Max and Ollie Lueddemann House · National Register of Historic Places
Madras’s story
115 years in pictures
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1911Madras is settled
MadrasOR
A town of 7,676, settled in 1911. A typical home worth about $360K.
Photo: Tedder · CC BY 3.0
Population
7,676
+23.3% since 2010
Typical home
$360K
+0.3% in a year
Household income
$65K
median
Median age
32.6
years
Jobs based here
3,647
Balanced
What makes Madras stand out
The 3 things Madras does most differently from other towns.
A growing town
Madras has grown 23.3% since 2010
6,046 people in 2010; 7,676 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
Madras’s report card
Now in Madras
What neighbors are saying. Town Square →
Residents weigh in
Madras is #3 of 147 in OR for “Most kids”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Madras’s Town Square.
TT Weaver · 3d · Town talk
Madras Visitor Recommendations
I was thinking about all the great things to see and do in our city, and I realized that with US Route 26 and US Route 97 intersecting…
Or start one of these
Weather
Forecast →50°
Clear
H 81° · L 47°
Local news
All →- Lewis Fine - Madras White Buffaloes Junior Varsity Boys Basketball (Madras, OR)Sports Illustrated · Sep 17
- Study shows Culver can support new grocery storeMadras Pioneer · Sep 16
- Latrell Van Pelt Graybael - Madras White Buffaloes Freshman Boys Basketball (Madras, OR)Sports Illustrated · Sep 10
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Madras. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Madras home is worth about $360K
The typical Madras home is worth about $360,000, about the same as a year ago, 27% below the Oregon typical home.
$360KZillow home value
Typical home value
Madras$360K
Oregon$496K
+0.3%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Health
Healthier than 38% of U.S. towns
Madras beats the Oregon average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 4.
C+Health Grade
26 measures vs. Oregon
1 better21 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Madras | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 7.5% | 8.9% |
| More uninsured adults | 14.6% | 8.5% |
St. Charles Madras
2.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
26th
percentile among OR towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Schools
Madras’s public schools outperform 31% of Oregon districts
The public schools Madras’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 69% of Oregon’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.
CSchool Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madras Elementary School | K–5 | 384 | C− |
| Buff Elementary School | K–5 | 297 | B+ |
| 509J On-Line | K–8 | 27 | Not graded |
| Jefferson County Middle School | 6–8 | 426 | C+ |
| Madras High School | 9–12 | 768 | C+ |
| Bridges High School | 9–12 | 62 | C |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduationAll 6 schools →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Madras has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
14″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter26–43°
Spring34–61°
Summer49–84°
Fall36–64°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 19
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Work & commute
About one in three working residents works right in Madras
About one in 3 of Madras’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Bend (11%), Redmond (8%) and Portland (6%). Half commute less than 24 miles.
35%work in town
Where working residents work
In Madras35%
Bend11%
Redmond8%
Portland6%
Warm Springs4%
24 mi
median commute distance
3,647
jobs based in Madras
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Safety
Crime reported in Madras
Madras's reported crime rate is close to Oregon's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. 34 violent crimes were reported in 2024.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Madras4.3
Oregon3.4
U.S.3.6
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Madras23.6
Oregon24.5
U.S.17.7
34
violent crimes reported in 2024
185
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 59% of U.S. communities.
59risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireEarthquakes
3
paid flood claims since 1979
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Outdoors
1.7% of Madras is conserved land
3.4 miles of trails across 7 parks and preserves.
1.7%conserved
1.7%
conserved · 88 of 5,187 acres
3.4 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Juniper Hill Park | — | 72 |
| 2. Cowden Park | — | 10 |
| 3. Sahalee Park | 0.2 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Landmarks
3 places in Madras on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Madras
City in Oregon, United States
Madras ( MAD-russ) is a city in and the county seat of Jefferson County, Oregon, United States. Situated in Central Oregon, it is located where US Route 26 and US Route 97 intersect, with the latter serving as the main north-south road in the city with traffic split into a one-way pair. Originally called "The Basin" after the circular valley the city is in, it is unclear whether Madras was named in 1903 for the cotton fabric called "Madras" that originated in the city of Madras (now Chennai) in Tamil Nadu, India, or the city itself. The population was 7456 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1911
- Population
- 7,456
- Area
- 5.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,241 ft
- ZIP code
- 97741
- Area code
- 541
More about Madras
Still missing for Madras:archive photosupcoming events