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Community Profile - Molalla, Oregon 97038 Molalla has been riding a wave of residential growth ever since median home prices in the closer-in environs of the Portland metropolitan area passed the $150,000 mark near the end of the last decade. The increased driving time from Molalla has been keeping home prices relatively low, which, in turn, has been continuing to fuel growth. Molalla's population grew from
3,651 in 1990 to 5,647 in 2000, a change of 55 percent. This dwarfs the The Population Research Center at Portland State University estimated that Molalla's population this year¹ climbed to 6,830. While a burgeoning population has increased traffic congestion at the four-way stop on Main Street in the center of town during certain hours of the day, life in Molalla remains relatively low-key and simple. The city got it's first traffic light in 2005. While it's no longer possible with a population that's growing so fast for everyone in town to know everyone else in town, residents are always running in to people they know as they go about their daily errands. Occasional crime and fire stories top the news in the local Molalla Pioneer newspaper. Most weeks, the coverage of the twice-weekly paper deals with routine notices of daily life in a small town (births, deaths, engagements, meeting announcements, etc.) and with the goings-on at city hall and the local school district office. Molalla was named for
Indians who lived and hunted over a vast range of the western Cascade Mountains By the late 1850s, the first house had been built in present-day Molalla, and the federal government had adopted two treaties with various bands of the Indians providing for them to be relocated to reservations. The last known full-blooded Molalla Indian died the same year the city was incorporated, 1913. 1913 was also a beginning. The City of Molalla got its first railroad, its first newspaper and its first bank. Local firemen put together the first rodeo, the Molalla Roundup, to celebrate the arrival of the first train and to help raise money for needed equipment. Throughout most of the rest of the 20th Century, Molalla was a timber, farming and ranching town. Until the late 1980s, most residents made their living from the trees and crops that came from the land surrounding the city. A deluge of environmentalist lawsuits and government restrictions on logging put the brakes on the logging boom about the same time as declining prices for farm crops pushed many food growers out of business. Today, most Molalla residents make their living in other communities from a variety of occupations. Molalla has an elementary school that primarily serves children from within the city. A middle school with grades 6 thru 8, and a high school each serve Molalla residents along with children promoted from elementary schools in rural communities surrounding Molalla. As of the 2005-06 school year, Molalla High School had 876 students and a student-teacher ratio of 23 to 1. According to figures from the Oregon Department of Education, 51.6 percent of students attending schools inside the city were eligible for free or reduced lunch, 17.9 percent were classified as minorities, and 11.7 percent spoke English as a second language. The Department of Education reported in figures for the 2002-03 school year that 15 percent of Molalla's students dropped out by the fourth year of high school. As of the third quarter this year, the median price for a home in the City of Molalla was $234,475, near the bottom for cities around the core of the Portland Metropolitan area (Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties). The median home size was 1,435 square feet with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and a lot size just over 6,500 square feet. Most homes near the median sold in about two to three months. More interesting facts about Molalla: Annual Events Molalla Buckeroo ¾ Originally called the Molalla Roundup, this Independence Day weekend rodeo features some of the nation's top cowboys and celebrates Molalla's "Old West" past. If you like to watch bucking horses, roping, bull riding, barrel racing and rodeo clowns, this is the place to go. Performances on each of four days make it possible to accommodate nearly anyone's schedule, and evening performances on the 3rd and 4th of July are followed by fantastic fireworks displays. A carnival in adjacent Clark Park, and a beer garden at the east end of the Buckeroo Grounds offer pre- and post-rodeo fun for all ages. For more information and tickets, call 503-829-8388. The Buckeroo Grounds are at 815 Shirley St. 4th of July Giant Street Parade ¾ The parade winds through the city from 10 a.m. to about 12:30 each 4th of July as a celebration of our nation's independence and a reminder of how residents of Clackamas County and the nation got where they are today. Featuring local bands, bagpipers, Western and Mexican riding exhibitions, floats and more, the parade is a great way to start off any 4th of July celebration. More information about parade routes and about becoming a part of the parade are available from the Molalla Area Chamber of Commerce, 101 N. Molalla Ave., phone 503-829-6941. Ross Coleman Invitational Challenger Event ¾ Professional Bull Riders Association-sanctioned competition featuring some of the top bull riders from the PBR circuit. Started in 2005 as a fundraiser for Molalla's own bull rider, Ross Coleman, who was suffering from cancer, the event repeated in 2006, and is scheduled to repeat again in August 2007 as a benefit for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The foundation finds ways to fulfill some of the biggest wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. For more information, call the Buckeroo Grounds at 503-829-8388 or call 503-759-BULL. Molalla Apple Festival ¾ Tour the Dibble and Von der Ahe houses at the Molalla Museum and Historical Society complex, 620 S. Molalla Ave. Apple pie and ice cream, caramel apples, apple cider and other apple treats are available along with old-time crafts, wares and music. Get more information at 503-829-1859. Demographics
* State and national total population figures based on U.S. Census Bureau
estimates for 2004. Demographic figures based on Census Bureau
classifications and report data. Not all category percentages may add up to 100
due to rounding.
Major Employers
School District Contact Information Molalla River School District 412 S. Sweigle Ave. Molalla, OR 97038 Phone: 503-829-2359 Key Crime Statistics Data reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Oregon State Police show the overall crime rate for Molalla to be below the statewide average, but higher than the national average. The rate of violent crime in Molalla has been well below both state and national averages. At the same time, Molalla's property crime rate was slightly lower than the statewide average, but considerably higher than the national average.
^ Figure does not include reported arsons. Source:
Molalla Police Department and FBI Uniform Crime Reports. Population adjusted figures are based on estimated
population and number of crimes for 2004. Local Newspapers Molalla Pioneer Local Economic Development Organizations Molalla
Area Chamber of Commerce Team for Economic Action in Molalla |
and the Willamette Valley. White settlers began to arrive in the area near the
present-day town in the late 1840s, and the Indians' range began to shrink.
| Craig Loughridge has been an Oregon-licensed real estate practitioner and consultant since 1999. He has represented buyers and sellers in dozens of real estate transactions involving millions of dollars worth of residential, agricultural and investment properties. He is a graduate of the Oregon Realtor® Institute, and a member of the elite Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council. He can be reached at 503-632-8258. |  |
