk in Bethany, with earthquakes at the top
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 93% of Oregon towns, with expected losses of about $182 per resident a year; that rating is what its B+ for hazard risk is built on.
Bethany’s FEMA risk score is 29 of 100.
29risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingHeat waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Bethany, expect mild winters and pleasant summers
Bethany has mild winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 35° and about 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
4″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–48°
Spring42–62°
Summer53–79°
Fall44–64°
Dec 1
typical first frost
Feb 25
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade D
For cost of living, Bethany earns a D
At 7.7 years of the Portland metro’s $97K median household income, the typical home costs more against local pay than in 89% of Oregon towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $7,060, against $3,876 across Oregon, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
Among 140 Oregon towns, just 2 have a higher median rent than Bethany.
$760Kmedian sale price
| Bethany | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,245 a month | $1,413 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 65% | 73% |
Market temperature
31
days on market
99.4%
sale-to-list price
42
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Bethany
17pages on Bethany
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
16 within 15 miles of the center of Bethany
University of PortlandUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Portland5.4 mi$58,100 tuitionPortland State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Portland8.1 mi$11,679 in-state tuitionPortland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Portland9.9 mi$5,220 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Bethany residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Oregon.
Get outside
7 miles of trails in Bethany
19% of the town is conserved land, across 19 parks and preserves.
1
Kaiser Woods Natural Area0.5 mi of trails · 26 acres
3
Ben Graf Greenway25 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
About Bethany
Unincorporated community in the state of Oregon, United States
Bethany is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Washington County, Oregon, United States. It is situated north of U.S. Route 26 and Oak Hills, near Beaverton, approximately four miles northwest of Cedar Mill, and is within the Portland metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, Bethany had a population of 31,350.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 5.4 sq mi
- Elevation
- 295 ft
- Area code
- 503, 971
Bethany’s neighbors
2 towns share a border with Bethany.
Cedar MillOak HillsBethany
How the neighbors grade
| Town | OR rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethany | #1 | A | D | — | A | A+ |
| Cedar Mill | #7 | A | D | — | A | A |
| Oak Hills | #2 | A | D | — | A | A |
Bethany, Cedar Mill and Oak Hills report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Bethany with a neighbor →
Questions about Bethany
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Bethany, OR a good place to live?
Yes, by almost any measure. Bethany grades A overall, better than 94% of U.S. towns and #1 of 142 in Oregon. It grades A+ for health and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Bethany, OR expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $752,000, 53% above the Oregon typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.