LIVING IN MCMINNVILLE
POPULATION: 34,319
More Than One Reason to Visit
McMinnville, Oregon is a warmhearted city of about 33,000 residents located in the heart of what is now Oregon wine country, on native Kalpuya land. Our Willamette Valley town is not too close – or too far – from the bustle of Oregon’s largest cities, Portland and Salem. McMinnville is the seat of Yamhill County and officially became a city in 1882. Fast forward to today, McMinnville is a hub for those who appreciate the laid back style of a small town with great taste. With over 220 wineries to sip at and an overwhelming amount of farm-to-table and artisan dining experiences to be had, you’ll find yourself having little time left to discover the rest of McMinnville’s attractions and charm.
Downtown McMinnville
The historic downtown area is the heart of the city and is “Oregon’s Favorite Main Street,” also known as Third Street. Downtown McMinnville is a stroll worthy stop with its tree-lined streets anchored by quaint boutiques, cool coffeehouses, and kitschy antiqueries punctuated with wine tasting rooms, craft breweries and bars, and a tasty mix of award-winning restaurants. Voted among the best main streets in America, the downtown core hosts a variety of events and community celebrations from the annual UFO Festival and Turkey Rama to weekly farmer’s markets.
Oregon Wine Tasting Throughout the Willamette Valley
Known as a wine-lover’s heaven and a Pinot Noir paradise, McMinnville is at the epicenter of Oregon’s famous wine valley with over 220 wineries and vineyards ready for touring and tasting. Eager oenophiles come from far and near to get a taste of the McMinnville terroir and the surrounding Willamette Valley wine country. Because of its ideal climate and volcanic soil left behind from ancient Cascade Mountain lava flows, the valley produces flavorsome red, white, roses and sparkling wines.
Things to Do and See in McMinnville
When visiting McMinnville, you can count on more than wine to keep you entertained. The mild year-round climate allows for plenty of outdoor pursuits from road cycling to hiking and picnics in the park interspersed with visits to farmer’s markets, outdoor art, and historic sightseeing.
Head indoors for some fun with a visit to a world-class aviation museum where Howard Hughes’ famous Spruce Goose airplane has been laid to rest. Then make a plan to get wet at the Wings and Waves indoor waterpark. Whirl down waterslides constructed around a Boeing 747 jumbo jet, or just laze around the rest of the afternoon in a wave pool.
McMinnville’s close proximity to Portland (40 miles), Salem (30 miles) and the Oregon Coast (50 miles) make it an ideal hub for visits to the beach and quick city fixes.
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Unlike some cities where white-collar or blue-collar occupations dominate the local economy, McMinnville is neither predominantly one nor the other. Instead, it has a mixed workforce of both white- and blue-collar jobs. Overall, McMinnville is a city of professionals, service providers, and sales and office workers. There are especially a lot of people living in McMinnville who work in office and administrative support (10.10%), management occupations (8.46%), and sales jobs (6.73%).
The overall education level of McMinnville is somewhat higher than in the average US city of 21.84%: 25.83% of adults 25 and older in the city have at least a bachelor's degree.
The per capita income in McMinnville in 2018 was $29,469, which is middle income relative to Oregon and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $117,876 for a family of four. However, McMinnville contains both very wealthy and poor people as well.
McMinnville is a very ethnically-diverse city. The people who call McMinnville home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of McMinnville residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. McMinnville also has a sizeable Hispanic population (people of Hispanic origin can be of any race). People of Hispanic or Latino origin account for 22.45% of the city’s residents. Important ancestries of people in McMinnville include German, English, Irish, European, and Italian.
The most common language spoken in McMinnville is English. Other important languages spoken here include Spanish and Chinese.