Douglas County is a county located in the state of Oregon. It was named after Stephen A. Douglas, American politician, strong supporter of Oregon, and unsuccessful candidate for president in 1860. As of 2000, the population is 100,399. Its county seat is Roseburg⁶.

History

The area originally was inhabited by the Umpqua Indians, who belonged to the Chinook tribe. Following the Rogue River Indian War in 1856, all remaining natives were moved by the government to the Grand Ronde Indian Reservation .

Douglas County was created on January 7, 1852, from the portion of Umpqua County which lay east of the Coast Range summit. In 1856 the Camas Valley was annexed to Douglas County from Coos County. In 1862, the rest of Umpqua county was absorbed into Douglas County, some say due to the loss of population following the end of the early gold boom, while others attribute the absorption to politics. Further boundary adjustments were made with Jackson and Lane Counties in 1915.

Economy

The entire watershed of the Umpqua River lies within the boundaries of Douglas County. The heavily timbered county contains nearly 1.8 million acres (7,300 km²) of commercial forest lands and one of the oldest stands of old growth timber in the world. Approximately 25-30% of the labor force is employed in the forest products industry. Agriculture, mainly field crops, orchards, and livestock, is also important to the economy of the county. The post-Prohibition wine industry in Oregon began with Richard Somer planting Hillcrest Vineyard at the south end of the Umpqua Valley in 1961. The Umpqua Valley wine appellation lies entirely within Douglas county.

Nickel has been refined at Riddle since 1954. There is a significant federal presence in the region; the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management administer more than 50% of the county's land.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 13,297 km² (5,134 mi²). 13,045 km² (5,037 mi²) of it is land and 252 km² (97 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.89% water.

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there are 100,399 people, 39,821 households, and 28,233 families residing in the county. The population density is 8/km² (20/mi²). There are 43,284 housing units at an average density of 3/km² (9/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 93.86% White, 0.18% Black or African American, 1.52% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 1.02% from other races, and 2.70% from two or more races. 3.27% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 39,821 households out of which 29.10% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.20% are married couples living together, 9.60% have a female householder with no husband present, and 29.10% are non-families. 23.90% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.00% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.48 and the average family size is 2.90.

In the county, the population is spread out with 24.00% under the age of 18, 7.50% from 18 to 24, 24.20% from 25 to 44, 26.40% from 45 to 64, and 17.80% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 41 years. For every 100 females there are 96.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county is $33,223, and the median income for a family is $39,364. Males have a median income of $32,512 versus $22,349 for females. The per capita income for the county is $16,581. 13.10% of the population and 9.60% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 16.60% of those under the age of 18 and 9.20% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Cities and towns

• Canyonville
• Drain
• Elkton
• Glendale
• Glide
• Green
• Myrtle Creek
• Oakland
• Reedsport
• Riddle
• Roseburg
• Roseburg North
• Sutherlin
• Tri-City
• Winchester
• Winchester Bay
• Winston
• Yoncalla