FACTS & FIGURES FOR ASHLAND, OREGON
Ivan Gillis
Ashland, Oregon
Ashland is a city in Jackson County,
Oregon, near Interstate 5 and the
California border, and located in the south end of the Rogue Valley. It is the
home of Southern Oregon
University and the internationally renowned Oregon
Shakespeare Festival.
In December 1887, Portland,
Oregon and San
Francisco, California were joined by rail at Ashland.
Until 1926, when most rail service began taking a
different route (east through Klamath
Falls to avoid the steep grade through the Siskiyou
Mountains) Ashland thrived on rail trade. This was
especially the case with orchard products, such as the famous Ashland peach,
which won top honors at the 1893
World's Fair in Chicago.
Ashland is
well-known for its annual Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF), which brings
thousands of visitors to the city every year. The festival has grown from a
summer outdoor festival in the 1930s to a season which stretches from February
to October, incorporating Shakespeare and non-Shakespearean plays in
repertory at three theaters. OSF sells more tickets to more performances of more
plays than any other theater in the country. In a typical year, OSF sells more
than 350,000 tickets and attracts about 100,000
tourists.
The city is 350
miles (560 km) north of San
Francisco, California and 285 miles (459 km) south of
Portland, Oregon, in an area once proposed to become the State of
Jefferson. It is 90 miles (145 km) from Crater Lake National Park and Oregon Caves National Monument.
Population:
Population (year 2000): 19,522.
Estimated population in July 2006: 20,881 (+7.0%
change)
Males: 9,003 |
(46.1%) |
Females: 10,519 |
(53.9%) |
Median Age 37.9 Years
Ancestries: German (19.5%),
English (16.1%), Irish (14.0%), United States (5.4%), Scottish (4.9%), French
(4.6%).
Races in Ashland:
- White Non-Hispanic (90.0%)
- Hispanic (3.6%)
- Two or more races (3.1%)
- American Indian (2.2%)
- Other race (1.7%)
- Japanese (0.6%)
- Black (0.6%)
Income & Housing Costs
Numbers:
Estimated median household income in
2005: $36,900 (it was $32,670 in 2000)
Ashland |
$36,900 |
Oregon: |
$42,944 |
Estimated median house/condo value in
2005: $322,000 (it was $188,400 in 2000)
Ashland |
$322,000 |
Oregon: |
$201,200 |
Geographic:
Elevation: 1951
feet
Land area: 6.50 square miles.
Population density--3201 per
square mile--average.
In-Depth Facts and Figures
as listed below, plus other information:
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Climate Charts
1.
Average Temperature
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Precipitation (Rain)
3.
Humidity
4.
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5.
Snowfall
6.
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Cloudy Days
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Tornado Activity History
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Hospitals & Medical
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Colleges/Universities
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High Schools
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Locations of Interest
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Shopping Centers
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Churches
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Lakes/Streams/Rivers/Creeks/Parks
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Tourist Attractions
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Banks
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Housing Costs Information
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Crime Statistics
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Radio Stations AM/FM
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TV Broadcast Stations
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Discussion Forums
For the above information and photos, click this
link:
http://www.city-data.com/city/Ashland-Oregon.html
Total Tax Burden--Data for Calculation
OREGON Sales
Taxes State
Sales Tax: None Gasoline
Tax: * 24.9
cents/gallon Diesel Fuel
Tax: * 24.3
cents/gallon (Local fuel taxes may add 1 to 3 cents) Cigarette Tax:
$1.18/pack of 20
Personal Income
Taxes Tax Rate Range:
Low - 5%; High -
9% Income Brackets:
** Lowest - $2,750;
Highest - $6,851 Number of Brackets:
3 Personal Tax Credits:
Single - $154; Married
- $308; Dependents - $154 Additional Credits:
Credit equal to 40% of
federal credit Standard Deduction:
Single - $1,840;
Married filing jointly - $3,685; Deduction greater if age 65 or older.
Additional Deduction:
Single over 65 -
$1,200; Married over 65 filing jointly $2,000 Medical/Dental
Deduction: Full only for age 59
or older, if itemized. Federal Income Tax
Deduction: $5,000 ($2,500 if
married filing separately)
Retirement Income
Taxes: Federal income tax
rules generally determine the amount of your pension that is taxed by
Oregon. However, you may subract some pensions on your Oregon return that
were taxed on your federal return. Pensions not taxed are Social Security
benefits, Veterans Administration benefits and Railroad Board benefits.
