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Orchards, WA

Orchards, WA

Shown is the Orchards Branch of the United States Post Office for Vancouver, Washington · Photo: Steven Baltakatei Sandoval, CC BY-SA 4.0

A town of about 29,438 people in Clark County, part of the Portland area. Resident comments and photos are about Orchards; job numbers cover the wider area.

The Portland area:College town · College teaching jobs 1.7x the U.S. share
What kind of place it is
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Everyday life
Shops, cafes, and daily routines
Hobbies & activities
Trails, parks, and pastimes
Nearby scenery
Lakes, overlooks, and drives

Photos and reviews come from Google Maps and show single places, not the whole area. Reviews are the most relevant ones Google returns for each place. We show the longest highly rated review under 400 characters and, when there is one, the longest low-rated review. Google doesn't verify reviews but removes fake ones when it finds them.

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What locals say
Where it is
Orchards
Orchards in Washington
Washington in the U.S.
State outlines: U.S. Census Bureau.

What's nearby

Within 5 miles of Orchards's center.

19
grocery stores
87
restaurants
57
coffee shops
130
parks
185
playgrounds
2
libraries
2
movie theaters
3
bookstores
13
gyms
13
bars
12
pharmacies

None found within 5 miles: hospitals.

Counts from OpenStreetMap, a volunteer map, so small or new places can be missing. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Biking and trails

Within 5 miles of the center of Orchards.

Bike lanes and bike paths
87 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns
Walking and hiking trails
90 miles
more than almost all U.S. towns

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Counts depend on how well local volunteers have mapped the area, so treat them as a rough guide.

What rent costs

Of about 3,260 rented homes in Orchards, 75% rent for under $2,000 a month and 97% for under $3,000.

Under $1,000: 4%
$1,000 to $1,499: 31%
$1,500 to $1,999: 40%
$2,000 to $2,499: 13%
$2,500 to $2,999: 9%
$3,000 or more: 3%

Census American Community Survey 2019 to 2023 (table B25063). Gross rent includes utilities the renter pays. Today's asking rents for open apartments usually run higher.

What moving costs

Hiring movers

Average cost: $1,946

From a 2025 survey of 1,000 people who hired movers. This Old House. Your quote depends on your stuff, stairs and the time of year.

Moving in as a renter

The middle rented home in Orchards rents for $1,500 to $1,999 a month. Before you get the keys, expect about $3,000 to $3,998 for first month plus a deposit, or up to $4,500 to $5,997 where landlords also ask for last month.

Many landlords want your income to be about 3 times the rent. For $1,500 to $1,999, that's a yearly income of about $54,000 to $71,964.

Estimate from Census rent data (2019 to 2023, rent plus tenant-paid utilities). Deposits and fees vary by landlord and state law.

Moving to Washington: before and after

  • Forward your mail: USPS change of address. It costs about $1 online to confirm who you are.
  • Switch your driver's license and car registration. Each state sets its own deadline, often somewhere between 10 days and a few months after you move. Find the Washington DMV.
  • Register to vote at your new address: Washington voter registration.
  • Set up power, gas, water and trash. Some cities bill water and trash together, and some ask new customers for a deposit.
  • Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and the IRS (Form 8822 if you're not filing soon).
  • Find a doctor and dentist early. New-patient waits can be weeks, even in big cities.

Public schools

11 public school districts in this county, with about 75,273 students in all. Which one serves a home depends on its address.

Evergreen School District (Clark) · Vancouver
22,591 students · 16.8 students per teacher · 39 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Vancouver School District · Vancouver
22,003 students · 17.2 students per teacher · 43 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Battle Ground School District · Battle Ground
12,393 students · 17.7 students per teacher · 21 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Camas School District · Camas
7,324 students · 17.9 students per teacher · 16 schools · grades Pre-K to 12
Ridgefield School District · Ridgefield
3,987 students · 18 students per teacher · 7 schools · grades Pre-K to 12

NCES Common Core of Data 2022-23, National Center for Education Statistics. Varro doesn't rate or rank schools. For test results and programs, see each district's site and your state's school report card.

