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Beaverton is the fifth largest city
in Oregon with a population of 76,129 (2000 US Census) and a land area of
17.2 square miles. Beaverton is located in Washington County which
is one of the fastest developing areas in Oregon with a population of 445,342
in 2000. That represents an increase of 42.94% since 1990. Two events in
the 90s turned this sleepy suburb into a sprawling city:
 In
Beaverton, one-fourth of residents grew up without English and one-fifth
are foreign-born. Beaverton defies everything we've been taught about
suburbs and cities. It is more diverse, more dynamic and more densely populated
(4,613 people per square mile vs. 4,070 people per square mile) than Portland,
yet it doesn't look at all like a city.
Here is what THE OREGONIAN had to say about Beaverton in
a mid-April, 2006 article:
Our presumptions about Beaverton -- that it is white,
affluent and tranquil -- began after World War II, when a sudden influx
of working-class and mixed-race populations into Portland led the city's
real estate concerns to extol the virtues of a brand-new opportunity:
"Southwest Suburbia," as The Oregonian called it in one of many circulars
announcing this promised land.
Beaverton, the Portland papers told us in the late
1950s, would provide a new refuge for those who could afford to move:
" 'Over the hill,' into the Tualatin Valley was attractive even a century
ago to pioneers retreating from the bustle of a growing waterfront city.
There was room for fields and orchards, where wood was readily available,
and the sunsets over the coast range beautiful."
In the mythology of the suburbs, a second wave of pioneers
-- the new suburbanites -- moved farther west to escape the rabble and
find redemptive quiet on Beaverton's untenanted lands.
History of Beaverton
The Tualatin Valley and Beaverton
area was originally the home of native people who referred to themselves
as "Atfalati". Westerners later mispronounced the name as Tualatin. The
tribe was a hunter-gatherer group which relied more on plants than animals
for their food. In the spring of 1847, the first land claim (comprising
640 acres of beaverdam) located in what is now Beaverton was taken up by
Lawrence Hall. Lawrence and his brother built a grist mill near present-day
Walker Road.
Spurred on by a railroad into
town built in 1868, the small farming community west of Portland began to
grow. By 1893 the City of Beaverton was formally incorporated with a population
of 400.
Downtown Beaverton
 The
area just west of Highway 217 along Canyon Road and the Beaverton-Hillsdale
Highway was the heart of old downtown. Finding the original downtown
is almost impossible because for blocks (more accurately miles) around the
area, one-story retail outlets have sprung up. Car dealerships combined
with numerous mini-malls has erased any sign of historic Beaverton.
The Cedar Hills Mall (just north of old downtown) and the area around old
downtown have melted together so it is almost impossible to tell where one
starts and the other begins.
But for all the complaints
about the landscape of the area, it attracts shoppers. Within a mile
one can buy a new automobile, scout out the latest in electronics equipment,
shop for the week's supply of food, complete one's wardrobe, and have lunch
at any fast food outfit. Of course you can also attend a movie and
sip a latte.
Beaverton May Grow to 300,000
Within Ten Years
In December 2004, the City of Beaverton announced that
they would annex the unincorporated neighborhoods of Cedar Hills, West Slope,
Raleigh Hills and Garden Home over the next 10 years. It also would add
the Nike and Tektronix campuses and Providence St. Vincent Medical Center.
After a first round of annexations, the city would add the Bethany and Cedar
Mill areas and much of Aloha.
Working under state law, Washington County is in the process
of transferring its urban neighborhoods and the services they require to
the control of cities. City and county leaders set no timeline for these
final annexations that would fill out the city.
Using the current populations of those areas, Beaverton
would add about 200,000 residents. The first round of annexations
focuses mostly on areas already surrounded by the city. State law allows
those annexations without landowner approval. The second round may require
more input for landowners who currently are outside city limits and farther
from current boundaries. Beaverton's ultimate boundary would extend
at least to Northwest Springville Road and the Multnomah County line to
the north, the city of Portland to the east and the city of Tigard to the
south. The boundary would follow the Beaverton School District line to the
west.
One obstacle will be the opposition of Nike. In a prepared
statement, Nike officials said that they have taken legal steps to block
the city from incorporating its headquarters. It is expected that
several other groups will begin mounting opposition to the annexation plans.
For properties the city has
recently annexed, property taxes increase to $2.72 for each $1,000 of assessed
value. That means a $544-a-year increase for the owner of a house with an
assessed value of $200,000.
Beaverton is the Home of Nike
Nike's 750 acre campus is located
in the heart of Beaverton where sports celebrities come and go frequently.
It is also the home of Tektronics,
a high tech firm and one of Oregon's largest employers.
Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation
District
The Tualatin
Hills Park and Recreation District encompassing Beaverton serves approximately
200,000 residents in Washington County. It provides 200 parks spread over
1,600 acres with 30 miles of hiking trails and a 25-mile bike path network.
