Reedsport, Oregon
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Reedsport is a city located in Douglas County, Oregon. It was named for a local settler, Alfred W. Reed, who founded the city in 1912. As of the 2000 census, it had a total population of 4,378.
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History
According to the Oregon Blue Book, Reedsport was "established" on the estuary of the Umpqua River on January 7, 1852. The post office was created July 17, 1912.
Built on marshy ground, for much of its history Reedsport has struggled with frequent flooding; most of its early buildings were elevated 3 to 8 feet above town. Following a devastating flood in 1964, a dike was constructed to protect the lower town.
In the last quarter of the 20th century, Reedsport has struggled with the collapse of the Oregon timber industry. Although the U.S. Forest Service maintains a local office in the town, Reedsport's historic connection with the timber industry ended in 1999 with the closing of the International Paper plant in nearby Gardiner.
Geography
ORMap-doton-Reedsport.png
Location of Reedsport, Oregon
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.9 km² (2.3 mi²). 5.3 km² (2.1 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 10.48% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 4,378 people, 1,978 households, and 1,265 families residing in the city. The population density is 820.6/km² (2,126.6/mi²). There are 2,178 housing units at an average density of 408.2/km² (1,057.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 93.92% White, 0.02% African American, 1.23% Native American, 0.43% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.15% from other races, and 2.22% from two or more races. 4.68% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,978 households out of which 23.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% are married couples living together, 7.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 36.0% are non-families. 32.0% of all households are made up of individuals and 17.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.19 and the average family size is 2.71.
In the city the population is spread out with 20.6% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 19.9% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 26.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 47 years. For every 100 females there are 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $26,054, and the median income for a family is $33,689. Males have a median income of $33,214 versus $20,734 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,093. 16.0% of the population and 11.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 21.5% of those under the age of 18 and 10.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.