Talent, Oregon

Talent, Oregon
City
Talent City Hall (2013)
Location in Oregon
Coordinates: 42°14′24″N122°46′56″W / 42.24000°N 122.78222°W / 42.24000; -122.78222
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Jackson
Incorporated	1910
Government
•  Mayor	Darby Ayers-Flood
Area [1]
• Total	1.33 sq mi (3.44 km2)
• Land	1.33 sq mi (3.44 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	1,635 ft (498 m)
Population  (2020) [2]
• Total	6,282
• Density	4,723.31/sq mi (1,823.72/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (Pacific)
ZIP code	97540
Area code	541
FIPS code	41-72500 [3]
GNIS feature ID	1150844 [4]
Website	cityoftalent.org

Talent is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. The population was 6,282 at the 2020 census.

History

A. P. Tallent, an East Tennessee native who settled in Oregon in the 1870s, platted the city in the 1880s. He wanted to name it Wagner but was overruled by postal officials, who preferred Talent, dropping one of the L's. The post office opened at this location in 1883. Earlier names for the settlement were Eden District and Wagner Creek. ^[5]

2020 fire

On September 8, 2020, roughly a third of Talent, along with neighboring Phoenix and parts of Medford and Ashland, were destroyed by the Almeda Drive Fire. ^{[6] [7] [8] [9]} On September 11, 2020, authorities said they were preparing for a mass fatality incident. ^[10] As of September 11, 600 homes and 100 commercial buildings have been destroyed by the Almeda Drive Fire, ^[11] but on September 18, that number was updated to 2,800. ^[12] Officials stated that the Almeda Drive Fire was human-caused. ^[11] On September 11, a man was arrested for arson, for allegedly starting a fire that destroyed multiple homes in Phoenix and merged with the Almeda Drive Fire. ^[13] A separate criminal investigation into the origin point of the Almeda Drive Fire in Ashland is ongoing. ^[13]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.33 square miles (3.44 km²), all of it land. ^[14]

The city is south of Medford, about halfway between Phoenix, to the north, and Ashland, to the south, along Interstate 5 and Oregon Route 99. This is toward the southern end of the Rogue River Valley, near the Siskiyou Mountains and the border with California. ^[15]

Wagner Creek, a tributary of Bear Creek, joins the larger stream at Talent. ^[15] Wagner was the name of a family of pioneer settlers who lived here before Talent became a city. ^[5] The Bear Creek Greenway, a biking and hiking trail connecting Ashland, Phoenix, Medford, and Central Point along Bear Creek, also passes through Talent. ^[16]

Climate

This region experiences warm to hot and dry summers, with average temperatures above 81.6 °F (27.6 °C). According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Talent has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps. ^[17]

Climate data for Talent, Oregon
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	70 (21)	78 (26)	82 (28)	88 (31)	101 (38)	105 (41)	106 (41)	108 (42)	103 (39)	97 (36)	79 (26)	70 (21)	108 (42)
Average high °F (°C)	45.3 (7.4)	51.3 (10.7)	57.9 (14.4)	65.6 (18.7)	72.9 (22.7)	80.4 (26.9)	89.6 (32.0)	88.2 (31.2)	80.0 (26.7)	66.7 (19.3)	53.3 (11.8)	45.6 (7.6)	66.4 (19.1)
Average low °F (°C)	29.7 (−1.3)	31.8 (−0.1)	34.0 (1.1)	37.7 (3.2)	42.6 (5.9)	48.1 (8.9)	52.3 (11.3)	51.0 (10.6)	45.6 (7.6)	39.1 (3.9)	33.7 (0.9)	31.0 (−0.6)	39.7 (4.3)
Record low °F (°C)	−1 (−18)	−1 (−18)	17 (−8)	20 (−7)	23 (−5)	29 (−2)	32 (0)	34 (1)	27 (−3)	13 (−11)	3 (−16)	−4 (−20)	−4 (−20)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	2.41 (61)	1.95 (50)	1.62 (41)	1.25 (32)	1.44 (37)	1.04 (26)	0.34 (8.6)	0.22 (5.6)	0.76 (19)	1.76 (45)	2.39 (61)	2.79 (71)	17.97 (457.2)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	3.10 (7.9)	1.50 (3.8)	0.70 (1.8)	0.10 (0.25)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0.10 (0.25)	0.90 (2.3)	6.40 (16.3)
Source 1:
Source 2:

