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About Coos Bay and North Bend
Coos Bay and North Bend sit side by side on Coos Bay, the estuary where the Coos River meets the Pacific Ocean in Coos County. Wikipedia lists Coos Bay as the most populous city on the Oregon coast, with 15,985 residents in the 2020 Census. North Bend had 10,317. The two cities together are the core of the area locals call the Bay Area.
The two cities in numbers
| Measure | Coos Bay | North Bend |
|---|---|---|
| Population, 2020 Census | 15,985 | 10,317 |
| Population, PSU estimate, July 1, 2025 | 16,204 | 10,402 |
| Population, ACS 2020-2024 | 15,925 | 10,171 |
| Households | 6,978 | 4,193 |
| Median household income | $56,524 | $81,320 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $306,900 | $352,300 |
| Residents aged 65 and over | 22.5% | 23.4% |
| Owner homes valued at $300,000 or more | 2,184 of 4,192 | 1,923 of 2,739 |
| Seasonal, recreational or occasional-use homes | 1.1% | 2.4% |
| Business establishments (ZBP 2023, by ZIP) | 733 (97420) | 376 (97459) |
Together the two cities have 4,107 owner-occupied homes valued at $300,000 or more.
A plain reading
The two cities look different on paper. North Bend's median household income is about $25,000 higher than Coos Bay's, and its median home value is about $45,000 higher, which makes it the higher-income side of the pair. Coos Bay is larger and has nearly twice as many business establishments by ZIP code. Seasonal homes are rare in both, so these are year-round communities. ACS values for owner-occupied homes are self-reported and lag the market, and the estimates carry margins of error.
How we got these numbers
- Households, income, home value, age, home-value brackets and seasonal housing come from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates for 2020-2024, tables B11001, B19013, B25077, B01001, B25075 and B25004, read through Census Reporter.
- The 2020 population is the Census count. The 2025 figure is the certified estimate from Portland State University's Population Research Center (PSU).
- Business counts are from Census ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023. They are by ZIP code, not by city limit, and they leave out businesses with no paid employees.