Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Cornelius's standout: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 96% of U.S. towns. Overall it grades C, 70th of 142 graded towns in Oregon. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 73% of U.S. communities, with earthquakes at the top. 13% of residents are 65 or older in Cornelius, against 18% in Oregon’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. Albert S. Sholes House is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Cornelius beats most towns.
Where Cornelius’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Cornelius is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 246 in 1900, a low of 246 in 1900, 12,694 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1909 and 3 maps from 1941 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cornelius. Close and well known come first.
19 mi Stadium & arenaModa Center
17 mi Stadium & arenaProvidence Park
22 mi MuseumEvergreen Aviation & Space Museum
15 mi GardenForest Park
16 mi MuseumPittock Mansion
7 mi Stadium & arenaHillsboro StadiumModa Center: Lugnuts, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Providence Park: Pdx.rollingthunder, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum: Notkeel at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Forest Park: EncMstr, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pittock Mansion: PittockBack.jpg: Cacophony derivative work: Tiptoety talk, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hillsboro Stadium: Hillsboro Parks and Recreation, CC BY 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cornelius, 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 Cornelius.
Cornelius has home values still below their peak, but it trails even towns with similar incomes on health.
Most working residents leave Cornelius for work: only 5% work in town. Cornelius’ average trip to work is 29 minutes. Jobs based in Cornelius grew to 2,666 in 2023, 355 more than in 2013.
| Cornelius | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 29 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 9% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $96,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.6% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by Forest Grove SD 15. One of its 4 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Echo Shaw Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 389 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
Since 2007, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cornelius.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Cornelius has mild winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Cornelius is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Against the 9,136 U.S. towns with household incomes like Cornelius’s, it is less healthy than 85%, so it trails even them.
67% of adults had a checkup this year in Cornelius. Among 142 Oregon towns, just 9 have a higher share of adults 18 to 64 who have no health insurance than Cornelius. 26% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Cornelius.
| Cornelius | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 67% | 73% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 20% | 19% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Cornelius | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.8% | 8.9% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 21.5% | 27.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 17.3% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Within Oregon, it does better than 56% of towns.
| Cornelius | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.5 per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 13.1 per 1,000 residents | 15.6 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1.0 miles of trail in 14 parks and preserves.
| Cornelius | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 7.6% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Harleman Park | 0.4 mi | 11 |
| 2. West Council Creek | — | 11 |
| 3. Free Orchards Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical value, about $475K, is 8% below its July 2022 peak.
The typical Cornelius home is worth about $475,000, down 2.7% in a year, close to the Oregon typical home.
| Cornelius | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,573 a month | $1,413 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 74% | 65% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
1 within 15 miles of the center of Cornelius
About 6 of every 100 Cornelius residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Oregon.
City in Oregon, United States
Cornelius is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States. Located in the Portland metropolitan area. The population was 12,694 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 15,520 in 2025. The city lies along Tualatin Valley Highway between Forest Grove to the west and Hillsboro to the east. Cornelius was incorporated in April 1893 and is named for founder Thomas R. Cornelius.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Cornelius.
| Town | OR rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornelius | #70 | C | C− | C+ | B | C+ |
| Forest Grove | #81 | C− | C− | C | C | B |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cornelius grades C overall, better than 32% of U.S. towns and #70 of 142 in Oregon. It grades C+ for health, C+ for safety and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Within Oregon, it does better than 56% of towns.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