Oregon allows a subtraction for part or all of the payments you receive from the
federal pension system. Generally, retirement income is subject to Oregon
tax. A tax credit of up to 9% of taxable pension income is available to
recipients of pension income, including most private pension income, whose
household income was less than $22,5000 (single) and $45,000 (joint), and who
received less than $7,500/$15,000 in Social Security or Railroad Retirement
benefits. The credit is the lesser of tax liability or 9% of taxable
pension income. For more information on the Oregon retirement income
credit, click here.
Retired Military Pay: Federal
retirees, including military personnel, may be able to subtract some or all of
their federal pension income. This includes benefits paid to the retiree
or to the surviving spouse. The subtraction amount is based on the number
of months of federal service before and after October 1, 1991. Retirees
can subtract their entire federal pension if all the months of federal service
occurred before October 1, 1991. If there are no months of service before
October 1, 1991, retirees cannot subtract any federal pension. If service
included months before and after October 1, 1991, retirees can subtract a
percentage of their pension income. Military Disability Retired Pay:
Disability Portion - Length of Service Pay; Member on September 24,
1975 - No tax; Not Member on September 24, 1975 - Taxed, unless
combat incurred. Retired Pay - Based solely on disability: Member
on September 24, 1975 - No tax; Not Member on September 24, 1975 - Taxed, unless
all pay based on disability and disability resulted from armed conflict,
extra-hazardous service, simulated war, or an instrumentality of
war.
VA Disability
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation: Not subject to
federal or state taxes Military SBP/SSBP/RCSBP/RSFPP: Generally
subject to state taxes for those states with income tax. Check with state
department of revenue office.
Property
Taxes Oregon does not grant homeowners a homestead
exemption. Tax rates are set by the counties and any special
considerations are levied by county
officials. Homeowners 62 or older may delay paying property taxes
based on certain income criteria. The state offers a Disabled Citizen
Property Tax Deferral Program and a Senior Citizen Property Tax Deferral
Program. Both deferral programs allow qualified taxpayers to defer payment
of their property taxes on their homes. The state pays the taxes to the
county, maintains the account, and charges 6% simple interest, which also is
deferred. Taxes are owed when the taxpayer receiving the deferral dies,
sells the property, ceases to live permanently on the property, or the property
changes ownership.
To qualify for either program, the taxpayer must live
on the property and have a total household income of less than $36,500 for the
year before application. Participants may remain on either program as long
as their federal adjusted gross income does not exceed that amount. If a
participant's income exceeds the $36,500 limit, part of the taxes still may be
deferred. Participants can come in and out of the programs if their income
changes. In addition to meeting the income limitation and property
ownership requirement, disabled persons must be receiving or be eligible to
receive federal Social Security Disability benefits to qualify. Residents
must be 62 years old or older to qualify for the Senior Citizen Property Tax
Deferral Program. Call 800-356-4222 or 503-376-4988 for details or click here.
Inheritance and Estate
Taxes An Oregon
inheritance tax return is required to be filed whenever a federal estate tax
return (Form 706) is required to be filed. For a resident decedent, Oregon
taxes real property and tangible personal property located in Oregon and
intangible personal property wherever it is located. For a nonresident
decedent, Oregon taxes real property, tangible personal property, and intangible
personal property located in Oregon. An exemption is allowed for
intangible personal property located in Oregon if a like exemption is allowed by
the state of residence.
For further
information, visit the Oregon
Department of Revenue site or call 503-378-4988. * Tax rates to do not
include local option taxes of 1 to 2 cents. ** For joint returns,
the taxes are twice the tax imposed on half the income. Note:
Oregon has a
statutory provision for automatic adjustment
Cost of Living Calculators Links:
http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/costofliving/costofliving.html?step=form&x=36&y=3
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/movecalc.asp
http://cityrating.com/costofliving.asp
http://www.relocationessentials.com/aff/www/tools/salary/col.aspx
http://swz.salary.com/CostofLivingWizard/layoutscripts/coll_start.asp
Wikipedia Information Link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashland,_Oregon
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