Guide to the City of Beaverton, Oregon

Beaverton is the fifth largest city in Oregon with a population of 89,803 (2010 US Census) and a land area of 18.73 square miles. Beaverton is located in Washington County which is one of the fastest developing areas in Oregon with a population of 529,710 in 2010 (the population was 445,342 in 2000). That represents an increase of 16% from 2000. Washington County grew 42.94% from 1990 to 2000.

If the more than 225,000 residents living within unincorporated areas of Washington County formed a city, it would rank second in the state, behind only Portland. 

Two events in the 90s turned this sleepy suburb into a sprawling city:

  • The development of a electronics industry – mainly chip plants.
  • The building of the MAX light rail line through Beaverton.

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 (4,795 people per square mile vs. 4,375 people per square mile) than Portland, yet it doesn’t look at all like a city.

The Tualatin River and its drainage basin are almost entirely within the county, with the county nearly coterminous with the Tualatin Valley. It is bordered on the west and north by the Northern Oregon Coast Range, on the south by the Chehalem Mountains, and on the north and east by the Tualatin Mountains (or West Hills).

Money Magazine Names Beaverton as One of Best Places to Live

Money magazine picked Beaverton as one of the best places to live in the U.S. for 2016. Beaverton came in at number nine on Money’s list of the 50 best small cities in America. The list was put together using more than 60 factors including taxes, education, community amenities and accessibility to health care. The report notes property taxes are also about 85 percent of what are paid in Portland.

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 difficult, 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.

History of Beaverton

The Tualatin Valley and Beaverton area were 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 beaver dam) 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 the 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. Originally named Twality when created in 1843, the territorial legislature renamed it for the first president of the United States, George Washington, in 1849. The original boundaries had included the entire northwest corner of Oregon before sections became new counties. 

Beaverton May Grow to 300,000 Within Ten Years

beaverton_mapIn 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 ten years. It also would add the Nike and Tektronix campuses and Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. After the first round of annexations, the city would add the Bethany and Cedar Mill areas and much of Aloha.

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 was the opposition of Nike, Inc,‘s World Headquarters. In a prepared statement, Nike officials said that they had taken legal steps to block the city from incorporating its headquarters. It expected that several other groups would begin mounting opposition to the annexation plans.

Those plans have since been put on hold after Beaverton attempted to forcibly annex Nike, which would have increased Nike’s taxes substantially. Nike successfully lobbied the legislature for a law that would prohibit their annexation for 99 years. Since that decision, annexation plans have been halted, and Washington County started urban planning to provide city-level services to the unincorporated areas in the county. 

Beaverton Civic Plan

Over the past several years, more than 5,000 residents crafted the Beaverton Community Vision which emphasizes greater connectivity, economic opportunity, and environmental sustainability. The Beaverton Community Vision reflects goals and ideas shaped by the people of Beaverton, and without testing and prioritizing these ideas and developing a coordinated plan, the vision’s boldest ideas will remain concepts and “might-have-beens.”

The Civic Plan is the City’s commitment to making many of the aspirations of the Community Vision a reality and will unite the City behind an effort to achieve vision goals and priorities. Now is the time to assemble the resources, tools, and partnerships to bring that vision into action. This work will require many hands and won’t be done overnight. While the Community Vision set the roots, the Civic Plan will provide a framework to bear the fruits of your community vision

Beaverton is the Home of Nike

nike-entranceNike’s 750-acre campus is located in the heart of Beaverton where sports celebrities come and go frequently. Nike’s world headquarters are surrounded by the city of Beaverton but are within unincorporated Washington County. This makes for relatively cheap property taxes. The Nike campus has a full soccer field along with other facilities to include a gym and running track.

In the mid-90s, the city attempted to forcibly annex Nike’s headquarters, which led to a lawsuit by Nike, and lobbying by the company that ultimately ended in with a bill passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2005. Under that bill’s terms, Beaverton is specifically barred from forcibly annexing the land that Nike and Columbia Sportswear occupy in Washington County for 35 years.

Beaverton is also the home of Tektronics, a high tech firm and one of Oregon’s largest employers.

Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District

Beyond the asphalt automobile lots of Canyon Road, miles of trails zigzag through forest groves and quiet parks. You won’t need a car here. Sixty miles of trails link Beaverton schools, recreation centers, playgrounds, restaurants and shops to nature. Hidden behind suburban strip malls, the paths curve around neighborhood streets, wetlands and dense blackberry thickets.

The Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District encompassing Beaverton are the largest of its kind in the state of Oregon, serving 240,000 area residents. The district’s service area covers 50 square miles, and there are 95 park sites with active recreational amenities – including 70 miles of trails, eight swim centers, six recreation centers, and 1,500 acres of natural areas – scattered throughout its bounds. The district also includes a sports complex, a regional nature park, 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.

