Mark Graves/The Oregonian

By Kale Williams

They say that age ain’t nothing but a number, and, well, they’re probably right. But that doesn’t mean age can’t tell us interesting things about our state and how its populace is distributed.

The median age for the state is 39.2 years old, about two years older than the same figure for the nation as a whole. But within that number, which accounts for all 4 million Oregonians, there is a lot to unpack.

In accordance with another old saying, age before beauty, we've ranked all 36 counties from oldest to youngest, using data from the 2016 American Community Survey.

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36. Wheeler County

With a median age of 59.2, Wheeler County is the oldest county in Oregon by almost 4 years. It’s also the least populated county in Oregon, with just under 1,400 people residing there, or less than one person per square mile.

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35. Curry County

Curry County comes in second with a median age of 55.1 and is also home to the state’s westernmost point at Cape Blanco on the southern coast.

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34. Wallowa County

Next up is Wallowa County, encompassing Oregon’s northeast corner, with a median age of 52.7.

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33. Grant County

Grant County, 1 of 8 counties classified as eastern Oregon, has a median age of 52.4, the fourth oldest in Oregon.

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32. Lincoln County

Lincoln County, on Oregon’s central coast, has a median age of 50.7.

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31. Sherman County

Located on Oregon’s northern border east of The Dalles, Sherman county has a median age of 50.1.

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30. Lake County

Right in the middle of Oregon’s border with California, Lake County has a median age of 48.7.

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29. Crook County

Crook County, home to Prineville and Facebook server farms, has a median age of 48.3.

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28. Baker County

Baker County, just across the Snake River from Idaho on Oregon’s eastern border, has a median age of 48.2.

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27. Coos County

Coos County, on Oregon’s southern coast, has a median age of 48.2, the state’s 10th oldest.

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26. Tillamook County

The north coast’s Tillamook County, home to one of the largest cheese factories in the country, has a median age of 48.1.

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25. Douglas County

Douglas County, home to Roseburg and the stretch of Interstate 5 from Eugene to Grants Pass, has a median age of 47.2.

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24. Josephine County

Josephine County, on Oregon’s southern border, has a median age of 47.1.

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23. Gilliam County

Located on the southern bank of the Columbia River, Gilliam County has a median age of 46.5 and has the third smallest population of any county in the state with around 1,900 residents.

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22. Harney County

Harney County, most recently in the news for the 41-day standoff at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, has a median age of 46.1.

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21. Clatsop County

Encompassing Astoria and Oregon’s northwest corner, Clatsop County has a median age of 43.7.

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20. Columbia County

Just to the east of Clatsop County is Columbia County, which has a median age of 43.3.

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19. Jackson County

Jackson County, home to Medford, has a median age of 43.1.

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18. Klamath County

Just to the east of Jackson County is Klamath County, home to Klamath Falls, which has a median age of 42.1.

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17. Deschutes County

Home to Bend and Mount Bachelor, Deschutes County has a median age of 41.8.

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16. Wasco County

Located along the Columbia River and home to The Dalles, Wasco County has a median age of 41.6.

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15. Clackamas County

On Portland’s eastern edge, Clackamas County has Oregon’s third largest population with nearly 410,000 people and a median age of 41.3.

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14. Jefferson County

Home to Madras, widely seen as the heart of central Oregon, Jefferson County has a median age of 40.2.

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13. Union County

Union County, which is nearly 50 percent owned by the U.S. Forest Service, has a median age of 39.7.

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Tied-11. Lane County

Lane County, home to Eugene and the University of Oregon, has a median age of 39.4.

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Tied-11. Linn County

Linn County came in tied with Lane County with a median age of 39.4.

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10. Hood River County

The 10th youngest county, and the most closely aligned with the statewide median, was Hood River County, which has a median age of 39.1.

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9. Yamhill County

Home to the state’s best nickname, “Sweet Potato Mountain,” Yamhill County has a median age of 38.2.

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8. Polk County

Located just east of Salem, Polk County has a median age of 37.7.

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7. Morrow County

Located on the south side of the Columbia River in eastern Oregon, Morrow County has a median age of 37.4.

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6. Multnomah County

Encompassing Portland and home to the state’s largest population at just under 800,000 people, Multnomah County has a median age of 36.8.

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5. Washington County

Washington County, home to Portland’s western suburbs and the second largest population in the state with more than 580,000 people, has a median age of 36.6.

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4. Malheur County

Tucked in Oregon’s southeast corner, Malheur County has a median age of 36.4.

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3. Marion County

Home to Salem, the state capital, Marion County has a median age of 36.4.

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2. Umatilla County

Umatilla County, the birthplace of Pendleton Woolen Mills, has a median age of 35.4.

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1. Benton County

The youngest county in the state, Benton County is home to Corvallis and Oregon State University. It has a median age of 32.5.

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-- Kale Williams

kwilliams@oregonian.com

503-294-4048

@sfkale