I am writing for you to come to Rockaway postcard, 1910
Rockaway Beach’s story
83 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1910.
- 1943Rockaway Beach is settled
Rockaway BeachOR
A town of 1,455, settled in 1943.
Photo: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,455
2025 Census estimate · +0.2% since 2020
Typical home
$455K
−0.8% in a year
Household income
$54K
median
Median age
52.7
years
Jobs based here
306
A commuter town
Is Rockaway Beach a good place to live?
The best of Rockaway Beach’s subject grades are an A+ for civic life and an A− for the outdoors; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. Rockaway Beach’s July high is 67°F, below both Oregon’s towns (82°F) and U.S. towns (85°F). On hazard risk, just 17 of Oregon’s 228 towns do worse. The median household income is $54K, and 11% of residents live below the poverty line. Rockaway Beach’s trail density is 2.7 miles per square mile, above both the Oregon town median (0.8) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Rockaway Beach has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Rockaway Beach stand out
Where Rockaway Beach beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Small town
1,455 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Rockaway Beach grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Rockaway Beach is from typical.
Hazard risktsunamis tops the listDOpen →Jobs & incomeDOpen →SchoolsBeat 71% of Oregon districts on tests and graduationB+Open →Cost of livingCOpen →HealthAdventist Health Tillamook 11.8 miles awayC+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.4 of 20; 4.3% of households have no car; 2.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−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
The full setup list →Moving to Rockaway Beach: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Rockaway Beach, and how to reach them.
PowerTillamook Peoples Utility Dist12.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Rockaway Beach water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Rockaway Beach’s trash rules yet
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 hereTillamook County Clerk, Elections OfficeTillamook County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code9713697136 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 Rockaway Beach.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Tsunamis leads a very high hazard risk in Rockaway Beach
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 91% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 47 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Rockaway Beach.
91risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TsunamisEarthquakesInland flooding
47
paid flood claims since 1981
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
Fewer young adults than Oregon overall
Adults 18 to 34 are 9% of residents (23% statewide); people 65 and older are 32% of residents (19% statewide). Rockaway Beach’s median age is 52.7 years. 27% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across Oregon.
52.7median age · OR 40.4
| Rockaway Beach | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 32% | 18% | 18% |
| Median age | 52.7 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
Rockaway BeachOregonUnited States
Ages · share of residents
24%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma20%
High school23%
Some college22%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s21%
Graduate6%
Women and men · all residents
54% women, 46% men
About 86 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±3.5 points). Across Oregon, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Rockaway Beach | OR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 3.5% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.3% | 9.6% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 2.2% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 6.5% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.2% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.3% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 23.5% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.5% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 19.6% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.3% | 22.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.3% | 23.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.7% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.7% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.4% | 14.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,500, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
With 0.6 jobs for every working resident, most of Rockaway Beach’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Rockaway Beach for work: only 8% work in town. The average trip to work in Rockaway Beach is 18 minutes. Since 2013, Rockaway Beach has added 141 jobs, to 306 in 2023.
8%work in town
| Rockaway Beach | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $54,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Rockaway Beach8%
Portland12%
Tillamook11%
Garibaldi10%
Salem3%
19 mi
median commute distance
306
jobs based in Rockaway Beach
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 54% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Rockaway Beach, expect mild winters and pleasant summers
Rockaway Beach has mild winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 67°, January nights drop to 38° and snow is almost unheard of.
68°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter37–50°
Spring41–56°
Summer50–66°
Fall44–61°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 22
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
68°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Residents of Rockaway Beach are less healthy than 58% of U.S. towns
Rockaway Beach beats the Oregon average on 5 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 42% of Rockaway Beach adults have high blood pressure. Among 143 Oregon towns, just 6 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Rockaway Beach.
42%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Rockaway Beach | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 11% | 12% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
26 measures vs. Oregon
5 better11 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Rockaway Beach | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.6% | 15.4% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79.1% | 71.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.9% | 6.8% |
Adventist Health Tillamook
11.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade C
Rockaway Beach’s typical home value is about $455K
The typical Rockaway Beach home is worth about $455,000, down 0.8% in a year, 8% below the Oregon typical home. Only 9 of the 141 Oregon towns we compare have a lower median rent than Rockaway Beach. 77% of households own their home in Rockaway Beach.
$455KZillow home value
| Rockaway Beach | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $958 a month | $1,414 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 77% | 65% | 73% |
Typical home value
Rockaway Beach$455K
Oregon$493K
−0.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsA−
Rockaway Beach has set aside 2% of its land for conservation
4.5 miles of trail in 4 parks and preserves.
2%conserved
2%
conserved · 21 of 1,083 acres
4.5 mi
of trails · 2.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Phyllis Baker City Park | — | 4 |
| 2. Stanger Memorial VFW Park | — | 2 |
| 3. Rockaway Beach City Center & Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Rockaway Beach
18pages on Rockaway Beach
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Rockaway Beach
About 3 of every 100 Rockaway Beach residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
A commuter town
92% of working residents leave Rockaway Beach for work
Where Rockaway Beach’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
306jobs based in Rockaway Beach
8%of working residents work in town
19 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Rockaway Beach
City in Oregon, United States
Rockaway Beach is a city in Tillamook County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2020 census, Rockaway Beach had a population of 1,441. The city houses the Rockaway Beach Old Growth Cedar Preserve, a 46-acre (19 ha) wetlands preserve which opened in 2019. The preserve has an elevated walkway, which terminates at a large cedar tree known as The Big Tree, which is estimated to be 500–900 years old.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1943
- Area
- 1.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 16 ft
- ZIP code
- 97136
- Area code
- 503, 971
Questions about Rockaway Beach
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Rockaway Beach, OR expensive?
That is 6.6 years of the area's median household income ($69,105 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.