Two “must see” trail destinations include the 219-acre Tualatin Hills Nature Park and historic Jenkins Estate on Cooper Mountain.

Beaverton Neighborhoods

It’s difficult to get your “arms around” Beaverton because it is numerous villages within a city. Currently, the City of Beaverton 11 recognized Neighborhood Association Committees (NACs). Participation in an 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 Demographics and Websites

Portland Monthly Magazine Guide to Neighborhoods & Communities

PDXMonthlyMag_April2014In their April issue every year, the Portland Monthly Magazine features the past year home prices along with other information about Portland neighborhoods and suburban communities. To read the magazine’s latest stories and numbers visit the Real Estate section. 

The numbers on the website and the printed magazine are divided into four sections (real estate, people, crime, and lifestyle) on each of the Portland 90 plus neighborhoods as well as about 25 suburban communities. The website offers over 50 items of information about each Portland neighborhood and suburban community. 

The magazine added a feature on their website for homes sold in 2014 and it’s also available for homes sold in 2015 — an interactive map where you can click on a neighborhood and a pop-up displays five items (1-year median price change, 5-year median price change, median gross rent, walkability score and percent of newcomer) for a Portland neighborhood as well as a suburban community. Note the detailed numbers for each of the four sections for homes sold in 2015 are displayed below the map.   

To visit the magazine’s website latest stories and numbers visit their Real Estate section — click on “Neighborhoods” to view the numbers for the Portland neighborhoods and click on “Suburbs” for the numbers on communities in the metro area. Note the detailed numbers for each of the four sections for homes sold in 2014 and 2015 are displayed below the map. To access the Portland neighborhoods and metro communities demographic data and home prices by year: 

Beaverton Demographics  Below is some facts about the Beaverton community gleaned from the magazine’s website. A few numbers can tell much about the character of a community. You can view more data about Beaverton by visiting the Portland Monthly’s website.

  • Average year homes built in the community:  1978
  • Percent of residents below poverty level:  14.7%
  • Percent of  neighborhood land area that is in parks:  7%
  • Commute by public transportation:  8.3%
  • Commute by bike or walking:  5.7%

1Beaverton Home Prices:  2007-2015

  • Number of Homes Sold in Beaverton—►  1,619 homes sold in 2015 and 1.4% were distressed sales. 1,189 homes sold in 2014 and 8% were distressed sales. 1,114 homes sold in 2013 and 15% were distressed sales. 1,089 homes were sold in 2012 and 33% were distressed sales. In 2011 the number of homes sold was 823 and 12% were distressed sales. In 2010 there were 801 homes sold and 27% of these were distressed property sales.
  • Median Price for Homes Sold in Beaverton—►  $295,000 in 2015, $279,000 in 2014, $255,000 in 2013, $219,000 in 2012, $215,000 in 2011, $230,000 in 2010, $245,000 in 2009, $266,000 in 2008, and $245,000 in 2007.
  • Average Cost per Square Foot—►  $181 in 2015, $163 in 2014.
  • 1-Year Median Sales Price Change in Beaverton—►  5.4% sales price change in 2015. In 2014 the change was 10%, the change was 16% in2013, the change was 2% in 2012, the change was -5% in 2011, and in 2010 the change was -8%.
  • 5-Year Median Sales Price Change in Beaverton—►  37.2% sales price change for years 2011-2015. 2010 to 2014 the sales price change was 5%. 2009  to 2013 the sales price change was -4%. 2008 to 2012 the sales price change was -18%. 2007 to 2011 the sales price change was -25%. 2006 to 2010 the change was -16 %.
  • Portland Metro Area Median Home Price—► $308,000 in 2015, $288,500 in 2014, $265,000 in 2013, $235,000 in 2012, $221,000 in 2011, $239,900 in 2010, $247,000 in 2009, $278,000 in 2008, and $290,000 in 2007.
  • Portland Metro Area Average Home Price—► $354,500 in 2015, $333,000 in 2014, $310,600 in 2013, $275,000 in 2012, $263,300 in 2011, $282,100 in 2010, $289,900 in 2009, $330,300 in 2008, and $342,000 in 2007.

Please be aware that the above figures are subject to error and are intended as guidelines only. 

