Philomath, Oregon

For other uses, see Philomath.
Philomath, Oregon
City

Benton County Historical Museum in Philomath
Nickname(s): City of Volunteers

Location in Oregon
Coordinates: 44°32′26″N 123°21′46″W / 44.54056°N 123.36278°WCoordinates: 44°32′26″N 123°21′46″W / 44.54056°N 123.36278°W
Country United States
State Oregon
County Benton
Incorporated 1882
Government
 • Mayor Rocky Sloan
Area[1]
 • Total 2.05 sq mi (5.31 km2)
 • Land 1.86 sq mi (4.82 km2)
 • Water 0.19 sq mi (0.49 km2)
Elevation 279 ft (85.0 m)
Population (2010)[2]
 • Total 4,584
 • Estimate (2012[3]) 4,594
 • Density 2,464.5/sq mi (951.5/km2)
Time zone Pacific (UTC-8)
 • Summer (DST) Pacific (UTC-7)
ZIP code 97370
Area code(s) 541
FIPS code 41-57450[2]
GNIS feature ID 1147639[4]
Website www.ci.philomath.or.us

Philomath (/fɨˈloʊməθ/ 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 4,584 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Corvallis, Oregon, Metropolitan Statistical Area.

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 derived from two Greek words meaning "lover of learning". The city was incorporated on October 20, 1882. The college closed in 1929 due to a dramatic decline in enrollment.[5]

Geography

Philomath is 5 miles (8 km) west of Corvallis on U.S. Route 20.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.05 square miles (5.31 km2), of which, 1.86 square miles (4.82 km2) is land and 0.19 square miles (0.49 km2) is water.[1]

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F (22.0 °C). According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Philomath has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.[6]

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 4,584 people, 1,733 households, and 1,203 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,464.5 inhabitants per square mile (951.5/km2). There were 1,837 housing units at an average density of 987.6 per square mile (381.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 91.1% White, 0.7% African American, 1.2% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 2.4% from other races, and 3.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.7% of the population.[2]

There were 1,733 households of which 38.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.7% were married couples living together, 14.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.6% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.11.[2]

The median age in the city was 34.3 years. 27.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.2% were from 25 to 44; 26.3% were from 45 to 64; and 9.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.[2]

2000 census

As of the census 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.[2]

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.[2]

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.[2]

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.[2]

Economy

Philomath is home to several sawmills. Gene Tools, LLC manufactures Morpholino antisense oligonucleotides. Wet Labs produces oceanographic measuring equipment. Alyrica Networks provides WiFi access in the town, as well as fixed wireless high speed Internet service. Solar Summit manufactures solar panels and alternative energy products. Pioneer provides telephone service.

Education

Philomath is served by the Philomath School District,[7] which includes the following schools:

Mass media

The Philomath Express is a weekly newspaper owned by Lee Enterprises, which also publishes the Corvallis Gazette-Times, the Albany Democrat-Herald, and the Lebanon Express.[8]

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

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-21.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-21.
  3. ↑ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-06-02.
  4. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  5. ↑ Robbins, William G. "Philomath". The Oregon Encyclopedia. Portland State University. Retrieved 2013-04-05.
  6. ↑ "Philomath, Oregon". Weatherbase. CantyMedia. 2015. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
  7. ↑ "Philomath School District". Philomath School District. 2013. Retrieved 2015-04-08.
  8. ↑ "Weekly Newspaper Coming to Philomath". Corvallis Gazette-Times. 2014-12-03. Retrieved 2015-03-21.

External links