Two "must see" trail destinations include the 219-acre Tualatin Hills Nature
Park and historic Jenkins Estate on Cooper Mountain.
The features of the district include three recreation centers,
a sport complex, a regional nature park, eight swim centers, a tennis center,
two historic sites, a senior center, skate park, roller hockey park, and
two lakes. The district sponsors recreational and competitive league sports
and special-interest classes.
Beaverton Neighborhoods
It's difficult to get your
"arms around" Beaverton because it really is numerous villages within
a city. Currently, the City of Beaverton has thirteen recognized
Neighborhood Association Committees (NACs). Participation in a NAC is
open to anyone who lives, works, owns a business, or represents an institution
or non-profit organization within the boundaries of the NAC.
For maps (PDF format) of the
neighborhoods, visit
Beaverton Neighborhood. Following are the neighborhoods Web pages:
Community Profileee
Web Sites
Search for Homes in Beaverton
 To
search for homes in Beaverton, go to
Search for Homes
and click on the "City Search" icon and then select "Beaverton - 620."
You can use over 100 search parameters to define your criteria.
Alternatively, you can select a specific area off a community map by drawing
a box around that area. If you save your search criteria, you will
be given the option to have new listings that match your criteria automatically
e-mailed to you.
Location Eight miles west of downtown Portland.
You approach Beaverton from the east on the Sunset Highway (US-26).
It is the first suburb you reach driving west out of downtown Portland.
Origin of Name Beaverton received its name because of the
existence nearby of a large body of beaverdam land. Soil of this character
was sought for by pioneer settlers because of its productivity.
Neighborhood Associations The City has thirteen
neighborhood associations.
Topography Mainly flat areas plus some gently rolling hills.
1Drive
Time to Downtown About 20 minutes from the center of Beaverton.
Public Transportation
Westside MAX
(light rail) was built through mostly undeveloped areas in Beaverton and
Hillsboro. Even before the line opened, many new residential and retail
projects sprang up along the line, especially in the mid-Washington County
section. TriMet
operates numerous routes in and out of Beaverton.
22000
Demographics Population - 76,129. Area size - 405 acres
or 17.2 square miles. Population density: 4,613 per square mile.
Number of households - 30,821. Median household income of $47,863 (metro
area median household was $46,789). Diversity - 21.7% non-Caucasian.
Median house value - $189,800. Percent of residents over 25 years
of age holding a bachelor's degree or higher - 26.2%. See
City Data for more information about Beaverton.
Crime Stats The latest crime stats (by neighborhood)
are available at the
Beaverton Police Department.
Sex Offenders Click
here for the
State of Oregon Sex Offender Inquiry System. After agreeing to the
"Conditions of Use Statement" you will be redirected to a "Enter Search
Criteria" page. Insert a zip code in the "Zip" field and click on
the "Query" button.
3Shopping
and Services Number of supermarkets: 13. Number
of health clubs: 18. Public libraries: The City of Beaverton has one
library located at 12375 SW 5th Street.
You'll drive to shop and eat out - you can find an outlet or mall a few
blocks from any home in Beaverton.
Renters vs. Home Owners Occupied units in Beaverton, according
to U.S. 2000 Census: owner occupied is 47.7% and renter occupied is 52.3%.
Total number of housing units is 32,507 and just over half of these have
been built since 1980.
Parks 2,004 acres of parks in Beaverton. The
Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation
District serves the residents in Washington County.
Who Lives in Beaverton The demographics of Beaverton covers
such a range that one can safely say that just about every kind of human
lives in Beaverton. A surprising statistic is that 18.4 percent of
the residents are "foreign born" according to
City Data. It has numerous engineers that work at Intel as well
as a large population of agricultural workers that work in the garden nurseries
in the county.
They Probably Drive You can find at least one of everything
made. You have Volvo neighborhoods as well as "pickups and gun racks"
areas.
Schools Many of the schools rate among the best in the state.
Click here
to visit the Beaverton Schools web site.
School Report Card Grades Elementary schools: A/B/C. Middle
schools: A/B/C. High school: A/B/C. The Arts & Communications High
School along with the School of Science & Technology usually obtain "Exceptional"
rating. Click
here for report card details.
Housing Types and Styles Today most residents live in new developments
in a variety of housing types to include condos and townhomes. For
example, 28.5% of the housing units (total of 32,507) have ten or more units
in the building.
4Beaverton 2008 Home Prices
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Number of homes sold in Beaverton in 2008: 917.
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Average price for homes sold in Beaverton in 2008:
$295,000.
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Median price for homes sold in Beaverton in 2008:
$266,000.
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Average sales price change in 2008 from 2007 in Beaverton:
-6%.
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5-year average sales price growth in Beaverton:
30%.
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2008 metro area average home price: $330,300
(-3.7% sales price change from 2007).
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2008 metro area median home price: $278,000 (-4% sales
price change from 2007).
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