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1920	278		—
1930	421		51.4%
1940	381		−9.5%
1950	739		94.0%
1960	868		17.5%
1970	1,411		62.6%
1980	2,577		82.6%
1990	3,274		27.0%
2000	5,589		70.7%
2010	6,066		8.5%
2020	6,282		3.6%
U.S. Decennial Census [18] [2]

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 6,066 people, 2,639 households, and 1,462 families living in the city. The population density was 4,560.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,761.0/km²). There were 2,826 housing units at an average density of 2,124.8 per square mile (820.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.0% White, 0.8% African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 5.9% from other races, and 3.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.6% of the population. ^[3]

There were 2,639 households, of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 44.6% were non-families. 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.96. ^[3]

The median age in the city was 38.4 years. 24% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.6% male and 53.4% female. ^[3]

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,589 people, 2,324 households, and 1,426 families living in the city. The population density was 4,433.6 inhabitants per square mile (1,711.8/km²). There were 2,420 housing units at an average density of 1,919.7 per square mile (741.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.30% White, 0.54% African American, 1.06% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 7.91% from other races, and 2.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.40% of the population. ^[3]

There were 2,324 households, out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.9% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.6% were non-families. 29.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.95. ^[3]

In the city, the population was 26.0% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males. ^[3]

The median income for a household in the city was $29,063, and the median income for a family was $33,333. Males had a median income of $24,781 versus $21,213 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,271. About 12.4% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over. ^[3]

Education

Talent Elementary School and Talent Middle School are part of the Phoenix-Talent School District. High school students attend Phoenix High School in Phoenix. Phoenix-Talent Rising Academy is a virtual hybrid school in Phoenix.

Notable people

• Robert Arellano (1969– ), author and professor ^[19]
• John Beeson (1803–1889), abolitionist and Native American advocate

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
2. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 12, 2022.
3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved December 21, 2012.
4. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
5. McArthur, Lewis A.; Lewis L. McArthur (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. p. 934. ISBN   0-87595-277-1.
6. Erik Neumann, and Liam Moriarty, "The Almeda Drive Fire Causes Extensive Damage To Talent and Phoenix", Jefferson Public Radio (last accessed 10 September 2020)
7. Crombie, Noelle (September 9, 2020). "Wildfire cuts swath of destruction in southern Oregon; Phoenix and Talent 'pretty well devastated'". OregonLive. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
8. Zavala, Joe. "Talent, Phoenix wakes up to decimation". Mail Tribune. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
9. Murphy, Paul P. (September 10, 2020). "Satellite images show Phoenix and Talent, Oregon, have been nearly wiped out by wildfire". CNN. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
10. "Oregon preparing for 'mass fatality incident' in wildfire recovery". September 11, 2020.
11. Benda, David. "Southern Oregon wildfires update: 700-plus homes, businesses destroyed as officials' investigate fire's cause", Redding Record Searchlight . September 11, 2020. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
12. Aldous, Vickie (September 18, 2020). "Sheriff: More than 2,800 structures destroyed by Almeda fire". Mail Tribune. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
13. Deliso, Merideth. "Man charged with arson in connection with Almeda Fire in southern Oregon", ABC News. September 11, 2020. Retrieved September 12, 2020.
14. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2012.
15. Oregon Road & Recreation Atlas (5th ed.). Santa Barbara, California: Benchmark Maps. 2012. p. 96. ISBN   978-0-929591-62-9.
16. "Map". Bear Creek Greenway Foundation. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
17. "Talent, Oregon". Weatherbase. CantyMedia. Retrieved October 12, 2015.
18. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
19. "Novel by former Taos author observes Los Alamos with a critical eye". The Taos News. Taos, New Mexico. March 18, 2012. Retrieved August 4, 2015.

External links

• Official website
• Entry for Talent in the Oregon Blue Book
• "Talent". The Oregon Encyclopedia .