Rural Communities Explorer

Rural Communities Explorer Get reliable community data at: http://oregonexplorer.info/rural/ The Rural Communities Explorer digital library provides public access to reliable and up-to-date social, demographic, economic, and environmental information about Oregon's rural counties and communities.

Through the regular collection, maintenance, analysis, and presentation of community-level data, rural research, and local stories, the Rural Communities Explorer can reveal: --The economy, environment, and demography of communities in Oregon --The extent of rural community vitality in Oregon --Focus areas for policy or program influence and action --The causes, consequences, and significance of rural issues --How communities work and change --Where additional rural resources are and how to use them

Mission: The Rural Communities Explorer provides information to help local citizens and policymakers make better decisions about rural issues including vitality and change in Oregon's rural communities.

Operating as usual

Big labor force changes are coming related to population age structure. This has implications for communities that are r...
01/16/2019
Retirements are Coming

Big labor force changes are coming related to population age structure. This has implications for communities that are relatively older. Rural places in Oregon would do well to think of the economic and public health impacts of a labor force that is entering their retirement years and plan accordingly.

Demographics are a powerful force. Next year the oldest Baby Boomers will turn 75 years old. In fact, over the next decade the fastest growing age cohorts in Oregon will all be 70 years old or olde…

Oregon and Its Communities: Data and Trends -
04/13/2018
Oregon and Its Communities: Data and Trends

Oregon and Its Communities: Data and Trends -

New this year! The Community Food Systems collection contains over 50 indicators that span the food system, from production to consumption. This collection is sponsored by the Oregon Community Food Systems Network, a collaboration of more than 40 nonprofit organizations and allies across Oregon. 

Oregon’s Forestry and Logging Industry
04/06/2018
Oregon’s Forestry and Logging Industry

Oregon’s Forestry and Logging Industry

Oregon is one of the world’s great tree-growing areas. The state’s soils and climate provide ideal conditions to grow such commercially viab...

Here's a useful report from our very own Extension Economist, Mallory Rahe and Oregon's Employment Economist Nick Beleic...
01/08/2018
Think Too Much: Study casts new light on state economy

Here's a useful report from our very own Extension Economist, Mallory Rahe and Oregon's Employment Economist Nick Beleiciks.

You've seen this economic argument made, not just in this column but elsewhere: that Oregon's economic recovery has not been as robust in the state's rural areas as it has

Racial minorities in rural areas are especially likely to be under counted in the 2020 census. Under funding of the U.S....
01/05/2018
Racial minorities in rural areas are especially likely to be undercounted in the 2020 census

Racial minorities in rural areas are especially likely to be under counted in the 2020 census. Under funding of the U.S. Census Bureau and the 2020 Census will likely result in a weakening of community statistics that will disproportionately impact rural areas. Watch this space for more information.

Poverty and lack of internet access make it more likely that people in some rural areas will be undercounted in the 2020 census, according ...

From the Desk of the Executive Director: Passage of tax bill puts rural priorities at risk
01/04/2018
From the Desk of the Executive Director: Passage of tax bill puts rural priorities at risk

From the Desk of the Executive Director: Passage of tax bill puts rural priorities at risk

The tax bill secured final passage just as we went to press with our January/February newsletter. The Center opposed the bill and we called on Congress to return the bill to committee for further debate and deliberation. In our initial review of the bill, a few provisions give us pause, including:

How long before we ask this question in Oregon?
11/07/2017
What Happens After Half Your Town Burns Down? | Newgeography.com

How long before we ask this question in Oregon?

Last month I wrote about how insurance companies are getting ahead of the curve by preemptively dropping coverage and/or significantly raising the cost of policies for properties believed to be at…

Innovation for innovation's sake is not the answer.
11/03/2017
Effective Innovation

Innovation for innovation's sake is not the answer.

Innovation for the sake of innovation might not be the answer to building your business. And yet today as we scan the business world, it would seem that the opposite is true – innovate or

A fellow from the CATO Institute makes a heretical call for an end to urban growth boundaries in Oregon.
10/18/2017
Ending Economic Apartheid | Newgeography.com

A fellow from the CATO Institute makes a heretical call for an end to urban growth boundaries in Oregon.

