Prineville, OR — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Oregon·Prineville

Crook County · Prineville · population 11,917

Growing fastSmall-town feel
View watchlist →
69
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Prineville stands

Population growing 2.6% per year.

Median home $433,281
1-year +0.8%
5-yr CAGR +4.4%
vs 5-yr peak -2.3%
Population +2.6%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2022-06$433k$176k$271k$366k$461k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
25/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
67/100
Strong remote-work fit
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,525/mo$0$813$1,6252026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent101104801002026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 23.7
Lean rent

At a 23.7 price-to-rent ratio, the math is starting to lean toward renting in Prineville. Owner-occupier ROI requires longer holds and the assumption that prices keep appreciating roughly at the rate of rent.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
54 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
62 · w22%
Distance from peak
76 · w18%
Population growth
86 · w16%
Rent YoY
61 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
84 · w10%
Long thesis

Prineville has held up across the cycle: home values at $433,281 with +4.4% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Prineville's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Prineville

Prineville is a city in Crook County, Oregon, with an estimated population of 11,917. The population has grown 2.6% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in Prineville is $433,281 as of 2026-04, up 0.8% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +4.4% annual growth (-2.3% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Prineville average $1,525 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+2.4%). The composite momentum score is 69 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

Bull case

People are voting with their feet: population growing 2.6% per year since 2020 — that’s faster than ~80% of US cities.
Held the highs: currently -2.3% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

Bear case

Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Crook County right now.

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Crook County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Prineville

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
47° / 35°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
82° / 53°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
178
~49% of year
Annual precip
28″ rain
12″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
High
Earthquake
High
Flood
Low

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Prineville listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Prineville area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
75%
Very humid climate
Median household income
$80,400
Oregon state median
Top industries (state-level)
Tech (Intel)ManufacturingForestry

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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