Elmira, Oregon, 1910
Elmira’s story
142 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 6 maps from 1909 on.
- 1884Elmira is settled
ElmiraOR
With 319 residents, this town was settled in 1884.
Photo: Katr67 · Public domain
Population
319
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$544K
+4.3% in a year
Household income
$61K
median
Median age
49.1
years
Jobs based here
202
Balanced
Settled
1884
142 years ago
Is Elmira a good place to live?
7.2% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Elmira, below both the Oregon town median (27%) and the median of U.S. towns (29%). 26% of the land in Elmira is conserved, where Oregon’s towns sit at 4.4% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. Elmira has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
319 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Elmira.
Schools
The schools Elmira’s kids attend
Two of its 3 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. The public schools here belong to Fern Ridge SD 28J. The largest public high school is Elmira High School, with 374 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fern Ridge Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 315 | C+ |
| Elmira High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 374 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Outdoors
Elmira has set aside nearly a quarter of its land for conservation
25.9%conserved
2.9 miles of trail. Elmira’s density of trails comes in at 2.2 miles per square mile.
25.9%
conserved · 223 of 859 acres
2.9 mi
of trails · 2.2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: high risk in Elmira, mostly inland flooding
75risk score of 100
Expected losses in Elmira break down as 57% from inland flooding and 41% from earthquakes. On expected storm and flood damage, Elmira sits above three quarters of U.S. communities. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Elmira once, in 2020.
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Elmira’s year
83°summer high
July afternoons reach 83° and January nights drop to 35°.
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–48°
Spring41–62°
Summer51–80°
Fall43–65°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 18
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
83°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
About half of Elmira’s working residents commute to Eugene
2%work in town
The middle household income for Elmira comes to $61,000. Most working residents leave Elmira for work: only 2% work in town. Employers in Elmira added 56 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 202. The top destinations are Eugene (46%), Springfield (5%) and Portland (4%).
| Elmira | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $61,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.4% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.4% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Elmira2%
Eugene46%
Springfield5%
Portland4%
Salem2%
13 mi
median commute distance
202
jobs based in Elmira
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Elmira is
In Elmira, 30% of adults sleep under 7 hours. CDC measures, 26 in all: Elmira beats Oregon on 1 and trails on 2. 14% of adults in Elmira binge drink; 74% had a checkup this year.
| Elmira | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 72% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 18% | 17% |
26 measures vs. Oregon
1 better23 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Elmira | OR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 68.6% | 63.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.5% | 8.9% |
Sacred Heart Medical Center - Riverbend
16.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
A home in Elmira is worth about $544K, on Zillow’s estimate
$544KZillow home value
Typical home values rose 4.3% in the year to September 2026. Nearly two thirds of Elmira households live in a home they own.
Typical home value
Elmira$544K
Oregon$493K
+4.3%
value change, 1 year
0
homes sold in September
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Elmira
17pages on Elmira
The big questions
Out and about
Nearby attractions
All 20 attractions →Autzen Stadium and 12 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Elmira. Close and well known come first.
14 mi Stadium & arenaAutzen Stadium
34 mi Stadium & arenaReser Stadium
14 mi Stadium & arenaHayward Field
15 mi Stadium & arenaMatthew Knight Arena
39 mi LighthouseHeceta Head Light
14 mi MuseumJordan Schnitzer Museum of ArtSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Autzen Stadium: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Reser Stadium: Zapper258, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hayward Field: Jsayre64, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Matthew Knight Arena: Visitor7, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Heceta Head Light: HISE Studios, resized and color corrected by Howcheng, Public domain · Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art: User:Akendall, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Elmira: who provides what
Elmira is unincorporated, so Lane County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerEmerald People's Utility Dist11.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet5 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesLane CountyLane 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 hereLane County Clerk, Elections OfficeLane County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2021
ZIP code9743797437 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.
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Elmira
New Hope Christian College-EugeneUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Eugene10.5 mi$17,620 tuitionBushnell UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Eugene13.9 mi$35,800 tuitionUniversity of OregonUniversity or college · Public · Eugene14.1 mi$16,137 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Elmira residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
About Elmira
Unincorporated community in the state of Oregon, United States
Elmira is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It is located west of Eugene and north of Veneta and Oregon Route 126, near the Long Tom River and Fern Ridge Reservoir. As of the 2020 census, Elmira had a population of 546.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 387 ft
- ZIP code
- 97437
Questions about Elmira
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Elmira, OR a good place to live?
Elmira has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Elmira is in here
Say something about Elmira.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.