St. Helens, Oregon

St. Helens is the county seat of Columbia County, Oregon. It was founded by Captain H. M. Knighton, a native of New England in 1845 as Plymouth. The name of the community was changed to St. Helens in the later part of 1850, after the view of Mount Saint Helens across the Columbia River in Washington. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 10,019.

Geography St. Helens is located at 45°51'34" North, 122°49'1" West (45.859357, -122.817001)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.8 km² (5.3 mi²). 11.3 km² (4.3 mi²) of it is land and 2.5 km² (1.0 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 18.27% water.

Demographics As of the census of 2000, there are 10,019 people, 3,722 households, and 2,579 families residing in the city. The population density is 889.3/km² (2,305.6/mi²). There are 4,032 housing units at an average density of 357.9/km² (927.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 92.74% White, 0.34% African American, 1.68% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 1.35% from other races, and 3.11% from two or more races. 4.05% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 3,722 households out of which 39.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% are married couples living together, 12.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% are non-families. 24.2% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.65 and the average family size is 3.12.

In the city the population is spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $40,648, and the median income for a family is $45,548. Males have a median income of $39,375 versus $26,725 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,237. 11.9% of the population and 8.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 16.5% are under the age of 18 and 4.6% are 65 or older.