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Oregon›Deschutes County

Crooked River RanchOR

A town of 5,160.

Is Crooked River Ranch a good place to live?

Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 97% of U.S. towns. Overall it grades C−, ranked 88th of 142 in Oregon. Its weakest subject is hazard risk: FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 74% of U.S. communities, with wildfire at the top. 33% of residents are 65 or older in Crooked River Ranch, above both Oregon’s towns (18%) and U.S. towns (18%). Only 6 of Oregon’s 228 towns score lower on history. The biggest place to walk is Deschutes Canyon-Steelhead Falls Wilderness Study Area, 1,099 acres with 4.4 miles of trail.

A commuter town

94% of working residents leave Crooked River Ranch for work

Where Crooked River Ranch’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.

23% → Redmond Redmond 23% 21% → Bend Bend 21% 6% → Portland Portland 6% 3% → Prineville Prineville 3% 2% → Madras Madras 2% 2% → Salem Salem 2% Crooked River Ranch · 6% stay
211jobs based in Crooked River Ranch
6%of working residents work in town
24 mimedian commute distance

Census LEHD 2023

How Crooked River Ranch grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Crooked River Ranch is from typical.

How grading works
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 →

Crooked River Ranch - DPLA - 0a831f6a0df56635c571d63fe408d493
Crooked River Ranch - DPLA - 0a831f6a0df56635c571d63fe408d493, 2019
Crooked River Ranch’s story

Crooked River Ranch in pictures

The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2019 and 3 maps from 1962 on.

Explore the history →
Getting set up

Moving to Crooked River Ranch: who provides what

Crooked River Ranch is unincorporated, so Deschutes County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerPacific Power15.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCrooked River Ranch Wtr CoNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers74% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesDeschutes CountyDeschutes County provides services here
SchoolsRedmond School District 2JWhich school depends on your addressNCES
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.gov
Who runs elections hereJefferson County Clerk, Elections OfficeJefferson County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code9776097760 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 Crooked River Ranch.

Crooked River Ranch has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and sends most of its workers to Redmond and beyond.

OutdoorsB+

Conservation land takes up 24.8% of Crooked River Ranch

Walkers can cover 23 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Crooked River Ranch’s concentration of trails stands at 1.1 miles per square mile.

#53for trails in OR
24.8%
conserved · 3,259 of 13,155 acres
23 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Deschutes Canyon-Steelhead Falls Wilderness Study Area4.4 mi1,099
2. Panorama Park1.6 mi87

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−

For most of its workers, the job is outside Crooked River Ranch

Crooked River Ranch has 211 jobs for its 1,868 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 32.1 minutes, against 23 across Oregon.

Employers in Crooked River Ranch added 89 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 211. Most working residents leave Crooked River Ranch for work: only 6% work in town. Also worth knowing: the average commute locally is 32 minutes. The median commute is under 24 miles.

6%work in town
Crooked River RanchOregon townsU.S. towns
Average trip to work32 minutes23 minutes25 minutes
Working residents who work in town5.5%10%8%
Median household income$86,000$81,000$80,000

Where working residents work

In Crooked River Ranch6%
Redmond23%
Bend21%
Portland6%
Prineville3%
24 mi
median commute distance
211
jobs based in Crooked River Ranch
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 3% of U.S. towns

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−

Crooked River Ranch faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by wildfire

Of the losses FEMA expects in Crooked River Ranch, 49% come from wildfires and 36% from inland flooding.

74risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
74High riskLowerHigher
WildfireInland floodingLightning

FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

Crooked River Ranch: four seasons and pleasant summers

The Madras 2 N weather station, 18 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 136 days, shorter than in 99% of U.S. towns. January nights average 25.7°: milder than most of the country, but colder than 79% of Oregon places with climate records; July afternoons average 86.5°.

For Crooked River Ranch, the January low is 26°F. About 14 inches of snow falls in a winter.

14″snow a winter
Crooked River RanchOregon townsU.S. towns
July high87°F82°F85°F
January low26°F36°F22°F

Typical low → high °F

Winter25–43°
Spring33–60°
Summer47–83°
Fall35–63°
Sep 14
typical first frost
Jun 9
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

HealthB

Residents of Crooked River Ranch are healthier than 61% of U.S. towns

Just over two fifths of Crooked River Ranch adults have high blood pressure. On the CDC’s 26 measures, Crooked River Ranch is ahead of Oregon on 7 and behind on 8. Among adults locally, 13% binge drink and 30% sleep under 7 hours. Only 8 of the 142 Oregon towns we compare have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Crooked River Ranch.

61%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
Crooked River RanchOregon townsU.S. towns
High blood pressure (CDC PLACES)41%33%35%
Binge drink (CDC PLACES)13%15%16%
Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES)30%32%36%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)15%18%17%
26 measures vs. Oregon
7 better11 too close to call8 worse
What stands outCrooked River RanchOR
Fewer uninsured adults6.3%8.5%
More adults screened for colon cancer73.4%63.4%
More adults who have had cancer13.3%8.9%
St. Charles Madras
16.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
57th
percentile among OR towns

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

Nearby attractions

Three Sisters and 7 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Crooked River Ranch. Close and well known come first.

All 11 attractions →
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits

Three Sisters: USGS photo by Lyn Topinka, Public domain · Smith Rock State Park: Max Schwarz, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Erickson Aircraft Collection: Orygun, CC BY 4.0 · Hoodoo Ski Area: Rvannatta, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Petersen Rock Garden: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Crooked River Ranch

17pages on Crooked River Ranch
After high school

Colleges nearby

None within 15 miles of Crooked River Ranch; the nearest are

About Crooked River Ranch

Unincorporated community in the state of Oregon, United States

Official town website ↗

Crooked River Ranch is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in southern Jefferson County, Oregon, United States. A small portion of the ranch is also in north Deschutes County. The Ranch is located between the Deschutes River and the Crooked River near the south end of Lake Billy Chinook. It is west of U.S. Route 97 between Culver and Terrebonne. Amenities in the community include a golf course, swimming pool, tennis courts, saloon, disc golf course, horse riding arena and general store. The ranch is approximately 12,000 acres, and as of the 2020 census had a population of 4,912. It is the largest homeowner association in Oregon. Crooked River Ranch has a Terrebonne…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area
21 sq mi
Elevation
2,602 ft
Area code
458, 541

Questions about Crooked River Ranch

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Crooked River Ranch, OR a good place to live?

Crooked River Ranch grades C− overall, better than 18% of U.S. towns and #88 of 142 in Oregon. It grades B for health and B+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D−.

Is Crooked River Ranch, OR expensive?

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−.