Childcare and colleges

Daycare and preschool

Washington keeps an official list of licensed childcare, with inspection reports and openings in many states. In a lot of towns, infant spots fill up months ahead, so it helps to get on waitlists before you move.

Typical full-time prices in this county (2022)
AgeDaycare centerHome daycare
Infant (under 2)$357/week
about $18,600 a year
$246/week
about $12,800 a year
Toddler (2)$249/week
about $12,900 a year
Preschool (3 to 4)$249/week
about $12,900 a year
$205/week
about $10,700 a year
School-age$192/week
about $10,000 a year

For an infant at a center: $357/week here, $370 across WA, $259 across the U.S.. Full-time infant care at a center here costs about 18% of a typical family's income. These are 2022 prices, the newest the government has published by county, and prices have gone up since.

U.S. Department of Labor, National Database of Childcare Prices, 2022. Middle (median) price for full-time care. State and U.S. figures average the county prices, weighted by population (Census 2024).
Search licensed childcare in Washington →
Link via childcare.gov (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).

One college in the county around Orchards. Prices are yearly tuition and fees for full-time undergrads, before financial aid.

Clark College · Vancouver
Public, 4-year · 7,149 students · $4,632 in-state, $10,380 out-of-state

Moving for school? Public colleges charge state residents much less. Most states want you to have lived there about 12 months, for reasons other than school, before you count as a resident for tuition. The rules differ by state, so check with the college's registrar.

IPEDS 2023-24, National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS). Degree-granting public and nonprofit schools with 100+ students. Varro doesn't rank colleges.

The facts behind it
Typical home value
$539,403
What a typical home sells for across the Portland area.
Source: Zillow Home Value Index, September 2026
Drive to the nearest big job hub
About 38 min at rush hour
To downtown Portland, OR, 21 miles. About 31 min with no traffic.
Source: Google traffic estimate for a weekday morning around 8am
Average commute
25 minutes one way
How long residents' trips to work take on average, counting every job and way of getting there. U.S. average: about 27 minutes.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Data centers nearby
2 within 15 miles
The nearest is about 13.7 miles from the town center. The largest is about 42,000 sq ft.
Source: PNNL IM3 Data Center Atlas, from OpenStreetMap (ODbL), loaded July 2026
Homeowners insurance
About $1,753 a year
The statewide average for a typical policy in WA. Your own quote will depend on the home.
Source: Statewide estimate, 2026
Natural disaster risk
Relatively Moderate
FEMA's overall rating for the county, covering floods, storms, wildfire, earthquakes and more.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hail risk
Very Low
FEMA's rating for hail damage in the county, compared with other U.S. counties.
Source: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025
Hospitals nearby
None within 5 miles
No hospital is mapped within 5 miles of the center. Check the drive to the nearest one before you move.
Source: OpenStreetMap (ODbL)
Drug overdose deaths (county)
26.6 per 100,000 people a year
140 deaths in the 12 months ending March 2026. WA average: 33 per 100,000. U.S.: 19.9. Counts are by where people lived, and recent months may still be updated.
Source: CDC National Center for Health Statistics, provisional counts through March 2026; Census population estimates 2024
People without housing (local count)
About 29 per 10,000 residents
HUD's one-night count in January 2025 found 1,530 people without housing in the Vancouver/Clark County area: 788 in shelters and 742 outside, up from 1,366 in 2024. WA: 39.9 per 10,000. U.S.: 21.9. One-night counts miss people, and how areas count differs.
Source: HUD Point-in-Time Count, January 2025 (HUD, 2025 report to Congress); Census population estimates 2024
Median household income
$94,948
Half of households in the county earn more than this, half earn less.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
Property tax
0.84% of home value a year
About $840 a year for every $100,000 of home value.
Source: U.S. Census (American Community Survey), 2023
State income tax
No state income tax
WA's state income tax. Some cities and counties add their own.
Source: 2026

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