A8
LOCAL
Wallowa County Chieftain
Wednesday, August 18, 2021
Wallowa County population increased 5.5% in last decade
Census has
county with
just under 7,400
people counted
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
ENTERPRISE — The
population of Wallowa
County increased by close
to 400 people during the last
decade, with the updated
population of the North-
eastern Oregon county now
just under 7,400, according
to data released by the U.S.
Census Bureau on Thurs-
day, Aug. 12.
Wallowa County had a
population of 7,391 in the
census, a 5.5% increase
over the 2010 census,
which reported the county
with 7,008 people. While
still by far one of the small-
est counties in the state
— only Grant, Sherman,
Wheeler and Gilliam tallied
smaller counts — it grew at
a faster rate than 11 other
counties in the state, and at
a rate on par with Umatilla
County, which also saw its
population increase 5.5%.
The state’s popula-
tion grew to 4,237,356,
an increase of 10.6%.
Deschutes County grew at
a rate of 25.7%, and now
is the home of more than
198,000 people. Grant
County was the only one to
see its population decrease,
as it dropped 2.8% to 7,233.
Paul Sancya/Associated Press, File
The U.S. Census Bureau released more details about the 2020 Census last week, including that
Wallowa County had a population of 7,391, an increase of 5.5% from 2010.
“THE PERCENTAGE OF YOUNG PEOPLE WENT
UP. WE’VE SEEN A TREND WHERE WE’VE BEEN
LOSING SCHOOL POPULATION FOR ALONG
TIME, SO TO SEE ANY SORT OF INCREASE
THE OTHER WAY IS A POSITIVE SIGN.”
Todd Nash, Wallowa County commissioner
Multnomah
County
remained by far the biggest
in the state, with a popula-
tion of 815,428, an increase
of almost 11%. Wheeler
County remains the small-
est with 1,451 people.
Most of the county’s
increase in population is in
adults 18 and older, with
more than 6,000 adults now
calling Wallowa County
home, an increase of 5.7%.
The number of people 18
and under, while increasing
4.2%, is at 1,375.
That the younger pop-
ulation increased was
encouraging to Commis-
sioner Todd Nash.
“One of the interest-
ing things that I saw was
our age demographics
changed considerably. The
persons 65 and older were
now at 16% and were at
30% previously,” he said.
“The percentage of young
people went up. We’ve
seen a trend where we’ve
been losing school popu-
lation for a long time, so
to see any sort of increase
the other way is a positive
sign.”
Oregon seeing just one
county decrease in popu-
lation bucked the nation-
wide trend, where 52% of
counties saw their popula-
tion drop.
“(It means) Oregon’s
predominantly rural coun-
ties are not losing as much,
or, that there is a little bit of
growth and no loss is rele-
vant,” said Charles Ryner-
son, coordinator at the Ore-
gon State Data Center at
Portland State University.
“That is going to continue.
As our population ages,
in 2020 there were more
deaths than births state-
wide, and I think that was
true in most counties …
due to aging population
and low birth rates.”
He said part of what
drove Oregon’s increase in
population was migration
— even in the outskirts.
“Oregon — in gen-
eral, the West Coast — has
migration, but also into
those rural areas. Some
of those counties may be
gaining more of those peo-
ple,” Rynerson said.
He said that any impact
the coronavirus pandemic
had on the census won’t
necessarily show up in this
count.
“There was a bit of con-
cern about data collec-
tion,” he said. “The real
economic impact of the
pandemic won’t show up
in the 2020 Census. (In)
2030, that natural decrease
of more deaths than births
is going to accelerate. All
races are below replace-
ment rates now.”
Rynerson said more stu-
dents attending college is
part of what is leading to
lower birth rates.
“If you look at the teen
and early-20s birth rates,
those have plunged beyond
belief. People understand
the diffi culty of having a
child at a very young age,”
he said. “Even up to age 30,
there are far fewer births
to women under 30 than
there were in the past. As
well as people have more
choices now. When I was
a child, every married cou-
ple had children with very
few exceptions, and every-
one got married, with very
few exceptions.”
