Merlin, OR · standard
ZIP Code 97532
Josephine County, Oregon - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 2,378
- 15/sq mi Moderate-density area
- $81,167
- Median income Near-median income area
- $445,400
- Median home value Above-median home value
- 16.7%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Merlin pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- Top 37%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 17%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 15
- people per sq mi
- 87%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 97532 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 97532 covers 154.4 square miles in Merlin, Josephine County, Oregon (a standard USPS delivery area), with a modest 2,378 residents on file, a density of 15 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.
ZIP 97532 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $81,167 (4% above the average Oregon ZIP), while per-capita income is $37,008. The poverty rate is 11.3%, with unemployment at 1.3%; those measures add context to the income figure. Median home value is $445,400 (3% above the average Oregon ZIP) and median rent is $860; 86.8% of occupied homes are owner-occupied.
Educational attainment sits below the national norm: 16.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 53.4, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 1 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Josephine County, so 97532 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 97532
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Merlin, OR
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 97532.
- Construction
Construction
8 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
8 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
7 establishments
- Manufacturing
Manufacturing
6 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
5 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 97532, Merlin, OR · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
2,378
Population
154.4
Area (sq mi)
15
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 97532?
53.4
Median Age
56.8%
Male
43.2%
Female
5.6%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$81,167
Median Household Income
+4% vs state ZIP avg
$37,008
Per Capita Income
11.3%
Poverty Rate
1.3%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 97532 ranks among Oregon ZIPs
Merlin, OR household income vs. every Oregon ZIP code
Median household income among 378 reporting Oregon ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$81,167 Top 40% higher than 60% of 378 Oregon ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Oregon ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
1,122housing units
1,122
Total Housing Units
996
Occupied Units
126
Vacant Units
2.59
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$445,400
Median Home Value
+3% vs state ZIP avg
$860
Median Rent
1985
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+3.5%
YoY Change (2023)
284
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+184%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 97532 have increased 3.5% over the past year (2023). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +184% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +1.9% | 192 |
| 2020 | +6.3% | 204 |
| 2021 | +17.1% | 239 |
| 2022 | +14.7% | 275 |
| 2023 | +3.5% | 284 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2023. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 55 business establishments in ZIP 97532, employing approximately 323 people with a combined annual payroll of $16,197,000.
55
Businesses
323
Employees
$16.2M
Annual Payroll
8
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | 8 | 14.6% |
| Accommodation and food services | 8 | 14.6% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 7 | 12.7% |
| Manufacturing | 6 | 10.9% |
| Retail trade | 5 | 9.1% |
| Health care and social assistance | 4 | 7.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 3 | 5.5% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 3 | 5.5% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 97532 vs 97497 →
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 97497 | Wolf Creek, OR | 1,523 | 9.3 mi |
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 97532, both outside OR so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (2,378 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Josephine County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 97532 in?
ZIP code 97532 (Merlin) is located in Josephine County, Oregon. Josephine County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/josephine-or.
What is the population of ZIP code 97532?
ZIP code 97532 in Merlin, OR has a population of 2,378 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 97532?
The median household income in ZIP 97532 is $81,167, which is 6% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 97532?
The median home value in ZIP 97532 is $445,400, which is 60% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 97532?
The largest racial group in ZIP 97532 is White at 86.4%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 5.8% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 97532?
ZIP code 97532 has 55 business establishments employing approximately 323 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 97532?
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 97532 are: Construction (8), Accommodation and food services (8), Other services (except public administration) (7). There are 8 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 97532?
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 97532 increased by 3.5% in 2023. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 184%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 97532?
In ZIP code 97532, 46.9% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 16.7% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 97532?
In ZIP code 97532, approximately 86.8% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 13.2% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 97532?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 97532 is 11.3% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 97532's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 97532 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Merlin, OR ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
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ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.