How Much Do You Know About Your County?

By Scott R. Cooper, Crook County Judge
Published in the Powell Butte View, May 2005

Grab a pencil and test your knowledge of where our community fits in the world of statistical data. (Answer key with notes appears at the end of the article.)

Among the 36 counties of Oregon, where does Crook County rank for growth?
1st
2nd
15h

Among 3,140 counties in the nation, where did Crook County rank for growth in the period 2000-2004
91st
186th
749th

Where did Crook County rank in unemployment within Oregon counties, based on latest figures?
Highest
16th (of 36 counties)
Lowest

Which Central Oregon county consistently has the highest per capita income in the region?
Deschutes
Crook
Jefferson

Which unincorporated community (defined as a census tract) in Crook County outside Prineville has the largest population?
Powell Butte
Prineville Reservoir area
Mill Creek area

At $14.21 per thousand dollars of assessed value, the average property tax assessed in Crook County in 2003-04 was:
Higher than Deschutes and Jefferson Counties
Lower than Deschutes and Jefferson Counties
The same as Deschutes and Jefferson Counties

With 8.6 percent growth in 2003-04 (based on assessed real market value), real estate values in Crook County:
Outpaced all counties in Oregon
Outpaced all but five counties in Oregon
Was the lowest in Oregon

The largest employment segment in Crook County is:
Manufacturing
Trade, Transportation and Utilities
Government (federal state, local and schools)

The 2000 census of religion found that 27.4 percent of citizens in Crook County are affiliated with a church. Compared to Multnomah County that percentage is:
Slightly larger
Quite a bit smaller
About the same

Comparing land ownership patterns in Crook County Deschutes Counties, the percentage of land owned by the government in Crook County is
Quite a bit more
Quite a bit less
About the same

Anglo and Hispanic residents of Crook County represent the largest and second-largest ethnic communities. What identifiable ethic group is third?
African American
Native American
Asian

Commuters to another county make up what portion of the work force residing in Crook County?
Less than 10 percent
10-20 percent
More than 20 percent

What county in Oregon has the highest percentage of women-owned businesses?:
Multnomah
Crook
Deschutes

What percentage of Crook County residents live in a mobile home?
10.3
24.3
28.5

When asked their ancestry by the 2000 census, Crook County residents reported 23 distinct nationalities (not including those who reported “American” or “other”). What was the most commonly reported ancestry?
English
German
Irish

Answer key: In each case, the answer is “b”
Notes:

1 and 2) A Census press release in April identified Deschutes County as the fastest growing county in the nation and the 91st fastest growing county in the state. Although the numbers for Crook County (2nd fastest in the state and 186th fasted in the nation were available through the Census’ web site, media attention given did not follow.)
3) Baker, Columbia, Coos, Grant, Harney, Klamath, Lake, Linn, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Wallowa, Wasco and Wheeler all had higher unemployment rates in March 2005.
4) Based on latest available data (2003), average hourly wage in the three counties was: $29,354 per year ($14.11 per hour) in Crook County; $29,118 ($14.00) in Deschutes County and $26,954 ($12.96 per hour) in Jefferson County.
5) source: Census 2000
6) Based on county assessor reports to the Dept. of Revenue, the average property tax paid in Oregon counties based on assessed valuation ranged from a high of $17.05 per thousand in Morrow County to a low of $8.89 per thousand in Curry County. Crook County residents paid $14.21 per thousand, while the average Deschutes County resident paid $14.24 and the average Jefferson County resident paid $16.69.
7) Based on county assessor reports to the Dept. of Revenue. Counties reporting faster increase in value were Deschutes, Douglas, Josephine, Sherman and Washington.
11) 91.4 percent of Crook County residents self-identified to the census as being “white” but not of Hispanic or Latino origin. Persons of Hispanic or Latino origin accounted for 5.6 percent of the population. Native Americans made up 1.3 percent of the population, Asians, 0.4 percent, “other” categories, 5.2 percent. Less than half of one tenth of the population reported ethnicity as being African-American or Pacific Islander.
8) Trade, transportation and utilities, employing 1680 people, mostly with the Les Schwab corporation, is the most significant source of employment in Crook County. Manufacturing (mostly wood products) and Government are tied with 1220 employees each.
9) Hood River County leads the pack in Oregon in church affiliation, with 47.8 percent of its residents claiming some religious affiliation. It is followed closely by Multnomah County (45.7 percent) and Umatilla County (43.3). Crook County ranks 16th of 36 counties.
10) Just under 50 percent of the land in Crook County is publicly owned, while over 80 percent of the land in Deschutes County is publicly owned.
12) One in 5 Crook County residents commutes to another county to work, but Crook County does not have the highest commuting pattern in the region. That distinction belongs to Jefferson County where 1 in 4 residents commutes.
13) Statewide, the percentage of women-owned business is an average 27.6 percent. The only county other than Crook in which more than 30 percent of the businesses located there are women-owned was Douglas, 30.8 percent.
14) Statewide, 10.3 percent of residents live in mobile homes. In Deschutes County, the number is 13.8 percent and in Jefferson County it is 28.5 percent
15) The most commonly reported ancestry was German at 16.6 percent, followed by Irish, 11.3 percent and English, 11.2 percent