Country above Laidlaw, 1910
Tumalo’s story
122 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and a map from 1962 on.
- 1904Tumalo is settled
TumaloOR
This town of 662 people was settled in 1904.
Photo: Orygun · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
662
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$720K
Census ACS
Household income
$85K
median
Median age
43.6
years
Jobs based here
286
Balanced
Is Tumalo a good place to live?
Tumalo’s going rate for rent is $1,835 a month, against $1,414 a month in Oregon’s towns and $1,185 a month across U.S. towns. Tumalo has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
662 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Tumalo: who provides what
Tumalo is unincorporated, so Deschutes County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPacific Power15.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLaidlaw Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet8 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesDeschutes CountyDeschutes 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 hereDeschutes County Clerk, Elections OfficeDeschutes County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jan 2024
ZIP code9770397703 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 Tumalo.
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Oregon overall
Adults 35 to 64 are just over half of residents (39% statewide); people 65 and older are 11% of residents (19% statewide). Here, 29% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree, against 37% in Oregon as a whole. For Tumalo, the midpoint age is 43.6 years.
43.6median age · OR 40.4
| Tumalo | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.6 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 29% | 27% | 29% |
TumaloOregonUnited States
Ages · share of residents
21%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma0%
High school24%
Some college28%
Associate’s19%
Bachelor’s26%
Graduate3%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 41% and 81% women
The Census survey reached too few of Tumalo’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±20 points. Across Oregon, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Tumalo | OR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.7% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8% | 9.6% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 16.8% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.9% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16.5% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 20.8% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 4.4% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.9% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.4% | 22.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 28% | 23.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 18.7% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.9% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 3% | 14.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
Schools
The schools Tumalo’s kids attend
Public schools: Redmond SD 2J. Its one school is below. Enrollment at Tumalo’s public school: 266 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tumalo Community SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 266 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Top of a high hazard risk in Tumalo: wildfire
Tumalo’s natural-hazard score from FEMA comes in at 69 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 47% come from wildfires and 45% from inland flooding.
69risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
WildfireInland flooding
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Expect four seasons and pleasant summers in Tumalo
July afternoons reach 85°, January nights drop to 25° and about 22 inches of snow falls in a winter.
22″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–43°
Spring32–59°
Summer46–82°
Fall34–63°
Sep 20
typical first frost
Jun 6
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
About two in five of Tumalo’s working residents commute to Bend
In Tumalo, 4.4% of residents live below the poverty line. Just 2% of the town’s working residents have a job in town. Since 2013, Tumalo has added 54 jobs, to 286 in 2023. The town’s average commute stands at 27 minutes.
2%work in town
| Tumalo | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.4% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.2% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $85,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Tumalo2%
Bend44%
Redmond8%
Portland5%
Eugene3%
8 mi
median commute distance
286
jobs based in Tumalo
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
A smaller share of adults sleep under 7 hours in Tumalo than in most of Oregon or the rest of the country
Tumalo: one in ten adults have diabetes. Among 143 Oregon towns, just 10 have a lower share of adults who get no exercise outside work than Tumalo. 26% of adults in the town have obesity; 14% report frequent mental distress.
| Tumalo | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 32% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 18% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 21% | 25% |
26 measures vs. Oregon
13 better11 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Tumalo | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.1% | 12.5% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.5% | 8.5% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.9% | 8.9% |
St. Charles Medical Center - Bend
6.8 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
Homes in Tumalo sell for about $1.12M
The share of households in Tumalo who are owner-occupiers: 72%.
$1.12Mmedian sale price
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 12 attractions →Three Sisters and 9 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Tumalo. Close and well known come first.
22 mi MountainThree Sisters
33 mi MountainNewberry Volcano
18 mi State parkSmith Rock State Park21 mi Ski areaMt. Bachelor128 runs · 3,233 ft vertical32 mi Park & preserveNewberry National Volcanic Monument
5 mi MuseumPetersen Rock GardenSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Three Sisters: USGS photo by Lyn Topinka, Public domain · Newberry Volcano: USGS photo by Lyn Topinka, Public domain · Smith Rock State Park: Max Schwarz, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Newberry National Volcanic Monument: USGS photo by Lyn Topinka, Public domain · Petersen Rock Garden: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Tumalo
16pages on Tumalo
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Tumalo
Central Oregon Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Bend5.9 mi$5,049 in-state tuitionOregon State University-Cascades CampusUniversity or college · Public · Bend7.8 mi$13,566 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Tumalo residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
About Tumalo
Unincorporated community in the state of Oregon, United States
Tumalo ( TUM-ə-loh) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2020 census, Tumalo had a population of 558. In the Klamath language, tumolo means "wild plum," a plentiful shrub in south central Oregon. Tumola means "ground fog," which may have described Tumalo Creek. Tumallowa, the original name of Tumalo Creek, means "icy water."
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,189 ft
- Area code
- 458, 541
Questions about Tumalo
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Tumalo, OR a good place to live?
Tumalo has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.