Altamont vs Klamath Falls

Which is the better fit for you?

Altamont, OR
45
Area Score
Bottom 9% nationally
Klamath Falls, OR
38
Area Score
Bottom 2% nationally

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Altamont receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.

If you are moving

What the difference in prices, rent, homes and weather comes to, using the published figures for the two places. Add your income to see what it would take to keep pace.

Moving from Altamont to Klamath Falls

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Everyday prices
The Bureau of Economic Analysis publishes no regional price index for Altamont or Klamath Falls, so nothing here is estimated in its place.
Income to keep the same purchasing power
Needs a price index for both places.
A new two-bedroom lease
The same
HUD benchmarks it at $1,247 in Klamath Falls against $1,247 in Altamont.
The median home
15% more
$287,000 in Klamath Falls against $249,200 in Altamont.
The weather you would swap
Similar winters
Normal January lows are 22°F in Klamath Falls against 22°F in Altamont; July highs are 86°F against 86°F (summers the same).

These are differences between published figures, not a forecast of your budget. Income and sales taxes, commuting, schools, insurance and the job you would actually get are not in them, and a price index describes a metropolitan area, so two places in one metro read the same. HUD’s rent is a benchmark for a new lease, not a listing.

Signals

Altamont
Klamath Falls
Opportunity: Altamont is the more favorable of the two.
Opportunity
34 · Bottom 10%
vs
31 · Bottom 7%
Growth: Klamath Falls is the more favorable of the two.
Growth
41 · Bottom 30%
vs
43 · Bottom 33%
Climate
60 · Bottom 16%
vs
60 · Bottom 16%
Physical resilience
32 · Bottom 25%
vs
32 · Bottom 25%
Housing affordability: Altamont is the more favorable of the two.
Housing affordability
63 · Bottom 41%
vs
49 · Bottom 19%
Schools: Altamont is the more favorable of the two.
Schools
53 · Top 45%
vs
17 · Bottom 8%
Access: Klamath Falls is the more favorable of the two.
Access
59 · Bottom 6%
vs
61 · Bottom 6%
Economic stability: Altamont is the more favorable of the two.
Economic stability
39 · Bottom 20%
vs
30 · Bottom 10%

Measured values

MetricAltamontKlamath FallsSource period
Population19,92722,1152024 ACS 5-Year
Median household income$58,629 — more favorable$46,6932024 ACS 5-Year
Per capita income — the two are too close to separate$30,387 ±$2,579$31,612 ±$3,5492024 ACS 5-Year
Population density2,472/sq mi1,099/sq mi2024 ACS 5-Year
Median home value$249,200$287,0002024 ACS 5-Year
Median gross rent — the two are too close to separate$1,015 ±$97$986 ±$482024 ACS 5-Year
Market rent, two bedroom$1,247$1,247FY2026
Homeownership rate70.5%48.9%2024 ACS 5-Year
Unemployment rate7.1%7.1%July 2026
Employment change (year over year)−1.0%−1.0%July 2026
Bachelor's degree or higher — the two are too close to separate22.0% ±3%24.0% ±3%2024 ACS 5-Year
Poverty rate16.5% — more favorable22.0%2024 ACS 5-Year
Housing units permitted (12 months)12712712 months ending July 2026
Permits per 1,000 residents1.81.812 months ending July 2026
Permit change (year over year)−12.4%−12.4%12 months ending July 2026
Average July high86°F86°F1991-2020 Normals
Average January low22°F22°F1991-2020 Normals
Annual precipitation11.1"11.1"1991-2020 Normals
Distance to major airport60 mi57 mi — more favorableNASR current cycle
Average commute — the two are too close to separate16.3 min ±1.4 min15.7 min ±1.5 min2024 ACS 5-Year
Median age38.035.22024 ACS 5-Year
Public schools1082024-25 school year
Students per teacher18.5 — more favorable20.02024-25 school year
Math proficiency39.2% — more favorable32.8%2018-19 school year
Reading proficiency58.3% — more favorable46.1%2018-19 school year
Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility92.7%97.9%2024-25 school year

A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.

4 rows above show both figures with a ± margin and neither in bold. Those come from the American Community Survey, which samples rather than counts, and the gap between the two is smaller than the uncertainty on the figures themselves — so the survey did not find a difference to report, and calling either one the winner would be reading a result out of noise.

The number of units permitted is not marked because the larger place always permits more; the per-resident rate is the fair comparison. The year-over-year change is not marked either: a percentage on fewer than 300 units swings on a handful of permits.

Physical risk tradeoff

Altamont

Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, wildfire.

Klamath Falls

Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, wildfire.

Your best match

Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.

Altamont
—
Altamont: Your Score
45
Area Score
Klamath Falls
—
Klamath Falls: Your Score
38
Area Score

Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.

Full profiles: Altamont, OR · Klamath Falls, OR · How this is calculated: methodology