That’s not the norm any-
more, nor is it looked down
upon to not have children
early, he said.
“The pandemic may
have a bigger eff ect on birth
rate in the long run than on
death rates,” he said.
More data on the census
is coming in the next few
weeks, but looking ahead
to 2030, Rynerson believes
the trend of counties losing
people could continue.
“Some counties may be
at risk of population loss,”
he said. “If nobody moved
in or out, and there were
more deaths than births,
then certainly there would
be a loss of population.”
VOLUNTEERS Main Street Show and Shine returns
NEEDED!
Chieftain staff
Wallowa County
Humane Society is in
search of foster homes
for the recent increase
of new feline mothers,
new kittens and feral cats
in the County. If you are
interested in cat/kitten
foster care...
Brought to you by,
please contact
Carol Vencill
at 541-263-0336.
http://www.wallowacountyhumanesociety.org/
ENTERPRISE — The
free 2021 Main Street Show
and Shine Event will be
returning this year Friday
and Saturday, Aug. 20-21,
after taking last year off
because of the coronavirus
pandemic, according to a
press release.
This annual event is held
on Main Street in Enterprise
and activities include a par-
ticipant cruise to the Imnaha
Store and Tavern on Friday
at noon. Registered partic-
ipants will meet behind the
Market Place in Joseph to
prepare for this cruise.
When they return, the
public is invited to Warde
Bill Bradshaw/Wallowa County Chieftain, File
A line of classic automobiles travels down Hurricane Creek
Road toward Joseph on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2020, in the cruise
held in lieu of the annual Main Street Show and Shine. A
similar run will be made this year, along with a return of other
Show and Shine events.
Park in downtown Enter-
prise for a concert by the
local band “No Boundar-
ies,” from 5-8 p.m.
Vendors off ering food
and refreshments will be
onsite and nearby in down-
town Enterprise for this
event.
At 7 a.m. Saturday, the
participants will begin park-
ing their classic and spe-
DESTINY WECKS
Coleman
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Cardlock is
NOW
OPEN
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• Accepting all Major
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• Easily Accessible for
Semi trucks, Campers
and RV’s
• Non-Ethanol Premium
• 24/7 Fueling
71051 HWY 82
Wallowa, OR 97885
888-799-2000
www.colemanoil.com
OF
THE
ief Joseph
y Wecks one of the Ch
Not only was Destin t after doing so she competed in
Days queens, bu g the Wallowa County Junior
rin
She also
numerous events du
tying in the proces , s. champion
at
go
n
wo
d
an
o
de
Ro
senior showman
was the all-around uestrian, grand champion of
eq
n
of senior wester n, reserve champion for senior
western equestria ... and that doesn’t even begin
showmanship colades from recent weeks.
udly
Pro onsore d b y
to list all her ac
Great job, Destiny!
Sp
cial-interest cars, trucks and
other items on wheels for the
public to view. The Enter-
prise Elks Lodge No. 1829
will be serving breakfast at
the garage of Main Street
Motors at 311 West Main.
Starting from 7-10 a.m.
Money raised from the
breakfast goes toward Elks
scholarships and other
programs.
After breakfast, the pub-
lic is invited to view all of
the vehicles parked down-
town from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Awards and many spe-
cially designed and built
trophies will be presented
beginning at 2:30 p.m. The
Best of Show and the Peo-
ple’s Choice Awards are two
diff erent cast-bronze sculp-
tures produced by Parks
Bronze and TW Bronze,
both on Golf Course Road
in Enterprise. Beautiful pot-
tery and glass awards from
Olaf, Ted Juve and also Ster-
ling Webb of Moonshine
Glass, featuring some of the
last of Russell Ford’s blown
glasses.
Nearly 100 registra-
tions had been received as
of Thursday, Aug. 12, and
more than 140 participants
were expected attend this
year’s event.
Also noteworthy is that
16 vendors have requested
to also participate in the
show this year from three
nearby counties.
Upon conclusion of the
event, participants will drive
from downtown Enterprise
to the senior care homes in
Enterprise and Joseph.