Bridge over Alsea Bay, 1900
Waldport’s story
147 years in pictures
Census counts: 181 in 1920, 2,249 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 4 maps from 1922 on.
- 1879Waldport is settled
WaldportOR
A town of 2,268, settled in 1879.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,268
2025 Census estimate · −0.1% since 2020
Typical home
$467K
+0% in a year
Household income
$56K
median
Median age
60.9
years
Jobs based here
366
A commuter town
Is Waldport a good place to live?
Waldport’s best subject grades are an A for walkability, civic life, and the outdoors; its weakest is a D for hazard risk. 39% of residents are 65 or older in Waldport, where Oregon’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 18%. Only 18 of Oregon’s 228 towns score lower on incomes. Homes are expensive, about $467K for a typical one and 7.4 times the Newport area’s $63K median household income. Waldport’s trail density is 2.4 miles per square mile, above both Oregon’s towns (0.8) and U.S. towns (0.4). The biggest place to walk is Governor Patterson Memorial State Recreation Site, 49 acres with 1.3 miles of trail. Waldport has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Waldport stand out
Where Waldport beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A growing town
Waldport has grown 10% since 2010
2,033 counted in 2010 and 2,249 in 2020; an estimated 2,268 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Waldport grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Waldport is from typical.
Hazard riskearthquakes tops the listDOpen →Jobs & income$56K median household income; 366 jobs based hereDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 11.2 of 20; 1.3% of households have no carAOpen →Cost of livingDOpen →SchoolsC+Open →HealthSamaritan Pacific Community Hospital 14.5 miles awayC+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors8 miles of trails; 3% conserved landAOpen →History1 notable person born hereC−Open →Civic life5.4 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 67° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market$467K typical home, up 0% in a year–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 60.9; 25% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Waldport: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Waldport, and how to reach them.
PowerCentral Lincoln People's Ut Dt11.4¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Waldport water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpDahl Disposal Service - WaldportTue–Sat 8:30 am–4:30 pmOpenStreetMap
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 hereLincoln County Clerk, Elections OfficeLincoln County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2024
ZIP code9739497394 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 Waldport.
SchoolsC+
On state tests, Waldport’s schools trail 58% of Oregon districts
Its public schools are run by Lincoln County SD. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
42%of OR districts it outscoresC+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crestview Heights SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 264 | B |
| Waldport High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 204 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Earthquakes leads a very high hazard risk in Waldport
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 90% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 16 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Waldport.
90risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingTsunamis
16
paid flood claims since 1981
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Waldport has 0.6 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Waldport for work: only 10% work in town. Waldport’s average trip to work is 32 minutes. The top destinations are Newport (22%), Yachats (8%) and Portland (5%).
10%work in town
| Waldport | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $56,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Waldport10%
Newport22%
Yachats8%
Portland5%
Salem5%
15 mi
median commute distance
366
jobs based in Waldport
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 93% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
A typical July afternoon in Waldport is cooler than in most of Oregon or the rest of the country
The July high in Waldport is 66°F. Waldport has mild winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain.
67°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter39–51°
Spring43–57°
Summer51–66°
Fall46–60°
Dec 11
typical first frost
Feb 19
typical last frost
+0.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
67°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HealthC+
Residents of Waldport are less healthy than 56% of U.S. towns
Waldport beats the Oregon average on 5 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 9. 43% of adults have high blood pressure in Waldport. Among 143 Oregon towns, just 8 have a higher share of adults who had a checkup this year than Waldport.
45%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Waldport | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 33% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
26 measures vs. Oregon
5 better12 too close to call9 worse
| What stands out | Waldport | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.6% | 15.4% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 71.3% | 63.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.4% | 8.9% |
Samaritan Pacific Community Hospital
14.5 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 D
Waldport earns a D for cost of living
The typical Waldport home is worth about $467,000, about the same as a year ago, 5% below the Oregon typical home.
$467KZillow home value
| Waldport | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $987 a month | $1,414 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 71% | 65% | 73% |
Typical home value
Waldport$467K
Oregon$493K
+0%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsA
Waldport has set aside 3.1% of its land for conservation
7.8 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves.
3.1%conserved
3.1%
conserved · 65 of 2,104 acres
7.8 mi
of trails · 2.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Crestline Park | 1.4 mi | 21 |
| 2. Governor Patterson Memorial State Recreation Site | 1.3 mi | 49 |
| 3. Southworth Park | — | 8 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 18 attractions →Reser Stadium and 3 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Waldport. Close and well known come first.
40 mi Stadium & arenaReser Stadium14 mi Zoo & aquariumOregon Coast Aquarium
18 mi LighthouseYaquina Head Light
20 mi LighthouseHeceta Head LightSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Reser Stadium: Zapper258, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Yaquina Head Light: $1LENCE D00600D, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Heceta Head Light: HISE Studios, resized and color corrected by Howcheng, Public domain
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Waldport
19pages on Waldport
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Waldport
About 2 of every 100 Waldport residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
A commuter town
90% of working residents leave Waldport for work
Where Waldport’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
366jobs based in Waldport
10%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Waldport
City in Oregon, United States
Waldport is a city in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States. The population was 2,033 at the 2010 census. The city is located on the Alsea River and Alsea Bay, 15 miles (24 km) south of Newport and 8 miles (13 km) north of Yachats.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1911
- Area
- 3.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 12 ft
- ZIP code
- 97394
- Area code
- 541
Waldport’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Waldport.
BayshoreWaldport
How the neighbors grade
Waldport has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Waldport reports no FBI crime data of its own. Bayshore isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Waldport with a neighbor →
Questions about Waldport
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Waldport, OR expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.