Brett Stomps
Windermere Real Estate Columbia Gorge
Welcome to Hood River, OR. The self-proclaimed epicenter of all things Columbia Gorge.
This place has it all, and is by far the most sought after location to live in the entire Columbia Gorge.
Hood River is recognized around the world for many things, including but not limited to:
If you’re looking to live in Hood River, you should know that Hood River is managed by a strict zoning code.
This strict code is in place to control the future of Hood River’s growth and to preserve what makes it so unique.
The most notable restriction is to short term rentals. This restriction is intended to reduce transient visitors, increase community feeling, improve safety, and improve housing availability.
As such, Hood River primarily consists of residential housing with a small inventory of short term rentals mostly in commercially zoned districts. However, home owners whose primary address is located within the City limits Hood River may short term rent their home up to 90 days per year or 180 days per year outside city limits.
If you are interested in fixers, take this into consideration: Fix and flip opportunities are rare due to a shortage in affordable housing.
This is because a first time buyer who wants to buy in Hood River will pay higher for a fixer than an investor who wants to earn a profit. That being said, there are fix and flip opportunities (usually unfinanceable properties) that are available for investors.
Extending from Cascade & Wasco Ave up to 12th & 13th St into the heights, commercial property is expensive is usually relatively abundant. Just be cautious to review local zoning and current use regulations.
Regarding farming land, if you want to learn about agriculture in Hood River, read about Parkdale, Dee, and Odell, which are located in the valley to the south.
These percentages are is estimated.
As you can imagine, Hood River’s popularity doesn’t go unnoticed.
Hood River’s housing market is the most competitive market in the Columbia Gorge, closely tying with White Salmon, WA.
To be successful in Hood River’s real estate market, buyers should be aware that Hood River has the most amount of cash buyers and the highest average home price around. So, it’s extremely important for financed buyers to be ready, and to be Pre-Approved.
With multiple offers being more common in Hood River than any other market in the Gorge, a buyer shouldn’t be discouraged, as it’s part of the territory. Instead, focus on the payment you can afford and sleep quietly knowing that once you’re in, you’re in.
These percentages are is based on 2025 RMLS data.
Extremely Competitive
Hood River’s weather is hugely impacted by the cascade mountain range. Being that it’s squished between Mt. Hood & Mt. Adams, most of the weather coming from the west coast gets trapped right before it gets to Hood River. Making Hood River a transitory zone between a rainforest and a desert.
As such, within the span of just a few miles from east to west, the average annual rainfall varies from 130 inches from Lost Lake to 45 inches near Parkdale, to 30 inches in Hood River, to only 15 inches in The Dalles.
Now, Hood River still gets quite a bit of snow, and actually gets a tad more rain than it’s sibling 2 miles across the river, White Salmon.
Because of Hood River’s agricultural development, Hood River is highly irrigated. This helps keep the landscape greener, and helps to reduce wildfire risk.
Wind levels in Hood River are considered quite strong to your average individual with wind gusts peaking during the summertime and reducing quite significantly during the winter and spring.
Medium Fire Risk
The City of Hood River is nestled at the base of a broad valley where the Hood River flows into the Columbia River.
For millions of years lava, ash and other debris was tossed from the ever-growing Mt. Hood. This built up layer in the valley eventually was broken down over time into a mineral rich soil. Mountain ridges on both sides of the valley cradled this mineral-rich sediments throughout the valley floor.
As a result, Hood River’s landscape is easy to navigate and well-suited for development and agriculture, offering expansive soft rolling areas supported by stable underlying ground.
Everyone looking to live in Hood River is trying to grab a view of Mt. Hood, and if not of Mt. Hood, a territorial one of the surrounding landscape.
If you are not one of the lucky ones with a view, you’ll still be more than pleased to take a quick drive outside your home to find an abundance of rolling hills, dramatic rock formations, rivers, waterfalls, and expansive territorial views in nearly every direction.
These percentages are is estimated.
The valley floor supports orchards, vineyards, and farmland, with pears, apples, and cherries being especially prominent.
Native vegetation includes oak woodlands, pine and fir forests, wildflowers, and grasses that thrive in the area’s mix of wet mountain influence and drier eastern Gorge climate contributing to the area’s scenic beauty and seasonal color shifts.
Along rivers and creeks, cottonwoods, willows, and lush riparian plants are common.
Overall, Hood River is a agricultural dream with many thriving to get a slice of land.
These percentages are is estimated.
Through strict zoning regulations, primarily through the vacation home market, Hood River has been able to reduce vacant housing and short term rental movement among it’s neighborhoods. Thus, creating a stronger more connected community.
Additionally, Hood River’s economy is primarily locally owned and operated. You won’t find a lot of large corporate companies around in Hood River. As such, you can enjoy purchasing your good directly from the personal or local company who is delivering it.
Add into Hood River’s claim to fame, it’s natural beauty and abundance in recreational optionality, the community of Hood River is abundant with individuals who feel welcomed to be who they want, more in charge of their day to day lives, more connected to what they buy, and more connected to those around them.
While this list doesn’t cover everything, many desire to live in this small Columbia Gorge town, or be as close as they can to it.
Early settlers in the Hood River Valley were drawn to the area’s temperate climate and relied on rushing glacial rivers for fishing, drinking, and household needs.
It didn’t take for settlers to recognize that their new home also held the potential to be an agricultural paradise.
In 1854, Nathaniel Coe, founder of Hood River, planted the valley’s first fruit trees on a portion of his Donation Land Claim, located on what is now downtown Hood River. The first recorded fruit sale followed in 1858, when the Coe family sold 1,000 pounds of peaches in The Dalles.
By the 1880s, large areas of dense forest that blanketed the valley were cleared for orchards. During this period, settlers began constructing irrigation ditches to channel the valley’s abundant glacial water to their crops. Today, every orchard in the Hood River Valley is irrigated.
By the early 1900s, the valley was dominated by apple orchards interplanted with low-growing strawberries. As the apple trees matured, their shade gradually eliminated the strawberries. Hood River apples gained an international reputation, with exports reaching as far as Europe.
During the harsh winter of 1919, temperatures plunged to -27F, severely damaging most of the valley’s apple trees. Many were replaced with hardier winter pear varieties better suited to cold snaps.
By the 1940s, pears had become the primary agricultural crop in the Hood River Valley. To which, this has never changed.
Today, the valley’s approximately 15,000 cultivated acres include about 12,000 acres of pears, 1,500 acres of apples, 1,100 acres of sweet cherries, and roughly 60 acres of wine grapes.
The information provided on brettstomps.com is intended to be educational and accurate. However, information on brettstomps.com does not substitute as buyer and seller due diligence when transacting real estate. Buyers and sellers are advised to work directly with licensed professionals, seek additional professional services when applicable, and to inquire at the federal, state, county, and city offices for their due diligence.
