Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Rainier’s best subject grades are an A− for walkability and an A+ for the outdoors; its weakest is a D for schools. Only 20 of Oregon’s 228 towns score lower on health. 44% of the land in Rainier is conserved, above both Oregon’s towns (4.4%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). On the outdoors, just 5 of Oregon’s 228 towns do better. Rainier has 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them George F. Moeck House and Woodbine Cemetery-Green Mountain Cemetery. Rainier has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Rainier beats most towns.
George F. Moeck HouseEach subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Rainier is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1888.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rainier, 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 Rainier.
7.5 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. At 1.5 miles per square mile, Rainier’s trail density is above both the Oregon town median (0.8) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4).
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rainier City Park | 0.2 mi | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Rainier beats the Oregon average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 18% of adults report frequent physical distress in Rainier. Only 5 of the 143 Oregon towns we compare have a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Rainier.
| Rainier | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 33% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Rainier | OR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 75.7% | 71.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 22% | 12.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Rainier has mild winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Rainier is 78°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Rainier for work: only 9% work in town. Jobs based in Rainier grew to 926 in 2023, 261 more than in 2013. Rainier’s median household income is $67,000.
| Rainier | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 18% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 63% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Rainier since 1997.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Rainier home is worth about $418,000, up 1% in a year, 15% below the Oregon typical home. Among 141 Oregon towns, just 8 have a lower median rent than Rainier. 60% of Rainier households own their home.
| Rainier | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $942 a month | $1,414 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 60% | 65% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Rainier reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 60% report less.
| Rainier | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 12.4 per 1,000 residents | 15.2 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
1 within 15 miles of the center of Rainier
About 2 of every 100 Rainier residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
2 places in Rainier on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Oregon, United States
Rainier ( ray-NEER) is a city in Columbia County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2020 census, Rainier had a population of 1,911. Rainier is on the south bank of the Columbia River across from Kelso and Longview, Washington.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
That is 4.3 years of the area's median household income ($97,436 across the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro 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−.
