House at the ranch, 2007
Black Butte Ranch’s story
Black Butte Ranch in pictures
The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 2 maps from 1959 on.
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Black Butte RanchOR
The town, home to 115 people, lies in Oregon.
Photo: Tedder · CC BY 3.0
Is Black Butte Ranch a good place to live?
98% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Black Butte Ranch, above both Oregon’s towns (27%) and U.S. towns (29%). No town among the 143 in Oregon we compare has a higher median age than Black Butte Ranch. 56% of the land in Black Butte Ranch is conserved, against 4.4% in Oregon’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Black Butte Ranch has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Black Butte Ranch stand out
Where Black Butte Ranch beats most towns.
Small town
115 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Black Butte Ranch: who provides what
Black Butte Ranch is unincorporated, so Deschutes County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerCentral Electric Coop10.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBlack Butte Ranch CorporationNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesDeschutes CountyDeschutes 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 hereDeschutes County Clerk, Elections OfficeDeschutes County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2024
ZIP code9775997759 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 Black Butte Ranch.
Outdoors
Conserved land covers nearly a third of Black Butte Ranch
In Black Butte Ranch, the trail network density is 2.4 miles per square mile.
56%conserved
56%
conserved · 2,926 of 5,224 acres
19 mi
of trails · 2.4 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commute
Black Butte Ranch stands out in Oregon and nationally: a larger share of its workers work remotely from home
Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Black Butte Ranch rose by 169, to 188. Commuting out is the norm here: 5% of working residents work locally. The top destinations are Sisters (21%), Bend (19%) and Portland (10%). The median commute is under 25 miles.
5%work in town
| Black Butte Ranch | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 100% | 14% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.1% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Black Butte Ranch5%
Sisters21%
Bend19%
Portland10%
Redmond7%
25 mi
median commute distance
188
jobs based in Black Butte Ranch
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Black Butte Ranch faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by avalanches
Of the losses FEMA expects in Black Butte Ranch, 36% come from avalanches and 35% from inland flooding. Compared with 86% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage here is higher.
86risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesInland floodingWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers: that is Black Butte Ranch’s year
Its typical July afternoon high comes in at 82°F.
85″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–41°
Spring32–55°
Summer44–78°
Fall34–60°
Sep 30
typical first frost
May 15
typical last frost
+1.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A smaller share of adults in Black Butte Ranch report frequent mental distress than in the typical Oregon or U.S. town
23% of Black Butte Ranch adults have obesity. Of the 143 Oregon towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Black Butte Ranch. This Oregon town beats the Oregon average on 15 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 7.
| Black Butte Ranch | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.8% | 18% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 9.7% | 15% | 16% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 32% | 36% |
26 measures vs. Oregon
15 better4 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Black Butte Ranch | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 4.5% | 12.5% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.2% | 8.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 19.2% | 8.9% |
St. Charles Medical Center - Bend
28.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Homes in Black Butte Ranch sell for about $795K
Among households in Black Butte Ranch, 100% are owner-occupiers.
$795Kmedian sale price
2
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Black Butte Ranch
16pages on Black Butte Ranch
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Black Butte Ranch; the nearest are
Central Oregon Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Bend25.7 mi$5,049 in-state tuitionOregon State University-Cascades CampusUniversity or college · Public · Bend27.7 mi$13,566 in-state tuition
About 10 of every 100 Black Butte Ranch residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
A job hub
Every workday, about 183 people come to Black Butte Ranch for work
Where Black Butte Ranch’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
188jobs based in Black Butte Ranch
5%of working residents work in town
25 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Black Butte Ranch
Unincorporated community in the state of Oregon, United States
Black Butte Ranch is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated private resort community in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is located in the Cascade Range, 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Sisters. As of the 2020 census, Black Butte Ranch had a population of 260. Black Butte Ranch allows public access to its restaurant, golf courses and horse stables, but is primarily oriented to its year-round residents and seasonal guests.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 8.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,350 ft
- Area code
- 541
Questions about Black Butte Ranch
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Black Butte Ranch, OR a good place to live?
Black Butte Ranch has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.