Find a Home in the City of Beaverton

  • Homes for Sale in Beaverton — View on all devices except Apple® mobile devices. To view homes for sale in the City of Beaverton on Apple® mobile devices key in “Beaverton” in the “Location” field and click on the “Search Now” icon.
  • Displays All Homes for Sale in Beaverton — View on all devices. Photos of homes displayed along with detailed description of property. 
  • Displays Homes New on the Market in Beaverton — View on all devices. Photos of homes displayed along with detailed description of property. 
  • Search for Homes — Search on all devices. Map-based on devices configured with Adobe Flash and Javascript and text-based on any device.

Homes for Sale in Beaverton

More About Beaverton

  • 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 beaver dam land. The soil of this character was sought for by pioneer settlers because of its productivity.
  • Neighborhood Associations  The City has 11 neighborhood associations.
  • Topography  Mainly flat areas plus some gently rolling hills.
  • 2Drive Time to Downtown  About 20 minutes from the center of Beaverton.
  • Public Transportation  Beaverton has three rail transit lines and 21 bus routes. 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. Transit Score provides a 0-100 rating indicating how well an address is served by public transportation. Ratings range from “Rider’s Paradises” to areas with limited or no nearby public transportation.
  • 3Census 2010 Demographics  Population – 89,803. Area size – 18.73 square miles. Population density: 4,795.1 per square mile. Number of households – 39,500. Median household income of $55,786 (metro area median household was $49,260). Diversity – 27% non-Caucasian. The median value of owner-occupied housing units – $304,300. Percent of residents over 25 years of age holding a bachelor’s degree or higher 42.4%. See City Data for more information about Beaverton.
  • 4Crime Stats  There were 1,471 property crimes  (assault, arson, burglary, larceny, robbery, theft from auto, vehicle theft) in 2013. There were 139 violent crimes (aggravated assault, homicide, robbery, rape) committed in 2013. There were 18 crimes per 1,000 residents in 2013. The latest crime stats (by neighborhood) are available at the Beaverton Police Department website.
  • 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 an “Enter Search Criteria” page. Insert a zip code in the “Zip” field and click on the “Query” button.
  • 5Shopping 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.
  • 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.
  • Renters vs. Home Owners  2010 Census: owner occupied 51.4% and number of housing units 39,500. The median value of owner-occupied homes was $304,300.
  • 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. The 2010 Census reported that 42.4% of the residents 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. Beaverton has numerous engineers that work at Intel as well as a large population of agricultural workers that work in the vineyards, fruit orchards, and 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.
  • Biking  Beaverton has 95 miles of bike lanes. Bicycle Trip Planner will map a route for you and − just provide a starting point address and your destination address.
  • Schools  Many of the Beaverton schools is among the best in the state. Westview High School had nine National Merit Scholars, and there were three more in other Beaverton high schools in Oregon’s 27 newly minted scholars in 2013. Click here to visit the Beaverton Schools website.
  • List of Schools in Beaverton  Click here to view a list of all the public and private schools in Beaverton — demographics, location map, enrollment, and ethnicity can be viewed for each of the 60 plus schools.
  • School Locator  Find your school attendance area or a school site and view the boundary area using School Locator. 
  • 6School Report Cards  Click here for report card details on Beaverton schools. Select “Beaverton SD 48J” to view individual schools within the district.

Map of the City of Beaverton

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1Real Estate Values  Data on real estate values provided by RMLStm. Distressed properties refer to the percentage of total homes sold that were short sales and bank-owned properties. The One Year Median Sale Price Percent Change is based on a comparison of the rolling average sale price for the last 12 months with the 12 months before — this is an example for 2014:  (1/1/2014 – 12/31/2014) with 12 months before (1/1/2013 – 12/31/2015). The Five Year Median Sales Price Percent Change is calculated in the same way using a five-year time span.
2Drive Time to Downtown  Estimated commuting time obtained from Yahoo Maps and Google Maps. Drive time was calculated from a central intersection in each neighborhood to Pioneer Courthouse Square during the morning peak commute time.
3Demographics Data  Numbers were obtained from Census 2010 and www.portlandmaps.com.
4Crime Statistics  Numbers on crime were obtained from the FBI. The Uniform Crime Reports documents crimes in three categories: Part I, Part II-A, and Part II-B. Part I crimes are classified as either violent or property crimes. Aggravated assault, forcible rape, murder, and robbery are classified as violent while arson, burglary, larceny, theft from auto and motor vehicle theft are classified as property crimes. Part II-A crimes are drugs, embezzlement, forgery, fraud, prostitution, sex offenses, simple assault, stolen property, vandalism, and weapons. Crimes per 1,000 figures are based on reported incidents of violent crime as well as larceny, burglary, and vehicle theft.
5Shopping and Services  Numbers were determined from local directory listings and county/municipal library systems.
6School Report Card Grades  The format was changed from simple letter grades to detailed reports starting in 2013.