RANK #708 / 996 · POP 128,598 · OR
PROJECTED GROWTH: -0.0%
Linn County, Oregon, is distinguished by its position in the heart of the Willamette Valley, stretching from the Willamette River to the Cascade Mountains. This location provides a diverse landscape of farmlands, clear lakes, rivers, and dense forests. Sweet Home, one of the notable towns, is celebrated as the home of the Oregon Jamboree music festival. Commuting within the county is primarily by car, with an average commute time of 25.7 minutes. Public transit options like Albany Transit and the Linn-Benton Loop connect major towns and offer connections to nearby cities like Corvallis. The county offers extensive outdoor recreation, including hiking through lush forests to waterfalls at McDowell Creek Falls Park, boating and fishing on lakes like Foster and Green Peter, and exploring the Quartzville Recreation Corridor.
Life in Linn County offers a blend of rural charm and access to larger urban amenities in nearby cities like Albany, the largest city in the county. The economy has a strong agricultural base, leading the nation in ryegrass production, and also includes manufacturing, food processing, and wood products. Recent economic developments show growth in sectors such as health care and professional and business services. The county also sees ongoing investment in energy and data center infrastructure, contributing to a diversified economic picture.
Overvalued relative to economy
Below national median
Well below national median
Above national median (13x)
Housing looks overvalued at 7.6x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. Climate and geography support a structural premium. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
Google Data Centers (multiple campuses)
Google
|
$1,300M | Proposed |
|
Gas-fired Power Plant (near Fairfax)
Alliant Energy
|
$500M | Proposed |
|
Silverfield Battery Energy Storage Facility
Spearmint Energy
|
$300M | Proposed |
|
Muddy Creek Energy Park (Solar + Battery Storage)
Muddy Creek Energy Park LLC (subsidiary of Hanwha Q CELLS USA Corp.)
|
$199M | Proposed |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 996 counties.
Linn County has a Boom Town Index score of 29/100, ranking #708 among 996 U.S. counties. With job growth at -0.6% and a median household income of $69,523, it faces some economic headwinds compared to faster-growing counties.
The median home value in Linn County is $319,800 with median rent at $1,160/month. The income-to-home-value ratio is 0.2174, which is less affordable than the national average.
Population growth: +1.1% year-over-year. Job growth: -0.6%. Home values changed +0.7% in the past 12 months.
Yes — 4.45% of Linn County's population moved from another state, which is above the national average and indicates strong in-migration.