Moving to Corvallis Video Series, Part 2: Mid Valley Overview - Corvallis vs Albany vs Philomath

This is the second video in our new "Moving to Corvallis" YouTube series!

If you’re moving or thinking about moving to Corvallis, Albany or Philomath, Oregon, this video provides a general overview of the three towns to help provide a sense of the similarities and differences between them.

Corvallis, meaning “Heart of the Valley,” is the first town we will cover. Corvallis has a population of about 55-60k people, is home to Oregon State University (OSU) and is ranked the #4 college town in the United States according to Forbes. OSU offers strong programs in natural sciences & engineering, and is also known for agricultural research as OSU is the land grant institution of the state. It attracts students nation wide and even internationally. In addition to the University, Corvallis public schools rank in the Top 10 in the State of Oregon. So Corvallis is an education based community.

Corvallis is a “green” city in both senses; it has lush, green countryside with open spaces, and slow-growth policies with tight urban growth boundaries and very well-defined neighborhoods. In fact, Corvallis is listed as the #3 Green City in the entire United States according to https://www.bestplaces.net/city/orego...! Now in terms of that tight zoning: the upside is that this curbs urban sprawl and preserves the surrounding area. The downside is a residential supply-and-demand imbalance and high home prices.

Now let’s talk about Albany directly to the East. Albany has about 52k people and was once known as “The Hub,” due to its location on the Oregon to California travel route back during the gold rush. Albany, about the same size as Corvallis, and even though it’s essentially next door the Willamette River is in between, so from downtown Corvallis you have to go up into North Albany and then over the bridge to downtown, or over and up as you’ll see, here. Albany and the surrounding area have a lot of employers in the timber, agriculture, and manufacturing industries. The town is split between two counties: Benton and Linn. Benton County schools have a particularly good reputation which has made North Albany especially desirable to some of my clients.

The land use and zoning in Albany are not as strict as in Corvallis. In fact, the town wants growth and is encouraging building, which helps keep the home prices down quite a bit - https://www.bestplaces.net/city/orego... shows a median home price of a solid $100k less than Corvallis. There are new construction developments going into various parts of Albany, and I’ve noticed many of my clients relocate here for jobs in Corvallis but many decide to purchase a newer home in Albany for less money and then commute to Corvallis to go to work.

Now to Philomath, meaning “love of learning,” which Niche.com rates as an “A-“ on its list of Best Places to Buy a Home in Oregon. Located right next to Corvallis but to the West, Philomath has a population of about 5 thousand, so it’s much smaller than Corvallis or Albany. Philomath has a long history in the timber industry and there is still a working Georgia Pacific saw mill there, today. Some folks in Philomath commute to Corvallis for work as Philomath is pretty small, and is starting to feel like a bedroom community of Corvallis, much like North Albany.

Philomath is also a historically slow-growth town with strict urban growth boundaries and zoning, which help keep its small-town feel. There are a variety of housing options from nice new starter homes in cute neighborhoods to a brand new apartment complexes right outside of Corvallis, and some nice homes on the hillsides of West and East Philomath with some outstanding valley views. If you are looking for rural property without being too far out of town you will also find some great options, here.

Alright, there’s our quick overview of Corvallis, Albany, and Philomath here in the mid – Willamette valley. If you would like more information or are relocating to the area, please do reach out. I’d be happy to answer any questions you have about the mid-valley.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this video. If so, please give it a like and leave a comment down below. I shoot a ton of videos about real estate ownership and investing and what itʼs like to live here, so if you havenʼt yet, hit that subscribe button and the bell so you can be notified when I have a new video out.

There will be a new series video posted every Tuesday for the next few weeks, so stay tuned for more great and informative videos!

Michael Krasilovsky is a Principal Broker at RE/MAX Integrity in Corvallis, OR. Michael can be reached through https://teamkrealty.com/ or by calling 541-918-5021.

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