Thanks to its greenbelt and slow-growth policies, Boulder, Colorado is the nation’s most-expensive and least-affordable housing market of any city not in a coastal state. As a result, as noted in an…

Maybe the question isn't how to get people to stay in rural communities. Maybe it's how do we get them to come home?
10/17/2017
Brain Drain Can Go Both Ways

Maybe the question isn't how to get people to stay in rural communities. Maybe it's how do we get them to come home?

Sometimes, those well-educated college grads come back.

Economic development not need be big:
10/12/2017
Build your business with mini-events

Economic development not need be big:

If you believed me that the distraction IS your business now, then you might be thinking about events. You want to bring more life and activity to the area around your business, but big

Required reading for rural decision makers:
10/11/2017
Oregon’s Timber History, An Update

Required reading for rural decision makers:

Over the past year a cross-agency team has identified and geocoded current and former mill sites in Oregon. The team is made of brownfield program managers from DEQ and DHS, folks from DLCD, Busine…

10/11/2017
Physical activity lacking for food-insecure Oregon rural children | Extension and Agricultural Research News

Research from our colleague, Kathy Gunter, highlights some of the health challenges of rural kiddos. Learn more about physical activity and food insecurity at the Rural Communities Explorer http://oregonexplorer.info/topics/rural-communities?ptopic=140

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Many rural Oregon children living in food-insecure homes aren’t getting enough physical activity, according to an Oregon State University study.

I'm SO guilty of this vice! Ok...no more secondary axis!
12/12/2016
Two Alternatives to Using a Second Y-Axis

I'm SO guilty of this vice! Ok...no more secondary axis!

Using 2 y-axes in your graph introduces totally unnecessary confusion. In this blog post, I'll show you two alternatives that make for much clearer visuals.

Rural Communities Explorer Data Update
11/17/2016
Access Community Data on New Website!

Rural Communities Explorer Data Update

We have transformed your access to data for communities in Oregon. In the new version you will be able to quickly find data you want. Locations and indicators can now be searched in an easy-to-use search field, and we have reorganized topics into broader categories. Data visualization is front and c...

The Rural Communities Explorer is set up at League of Oregon Cities Conference! #LOC2016 #OSUExtension
09/29/2016

The Rural Communities Explorer is set up at League of Oregon Cities Conference! #LOC2016 #OSUExtension

Reminder: Education across Rural - Urban Divide webinar
07/25/2016
Reminder: Education across Rural - Urban Divide webinar

Reminder: Education across Rural - Urban Divide webinar

The Lunch & Learn webinar series is a fun opportunity for people to better understand and interpret data. In each session we explore topics and data relevant to Oregon in ways that will be useful to all skill levels. The short format sessions (half hour) are informal with plenty of time for question...

Lunch Webinar: Census Geography
06/24/2016
Lunch Webinar: Education across Rural - Urban Divide

Lunch Webinar: Census Geography

The Lunch & Learn webinar series is a fun opportunity for people to better understand and interpret data. In each session we explore topics and data relevant to Oregon in ways that will be useful to all skill levels. The short format sessions (half hour) are informal with plenty of time for question...

Lunch Webinar: Census Geography
05/31/2016
Reminder: Lunch Webinar on Census Geography

Lunch Webinar: Census Geography

The Lunch & Learn webinar series is a fun opportunity for people to better understand and interpret data. In each session we explore topics and data relevant to Oregon in ways that will be useful to all skill levels. The short format sessions (half hour) are informal with plenty of time for question...

Lunch Webinar: Census Geography
05/18/2016
Lunch Webinar: Census Geography

Lunch Webinar: Census Geography

The Lunch & Learn webinar series is a fun opportunity for people to better understand and interpret data. In each session we explore topics and data relevant to Oregon in ways that will be useful to all skill levels. The short format sessions (half hour) are informal with plenty of time for question...

Latino Rural Population Growing
05/18/2016
Latino Rural Population Growing

Latino Rural Population Growing

Our home state of Nebraska has seen significant immigrant growth since the first wave in 1980s, and now has one of the fastest growing Latino...

Another great post from Josh Lehner. Really wish he had parsed this data across rural and urban Oregon.
05/11/2016
Oregon and the Business Cycle

Another great post from Josh Lehner. Really wish he had parsed this data across rural and urban Oregon.

Raise your hand if you’ve heard that Oregon lags the business cycle? Or worse yet, that Oregon falls first and recovers last? Something along these...

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