Alderbrook Lodge, 2014
Rhododendron’s story
106 years in pictures
The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2014 and 3 maps from 1962 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1920Rhododendron is settled
RhododendronOR
This town of 214 people was settled in 1920.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
214
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$425K
+0.1% in a year
Household income
$86K
median
Median age
63.5
years
Jobs based here
82
Balanced
Is Rhododendron a good place to live?
Rhododendron’s mean commuting time is 42 minutes, above both Oregon’s towns (23 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Only one of the 143 Oregon towns we compare has a higher median age than Rhododendron. 88% of the land in Rhododendron is conserved, above both Oregon’s towns (4.4%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Mount Hood National Forest, at 2,178 acres with 11.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Rhododendron has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
214 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Mount Hood VillagesRhododendron
Nearby attractions
All 177 attractions →Mount Hood and 58 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Rhododendron. Close and well known come first.
Big draw9 mi MountainMount Hood
23 mi WaterfallMultnomah Falls
28 mi Canyon & gorgeColumbia River Gorge
24 mi DamBonneville Dam
8 mi National forestMount Hood National Forest
38 mi WaterfallWillamette FallsSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Hood: Oregon's Mt. Hood Territory., Public domain · Multnomah Falls: John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Columbia River Gorge: Hux, Public domain · Bonneville Dam: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Public domain · Mount Hood National Forest: Andy Barrett (User:Big Smooth), CC BY 2.5 · Willamette Falls: The original uploader was Cacophony at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0
Getting set up
Moving to Rhododendron: who provides what
Rhododendron is unincorporated, so Clackamas County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPortland General Electric18.8¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRhododendron Wtr Assoc3 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers90% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesClackamas CountyClackamas 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 hereClackamas County Clerk, Elections OfficeClackamas County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code9704997049 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 Rhododendron.
Outdoors
nearly a third of the land in Rhododendron is protected from building
Among 141 Oregon towns, just 5 have a higher trail network density than Rhododendron. 12 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
88.1%conserved
88.1%
conserved · 2,190 of 2,485 acres
12 mi
of trails · 3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Mount Hood National Forest | 11.6 mi | 2,178 |
| 2. Salmon-Huckleberry Wilderness | — | 32 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Rhododendron has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Rhododendron’s risk rating from FEMA comes in at 91 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 45% come from inland flooding and 29% from avalanches. One declared disaster, in 2020, has brought federal aid to Rhododendron households.
91risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingAvalanchesWildfire
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Rhododendron is older than the Oregon average
People 65 and older are 36% of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 8% of residents (23% statewide). 30% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across Oregon.
63.5median age · OR 40.4
RhododendronOregonUnited States
Ages · share of residents
36%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma0%
High school37%
Some college25%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s26%
Graduate4%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 16% and 92% women
The Census survey reached too few of Rhododendron’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±38 points. Across Oregon, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Rhododendron | OR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.5% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 0% | 9.6% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.4% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 20.1% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 0% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 27.6% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 36.4% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 0% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 37.4% | 22.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 25.3% | 23.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.6% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.8% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 4% | 14.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Rhododendron
Rhododendron’s July high stands at 75°F.
5″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter28–40°
Spring35–53°
Summer48–72°
Fall38–56°
Nov 8
typical first frost
Apr 5
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
With only 0.8 jobs per working resident, most people in Rhododendron work out of town
Half the trips to work are shorter than 36 miles. Rhododendron had 82 jobs in 2023, down 282 from 2013. Also worth knowing: just 2% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. 15% of Rhododendron residents live below the poverty line.
2%work in town
| Rhododendron | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.9% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $86,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Rhododendron2%
Portland22%
Sandy5%
Gresham5%
Salem4%
36 mi
median commute distance
82
jobs based in Rhododendron
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
A larger share of households are owner-occupiers in Rhododendron than in most of Oregon or the rest of the country
Zillow values the typical Rhododendron home at about $425,000, about the same as a year ago, 14% below the Oregon typical home.
$425KZillow home value
Typical home value
Rhododendron$425K
Oregon$493K
+0.1%
value change, 1 year
2
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Health
How healthy Rhododendron is
The share of adults in Rhododendron who had a checkup this year: 75%. Of 26 CDC measures, Rhododendron beats the Oregon average on 5 and trails it on 2.
| Rhododendron | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 27% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 72% | 79% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 21% | 25% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 15% | 16% |
26 measures vs. Oregon
5 better19 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Rhododendron | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.2% | 12.5% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.5% | 8.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11% | 8.9% |
Legacy Mount Hood Medical Center
30.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rhododendron
16pages on Rhododendron
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Rhododendron; the nearest are
Mt Hood Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Gresham30.3 mi$5,247 in-state tuitionClackamas Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Oregon City35.3 mi$6,345 in-state tuitionOregon Health & Science UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Portland42.8 mi
About 4 of every 100 Rhododendron residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
About Rhododendron
Unincorporated community in Oregon, United States
Rhododendron is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. It is located within the Mount Hood Corridor, between Government Camp and Zigzag on U.S. Route 26 (a.k.a. the Mount Hood Scenic Byway). It is one of the communities that make up the Villages at Mount Hood. As of the 2020 census, Rhododendron had a population of 262. A post office was established in the area in 1909 and named "Rowe" after Henry S. Rowe, a mayor of Portland, Oregon, who was interested in developing the state's scenic attractions. In 1917 the office was renamed "Zig Zag" and shortly thereafter "Zigzag". (The name was later reused for the post office in the …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 3.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,116 ft
- ZIP code
- 97049
- Area code
- 503, 971
Questions about Rhododendron
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rhododendron, OR a good place to live?
Rhododendron has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.