ZIP Code 97497 — undefined, OR Demographics & Data

ZIP code 97497 covers OR in Josephine County with a population of about 1,172.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 55.3 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 458, 541; U.S. House district OR-2; the MEDFORD - KLAMATH FALLS media market.

OR reads as a military / base-oriented community on US5’s intent model (elevated veteran share (21.6%) and/or base-related place names). Service members and families often look up Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates, on-base mail (PSC / P.O. Box) addresses, and nearby ZIP demographics when relocating.

US5 shows 2026 DoD BAH locality rates for this ZIP’s Military Housing Area on this page (pay grade × with/without dependents). Treat the table as a planning reference and confirm entitlement with your finance office or the official DTMO BAH lookup.

Median household income in ZIP 97497 is about $36,868 — about 51% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 29.3%; unemployment rate near 15.7%; 17.8% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 15.9 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Agriculture, Healthcare, and Transportation; about 17.1% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 1.9 points above the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $302,800 — about 13% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $482 (about 59% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 72.3% (about 6.9 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 97497 in OR, a household would need roughly $83,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $1,945. That is about 125% above the local median household income ($36,868), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for OR as Relatively Moderate (composite score 90.2), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are wildfire (99.2) and flood (90.2). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for OR show little to no average snow and around 40.7 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 59 for ZIP 97497 (OR) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.