Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,245, settled in 1872.
The best of Tangent’s subject grades is an A− for civic life; the weakest is a D for walkability. Only 11 of Oregon’s 228 towns score lower on walkability. Tangent’s trail density is 0.1 miles per square mile, below both Oregon’s towns (0.8) and U.S. towns (0.4). Gus and Emma Stellmacher Farmstead and Steven and Elizabeth Archibald Farmstead is on the National Register of Historic Places. Tangent has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Tangent 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 Tangent is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 38 in 1880, 1,231 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 6 maps from 1911 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Tangent, 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 Tangent.
Most working residents leave Tangent for work: only 2% work in town. 20% of Tangent residents live below the poverty line, above both the Oregon town median (11%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). Jobs based in Tangent grew to 1,490 in 2023, 589 more than in 2013.
| Tangent | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 20% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.4% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $99,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by Greater Albany Public SD 8J. One of its 2 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tangent Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 123 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 77% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Tangent since 1996.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Tangent has mild winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 83°, January nights drop to 36° and about 3 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Tangent tracks Oregon closely on all 26 CDC measures. 31% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Tangent. Only 5 of the 143 Oregon towns we compare have a higher share of adults who binge drink than Tangent.
| Tangent | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 27% | 23% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 35% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 72% | 79% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Tangent home is worth about $458,000, up 1.5% in a year, 7% below the Oregon typical home. The median rent in Tangent is $2,048 a month.
| Tangent | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,048 a month | $1,414 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 65% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
0.2 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Among 141 Oregon towns, just 4 have a lower share of conserved land than Tangent.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pioneer Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
2 within 15 miles of the center of Tangent
About 9 of every 100 Tangent residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
Where Tangent’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Oregon, United States
Tangent is a city in Linn County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,231 at the 2020 census. Tangent was the site of a railway station on the Southern Pacific line south of Albany. Its name referred to a straight stretch of the line with no curves for more than 20 miles (32 km). The federal government established a post office in Tangent on September 17, 1872.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes. That is 6 years of the area's median household income ($76,329 across the Albany, OR 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 C−.