The Town FilesScappoose, Oregon
City in Columbia County · population 8,010 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $455,700
- Household income
- $97,708
- Jan low / Jul high
- 34° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 2 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 40.3
Scappoose is a city of 8,010 people in Columbia County, Oregon. The median home is worth $455,700, above the typical Oregon town ($394,200). It ranks better for families than 76% of Oregon towns.
How Scappoose ranks
Percentile among Oregon towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Oregon towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Scappoose is worth $455,700, above the typical Oregon town ($394,200). Homes cost about 4.7 times the median household income of $97,708, which is more affordable than 65% of Oregon towns. Median rent is $1,750 a month. 74.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Scappoose | Typical Oregon town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $455,700 | $394,200 |
| Median rent | $1,750 | $1,312 |
| Median household income | $97,708 | $76,221 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.7× | 5.1× |
| Homeownership | 74.6% | 71.1% |
| Median year built | 1991 | 1981 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.5% | — |
Who lives in Scappoose
| People | Scappoose | Typical Oregon town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.3 | 41.7 |
| Age 65 and over | 15.6% | 20.1% |
| Under 18 | 23.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 23.6% | 23.2% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.2% | 10.8% |
| Veterans | 9.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.8% | — |
| Work from home | 13.8% | 12.2% |
| Average commute | 28.0 min | 23.2 min |
| Homes with broadband | 98.6% | 92.4% |
Weather in Scappoose
July highs average 81.0°F and January lows 33.8°F. About 42.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 1.6 inches of snow (typical Oregon town: 3.1 in). Expect about 14 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 61 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Scappoose since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical Oregon town. The strongest, an F1, struck on August 16, 1978 about 1.6 miles from the town center. The most recent was on November 10, 2020.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 2 times; the largest was 1.00 inches on July 31, 1991.
Severe weather in Columbia County since 1996
Columbia County has been included in 17 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, biological.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 15, 2020 | Fire | DR-4562: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds |
| March 28, 2020 | Biological | DR-4499: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3429: Covid-19 |
| August 8, 2017 | Severe Storm | DR-4328: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| February 17, 2016 | Severe Storm | DR-4258: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in Columbia County
Columbia County had 11,981 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,228 a year. Unemployment was 4.4% in 2023; in Scappoose itself the ACS puts it at 2.1%.
Public schools in Scappoose
4 public schools with 1,739 students, about 19.8 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scappoose High School | 9-12 | 681 | 20.0 |
| Otto Petersen Elementary School | 4-6 | 390 | 20.5 |
| Grant Watts Elementary School | K-3 | 352 | 18.5 |
| Scappoose Middle School | 7-8 | 316 | 19.8 |
Towns near Scappoose
- St. Helens, OR7.3 mi · 13,817 people · home $394,200
- Felida, WA8.3 mi · 9,526 people · home $674,000
- Lake Shore, WA9.9 mi · 7,056 people · home $566,100
- Ridgefield, WA10.5 mi · 10,319 people · home $613,500
- Salmon Creek, WA10.7 mi · 21,293 people · home $530,100
- Mount Vista, WA11.7 mi · 10,051 people · home $586,600
- La Center, WA11.9 mi · 3,424 people · home $584,600
- Hazel Dell, WA11.9 mi · 23,569 people · home $455,500
Scappoose questions
Is Scappoose, Oregon a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Scappoose scores better for retirees than 30% of Oregon towns and quieter than 41%. 15.6% of residents are 65 or older (median age 40.3).
How much does a house cost in Scappoose?
The median owner-occupied home in Scappoose is valued at $455,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $97,708, so homes cost about 4.7 times income. Median rent is $1,750 a month.
What is the weather like in Scappoose?
July highs average 81.0°F and January lows 33.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.3 inches of precipitation a year and 1.6 inches of snow.
Does Scappoose get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Scappoose since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on August 16, 1978. The typical Oregon town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)