Autos en route to Great Oregon caves, 1913
Cave Junction’s story
90 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1913.
- 1936Cave Junction is settled
Cave JunctionOR
A town of 2,074, settled in 1936. 54% more nonprofits per person than the typical Oregon town.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Peregrine Fisher · Public domain
Population
2,074
2025 Census estimate · −0.3% since 2020
Typical home
$293K
−0.6% in a year
Household income
$39K
median
Median age
53.6
years
Jobs based here
729
Balanced
Is Cave Junction a good place to live?
The best of Cave Junction’s subject grades are an A+ for walkability and civic life; the weakest is a D− for incomes. Cave Junction has 1 place on the National Register. Only 5 of Oregon’s 161 towns score higher on civic life. Cave Junction has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Cave Junction stand out
Where Cave Junction beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Cave Junction8
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical OR town5.2
Civic lifeA+
54% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Oregon town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
WalkabilityA+
More walkable than 97% of U.S. towns
12.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD−
Riskier than 96% of U.S. communities
Inland flooding and wildfire at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
A growing town
Cave Junction has grown 10% since 2010
1,883 counted in 2010 and 2,071 in 2020; an estimated 2,074 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Cave Junction grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Cave Junction is from typical.
Jobs & income$39K median household incomeD−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 12.1 of 20; 6.6% of households have no carA+Open →HealthLess healthy than 86% of U.S. towns; Asante Three Rivers Medical Center 23.4 miles awayDOpen →SchoolsC−Open →Cost of livingC−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 5% conserved landBOpen →HistoryD−Open →Civic life8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 53.6; 15% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Cave Junction: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cave Junction, and how to reach them.
PowerPacific Power15.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Cave Junction water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Cave Junction’s trash rules yet
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 hereJosephine County Clerk, Elections OfficeJosephine County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code9752397523 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 Cave Junction.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Compared with most of Oregon and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Cave Junction is higher
Federal aid has come to Cave Junction households in 2 declared disasters; the latest was in 2020. Expected losses in Cave Junction break down as 38% from inland flooding and 31% from wildfires.
96risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireEarthquakes
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsC−
Cave Junction’s public schools trail 78% of Oregon districts
Two of its 4 schools are shown below, with the reason for each. Public schools: Three Rivers/Josephine County SD. The 4 public schools in Cave Junction teach 1,065 students between them.
22%of OR districts it outscoresC−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evergreen Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 378 | C+ |
| Illinois Valley High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 291 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
HealthD
A larger share of adults in Cave Junction report frequent physical distress than in the typical Oregon or U.S. town
28% of Cave Junction adults say their health is fair or poor, above both the Oregon town median (20%) and the median of U.S. towns (19%). Only 3 of the 143 Oregon towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Cave Junction. Among adults here, 18% smoke cigarettes. Also worth knowing: the town beats the Oregon average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 14.
14%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Cave Junction | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 11% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 20% | 19% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 33% | 35% |
26 measures vs. Oregon
2 better10 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Cave Junction | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.5% | 15.4% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 77.8% | 71.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 12.7% | 6.8% |
Asante Three Rivers Medical Center
23.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade C−
Zillow puts the typical Cave Junction home at about $293K
Cave Junction’s typical rent is $965 a month. 71% of Cave Junction households live in a home they own.
$293KZillow home value
| Cave Junction | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $965 a month | $1,414 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 65% | 73% |
Typical home value
Cave Junction$293K
Oregon$493K
−0.6%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
The climate in Cave Junction brings four seasons and hot summers
The midsummer high for Cave Junction comes to 90°F.
7″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter33–50°
Spring38–65°
Summer50–87°
Fall40–69°
Oct 12
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D−
A job hub: Cave Junction has 1.5 jobs for every working resident and draws in 625 commuters
28% of residents live below the poverty line in Cave Junction. Roughly one working resident in five has a job in Cave Junction itself. Of the 143 Oregon towns we compare, none has a lower median household income than Cave Junction. Jobs in Cave Junction grew by 146 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 729.
21%work in town
| Cave Junction | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 28% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $39,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Cave Junction21%
Grants Pass15%
Medford11%
Eugene2%
Portland2%
25 mi
median commute distance
729
jobs based in Cave Junction
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsB
Cave Junction has set aside 5.1% of its land for conservation
Trails total 1.3 miles in 1 park or preserve. The density of trails in Cave Junction is 0.7 miles per square mile. This Oregon town has one park or preserve, 10 acres in all.
5.1%conserved
| Cave Junction | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 5.1% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
5.1%
conserved · 58 of 1,143 acres
1.3 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Illinois River Forks State Park | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cave Junction
18pages on Cave Junction
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Cave Junction; the nearest are
Rogue Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Grants Pass21.4 mi$5,256 in-state tuitionSouthern Oregon UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ashland48.8 mi$12,762 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Cave Junction residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
About Cave Junction
City in Oregon, United States
Cave Junction is a city in Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The city got its name by virtue of its location at the junction of Redwood Highway (U.S. Route 199) and Caves Highway (Oregon Route 46). As of the 2020 census, the city population was 2,071. Following World War II, timber became the main source of income for residents. As timber income has since declined, the city is attempting to compensate with tourism and branding itself as a haven for retirees.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1948
- Area
- 1.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,575 ft
- ZIP code
- 97523
- Area code
- 458, 541
Cave Junction’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Cave Junction.
KerbyCave Junction
How the neighbors grade
| Town | OR rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cave Junction | — | — | C− | — | C− | D |
| Kerby | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Cave Junction has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Cave Junction reports no FBI crime data of its own. Kerby isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Cave Junction with a neighbor →
Questions about Cave Junction
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cave Junction, OR a good place to live?
54% more nonprofits per person than the typical Oregon town.
Is Cave Junction, OR expensive?
Yes. That is 4.9 years of the area's median household income ($60,098 across the Grants Pass, OR metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.