Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,039, settled in 1911.
The best of Metolius’ subject grades are a B+ for cost of living and a B for walkability; the weakest is a D for incomes. 33% of residents are under 18 in Metolius, above both Oregon’s towns (21%) and U.S. towns (22%). Only 9 of Oregon’s 228 towns score higher on cost of living. On civic life, just 3 of Oregon’s 161 towns do worse. Oregon Trunk Passenger and Freight Station is on the National Register of Historic Places. Metolius has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Metolius beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Metolius is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Metolius, 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 Metolius.
Metolius beats the Oregon average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 11. 70% of adults had a checkup this year in Metolius, below both the Oregon town median (72%) and the median of U.S. towns (79%). 16% of Metolius adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance.
| Metolius | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 72% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 8.5% | 8.1% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 20% | 19% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Metolius | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.5% | 8.9% |
| More uninsured adults | 16% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by Jefferson County SD 509J. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metolius Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 246 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
0.5% of working residents work locally in Metolius. The top destinations are Madras (24%), Redmond (13%) and Bend (11%). 18% of residents live below the poverty line in Metolius.
| Metolius | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 0.5% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $65,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Metolius home is worth about $331,000, up 0.7% in a year, 33% below the Oregon typical home. The median rent in Metolius is $1,121 a month.
| Metolius | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,121 a month | $1,414 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 68% | 65% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 73% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Metolius has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Metolius’ July high is 87°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
None within 15 miles of Metolius; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Metolius residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
Where Metolius’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Oregon, United States
Metolius is a city in Jefferson County, Oregon, United States, named for the Metolius River, a nearby tributary of the Deschutes River. The name for both comes from the Warm Springs or Sahaptin word mitula, meaning white salmon and referring to a light colored Chinook salmon and not a whitefish. The population was 978 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.