Philomath, Oregon

Philomath, Oregon
—  City  —
Benton County Historical Museum in Philomath
Nickname(s): City of Volunteers
Location in Oregon
Coordinates:
Country United States
State Oregon
County Benton
Incorporated 1882
Government
 • Mayor Ken Schaudt
Area
 • Total 1.3 sq mi (3.3 km2)
 • Land 1.3 sq mi (3.3 km2)
 • Water 0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation 279 ft (85.0 m)
Population (2000)
 • Total 3,838
 • Density 2,993.0/sq mi (1,157.7/km2)
Time zone Pacific (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) Pacific (UTC-7)
ZIP code 97370
Area code(s) 541
FIPS code 41-57450[1]
GNIS feature ID 1147639[2]
Website www.ci.philomath.or.us

Philomath ( /fɨˈlməθ/ fi-loh-məth) is a city in Benton County, Oregon, United States. It was named for Philomath (Greek, "love of learning") College. The population was 3,838 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Contents

History

Philomath was named after the Philomath College that was founded in 1867 by the United Brethren Church. The name of the college and city was drived from two greek words meaning "lover of learning". The city was incorporated in 1882. The college closed in 1929 due to a dramatic decline in enrollment.[3]

Geography

Philomath is 5 miles west of Corvallis on U.S. Route 20.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 km2), all of it land.[4]

Demographics

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 3,838 people, 1,346 households, and 1,017 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,993.0 people per square mile (1,157.7/km²). There were 1,434 housing units at an average density of 1,118.3 per square mile (432.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 93.25% White, 0.16% African American, 1.64% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 1.25% from other races, and 2.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.93% of the population.

There were 1,346 households out of which 47.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.8% were married couples living together, 15.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.85 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the city the population was spread out with 34.3% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $41,461, and the median income for a family was $42,578. Males had a median income of $36,104 versus $25,281 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,620. About 6.5% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Philomath is home to several sawmills. Gene Tools, LLC manufactures Morpholino antisense oligos. Wet Labs produces oceanographic measuring equipment. Alyrica Networks provides high speed wifi internet access. Solar Summit manufactures solar panels and alternative energy products. Pioneer provides telephone service, and Peak provides DSL and other methods of internet access.

Education

Philomath is served by the Philomath School District,[5] which includes the following schools:

Mass media

Documentary

The film Clear Cut: The Story of Philomath, Oregon documents the clash of cultures in Philomath between the old-time timber industry and the professionals and techies of the information age. The film was shown in the Sundance Film Festival in 2006.

References

External links