Benton County

UNIVERSITY & TECHNOLOGY

Benton County was officially created in 1847 and was named after Thomas Hart Benton, a U.S. Senator who advocated American control over the Oregon Country. Originally, its lands were inhabited by the Klickitat Indians who rented it from the Kalapuyas for use as hunting grounds. In 1846, Joseph Conant Avery settled in Benton County and platted a town site naming it Corvallis. In 1850 he built a store building that still stands today as Robinett’s Hardware and is the oldest commercial building in Corvallis. Today, Corvallis serves as the county seat and is also home to Oregon State University. 

The population of Benton County is over 96,000, and is home to 6 cities: Corvallis, Philomath, Monroe, Adair Village, Bellfountain, and Blodgett. The most well-known towns are Corvallis and Philomath. The County consists of over 679 square miles, and is the fourth smallest county in Oregon; however, this pint-size county packs a punch. There are many parks, nature reserves, and museums that can keep you occupied all year-round. Some of the local favorite recreational activities include: hiking Mary’s Peak, attending the Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire, playing disk golf at the Willamette Park, geese watching at the wildlife reserve, mountain biking Alsea Falls, and much more. Benton County is a little over an hour away from the Oregon coast making it a great location for enjoying the mountains and the coast range. 

Benton County’s main industries include Education, Healthcare, Technology, and Agriculture. Traditionally, Benton County’s agriculture has focused on grass seed, Christmas trees, wine grapes, seed crops, organic produce, lumber, sheep, cattle and dairy, but recent years have seen large upswing in hazelnuts and marijuana. The County’s top employers include: Oregon State University, Samaritan Health Services Hospital, and Hewlett Packard. Oregon State University alone employs over 12,000 employees, and the hospital and Hewlett Packard combined serve over 4,000 employees. Oregon State University was founded in 1868 and has a total undergraduate enrollment of over 27,000 students. The campus is 422 acres and is within close proximity to downtown Corvallis. 

Benton County has 4 school districts, and 23 public schools. There are also 9 private schools and Santiam Christian School is the highest rated. The median household income is $65,142, the median house price is $485,000, and the median price per square foot is $283.