Sawyers 16-887 - Hecata Beach-Oregon Coast Highway back, c. 1950
Heceta Beach’s story
111 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1950 and 3 maps from 1920 on.
- 1915Heceta Beach is platted
Heceta BeachOR
Today 2,651 people live in this town, first platted in 1915.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Sam Beebe · CC BY 2.0
Population
2,651
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$534K
Census ACS
Household income
$80K
median
Median age
61.4
years
Jobs based here
36
A commuter town
TownGrade
D
#115 of 142 in OR
Is Heceta Beach a good place to live?
More weak spots than strong ones. Walkability is its weak spot. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 93% of U.S. towns. Overall, Heceta Beach earns a D: better than nearly a tenth of U.S. towns, and 115th of 142 in Oregon. A typical home there costs about $534K, 7.5 years of the Eugene metro’s $72K median household income. Its best grade is for health — residents are healthier than 65% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. This Oregon town has 2 places on the National Register. 18% of the land here is conserved, against 4.3% in Oregon’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places · USGS PAD-US.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Heceta Beach for work
Where Heceta Beach’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
36jobs based in Heceta Beach
0%of working residents work in town
42 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Heceta Beach grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Heceta Beach is from typical.
Its best grade is an A+ for the outdoors (#4 of 142 in Oregon; 3 miles of trails; 18% conserved land), which describes the town but isn’t part of the overall grade; its D comes from the livability subjects above.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 5 of 20; 0% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →Hazard riskEarthquakes top the listC−Open →Jobs & income$80K median household income; 36 jobs based hereC−Open →SchoolsBehind 71% of Oregon districts on tests and graduationCOpen →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnCOpen →HealthPeace Harbor Medical Center 3.4 miles awayB+Open →
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 →
Getting set up
Moving to Heceta Beach: who provides what
Heceta Beach is unincorporated, so Lane County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerCentral Lincoln People's Ut Dt11.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Florence water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% 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 code9743997439 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 Heceta Beach.
Heceta Beach has cooler summers than nearly all U.S. towns and is one of Oregon’s best towns for the outdoors, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of Oregon.
Who lives here
Heceta Beach stands out in Oregon and nationally, with fewer of its residents who are under 18
Only one of the 142 Oregon towns we compare has a higher age of the median resident than Heceta Beach. College graduates make up 32% of adults 25 and older, against 37% across Oregon.
61.4median age · OR 40.4
| Heceta Beach | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 8% | 21% | 22% |
| Median age | 61.4 years | 39.3 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 27% | 29% |
Heceta BeachOregonUnited States
Ages · share of residents
26%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school19%
Some college37%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate11%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 38% and 63% women
The Census survey reached too few of Heceta Beach’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±12.9 points. Across Oregon, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Heceta Beach | OR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 3.4% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.6% | 9.6% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.9% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 3.8% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.4% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 22.8% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 10.8% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 26.4% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 17.8% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 18.7% | 22.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 36.6% | 23.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.6% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.1% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 11% | 14.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,700, single groups can be off by several points
OutdoorsA+
Heceta Beach has set aside 18.4% of its land for conservation
Its A+ for the outdoors ranks #4 of 142 in Oregon.
In Heceta Beach, the concentration of trails is 1.0 miles per square mile. 2.7 miles of trail wind through 2 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is North Jetty Park, at 248 acres.
#62for trails in OR
18.4%
conserved · 328 of 1,785 acres
2.7 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. North Jetty Park | 0.3 mi | 248 |
| 2. Three Mile Prairie County Park | — | 54 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
A smaller share of working residents work locally in Heceta Beach than in most of Oregon or the rest of the country
Heceta Beach has 36 jobs for its 451 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out. The average commute takes 11.6 minutes, against 23 across Oregon.
The top destinations are Florence (36%), Eugene (10%) and Portland (7%). In Heceta Beach, 13% of residents live below the poverty line. The typical journey to work for Heceta Beach comes to 12 minutes. Half the trips to work are shorter than 42 miles.
0%work in town
| Heceta Beach | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 12 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.2% | 10% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Heceta Beach0%
Florence36%
Eugene10%
Portland7%
Salem3%
42 mi
median commute distance
36
jobs based in Heceta Beach
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 7% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C−
High risk in Heceta Beach, with earthquakes at the top
FEMA expects more storm and flood damage in Heceta Beach than in 69% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 61% come from earthquakes and 33% from inland flooding.
69risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Heceta Beach has mild winters and pleasant summers
July afternoons average 65.8°, cooler than in 100% of U.S. towns; January nights average 40.2°.
It almost never snows. The July high here is 66°F. Only 5 of the 142 Oregon towns we compare have a higher January low than Heceta Beach.
67°summer high
| Heceta Beach | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 66°F | 82°F | 85°F |
| January low | 40°F | 36°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter40–51°
Spring43–57°
Summer51–65°
Fall46–61°
Nov 15
typical first frost
Apr 10
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
67°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthB+
Heceta Beach’s grade for health is a B+
Among adults in Heceta Beach, 46% have high blood pressure. Of the 142 Oregon towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who binge drink than Heceta Beach. On the CDC’s 26 measures, Heceta Beach is ahead of Oregon on 11 and behind on 8.
65%healthier than U.S. townsB+Health Grade
| Heceta Beach | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 9.7% | 15% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 46% | 33% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 32% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 18% | 17% |
26 measures vs. Oregon
11 better7 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Heceta Beach | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.2% | 8.5% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 9.7% | 15.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 16.7% | 8.9% |
Peace Harbor Medical Center
3.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
62nd
percentile among OR towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade C
A home in Heceta Beach sells for about $535K at the median
At 7.5 years of the Eugene metro’s $72K median household income, the typical home costs more against local pay than in 88% of Oregon towns; that ratio is one input to its C for cost of living.
Heceta Beach’s rent at the middle of the market is $1,141 a month. For households in the town, the share who are owner-occupiers is 87%.
$535Kmedian sale price
| Heceta Beach | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,141 a month | $1,415 a month | $1,185 a month |
4
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Heceta Beach
17pages on Heceta Beach
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Heceta Beach; the nearest are
Oregon Coast Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Newport40.1 mi$5,544 in-state tuitionUniversity of OregonUniversity or college · Public · Eugene51.8 mi$16,137 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Heceta Beach residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
About Heceta Beach
Unincorporated community in the state of Oregon, United States
Heceta Beach is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lane County, Oregon, United States, located west of U.S. Route 101 next to the Pacific Ocean. As of the 2020 census, Heceta Beach had a population of 1,912. It is the next settlement north of the Siuslaw River and Florence and is within the Florence urban growth boundary. Heceta Beach was platted in 1915. Lane County maintains a small county park there, with beach access, as well as restrooms and picnic tables. Driftwood Shores, a hotel and conference center in Heceta Beach, was annexed to Florence in 2008.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Heceta Beach’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Heceta Beach.
FlorenceHeceta Beach
How the neighbors grade
| Town | OR rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heceta Beach | #115 | D | C | — | C | B+ |
| Florence | #114 | D | D | C+ | C | B− |
Heceta Beach reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Heceta Beach with a neighbor →
Questions about Heceta Beach
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Heceta Beach, OR a good place to live?
Heceta Beach grades D overall, better than 9% of U.S. towns and #115 of 142 in Oregon. It grades B+ for health and C for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Heceta Beach, OR expensive?
The typical home is worth about $534,000, 8% above the Oregon typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.