97523 ZIP Code — Cave Junction, OR

Josephine County, Oregon

ZIP code 97523 is located in Cave Junction, Oregon, within Josephine County. It covers approximately 250.33 square miles and serves a population of 6,436 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 541.

About ZIP code 97523

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $305,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 81%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($42,801) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. Poverty affects 23% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 25% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 58% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with retail trade as the leading industry. The average commute of 31 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 16% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Health indicators show elevated rates of smoking (21%) compared to national benchmarks.

Notable community characteristics include a notable veteran presence at 14% of civilians, above the national average of 7%; and disability rates above the national average at 22%.

Overall, ZIP code 97523 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, economic challenges above the national average, a strong veteran community, high homeownership, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

6,436

population

250.33

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

97523 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 97523

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 97523. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Cave Junction	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

97534 O Brien (8.2 mi) 97531 Kerby (8.7 mi) 97544 Williams (13.7 mi) 97538 Selma (18 mi) 97543 Wilderville (18.8 mi) 95543 Gasquet (18.9 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	6,436
Population density	26 / sq mi
State FIPS	41
County FIPS	033

Geography
Land area	250.33 sq mi
Water area	0.17 sq mi
Latitude	42.1126
Longitude	-123.5831
Timezone	Pacific (PT)
Area code	541

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	63.0%	51.6%	38.1%
$50k – $100k	27.6%	31.1%	31.4%
$100k – $200k	6.8%	14.0%	23.2%
Over $200k	2.6%	3.3%	7.2%

Demographics & statistics

6,436

Population

People per sq mi

47.3

Median age

$42,801

Median household income

$27,911

Per capita income

$305,300

Median home value

$1,084

Median monthly rent

80.7%

Home ownership

23.3%

Poverty rate

13.2%

Unemployment

2,757

Housing units

15.5%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

170

Under 5

175

227

5–9

236

169

10–14

174

114

15–19

118

136

20–24

141

323

25–34

335

382

35–44

395

332

45–54

343

118

55–59

123

218

60–64

225

682

65–74

706

252

75–84

260

85+

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	1,271	19.7%
18 and over	5,165	80.3%
65 and over	1,982	30.8%
Median age	47.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 86.3%

Two or more races 6.8%

Hispanic or Latino 3.4%

Asian 1.2%

Black or African American 1.1%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.7%

Other race 0.5%

Group	Count	%
White	5,749	86.3%
Two or more races	452	6.8%
Hispanic or Latino	229	3.4%
Asian	78	1.2%
Black or African American	76	1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native	46	0.7%
Other race	35	0.5%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	63.0%	51.6%	38.1%
$50k – $100k	27.6%	31.1%	31.4%
$100k – $200k	6.8%	14.0%	23.2%
Over $200k	2.6%	3.3%	7.2%

Under $10k 5.3%

$10k–$15k 12.5%

$15k–$25k 10.1%

$25k–$35k 14.4%

$35k–$50k 12.9%

$50k–$75k 15.1%

$75k–$100k 11.8%

$100k–$150k 9.2%

$150k–$200k 1.9%

$200k+ 6.7%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	5.3%
$10k–$15k	12.5%
$15k–$25k	10.1%
$25k–$35k	14.4%
$35k–$50k	12.9%
$50k–$75k	15.1%
$75k–$100k	11.8%
$100k–$150k	9.2%
$150k–$200k	1.9%
$200k+	6.7%
Median income	$42,801

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 12.1%

$50k–$100k 5.4%

$100k–$150k 4.2%

$150k–$200k 7.6%

$200k–$300k 19.3%

$300k–$500k 29.6%

$500k–$1M 20.4%

$1M+ 1.4%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$305,300
Median rent / month	$1,084
Owner occupied	80.7%
Renter occupied	19.3%
Vacant	12.9%
Single-family detached	68.9%
Large apartment buildings	0.0%
Mobile homes	25.4%
Median rooms	4.9
Avg household size (owned)	2.20

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.7%
2010–2019	13.2%
2000–2009	16.1%
1990–1999	14.7%
1980–1989	10.7%
1970–1979	28.2%
1960–1969	3.9%
1950–1959	4.0%
1940–1949	4.7%
1939 or earlier	3.7%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	5.0%
1 bedroom	11.1%
2 bedrooms	30.7%
3 bedrooms	45.3%
4 bedrooms	5.9%
5+ bedrooms	2.1%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.2%
1 vehicle	32.0%
2 vehicles	37.4%
3 or more	27.4%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	0.2%
Electricity	52.4%
Propane / LP gas	2.3%
Fuel oil	5.9%
Wood	37.5%
Solar	0.6%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,171	40.6%
Cohabiting couple	230	8.0%
Male householder, no spouse	473	16.4%
Female householder, no spouse	1,013	35.1%
Households with children under 18	500	17.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,468	50.8%
Average household size	2.23

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	36.1%	18.0%
Married	50.4%	46.7%
Separated	1.1%	1.4%
Widowed	1.1%	10.3%
Divorced	11.3%	23.6%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.2%

Some HS, no diploma 7.7%

HS graduate 33.0%

Some college, no degree 32.5%

Associate's degree 10.2%

Bachelor's degree 10.8%

Graduate / professional 4.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	91.2%
Bachelor's or higher	15.5%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	43	3.7%
Kindergarten	45	3.9%
Elementary school	693	59.7%
High school	191	16.5%
College / grad school	188	16.2%

Employment

Industry of employment

Retail trade 19.2%

Education & healthcare 12.2%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.4%

Manufacturing 11.0%

Construction 9.8%

Transportation & utilities 9.7%

Professional & management 8.4%

Public administration 8.2%

Other services 5.4%

Agriculture & mining 2.4%

Information 1.7%

Finance & real estate 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	24.1%
Service	18.3%
Sales & office	21.1%
Natural resources & construction	12.5%
Production & transportation	24.0%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	72.6%
Government	14.3%
Self-employed	11.6%
Unpaid family workers	1.6%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.0%
Carpool	6.4%
Public transit	0.0%
Walk	2.8%
Work from home	15.7%
Other means	3.1%
Avg commute (minutes)	30.8

Poverty

All people 23.3%

Under 18 years 34.2%

18 and over 20.7%

Married-couple families 10.0%

Female-led households 44.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	58.1%
Retirement income	35.4%
Supplemental Security	8.5%
Cash public assistance	4.3%
Food stamps / SNAP	25.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	32.2%
High blood pressure	38.8%
High cholesterol	37.7%
Diabetes	14.4%
Heart disease	10.2%
Stroke	5.1%
Asthma	12.1%
Arthritis	33.2%
Kidney disease	4.4%
Pulmonary disease	11.7%
Cancer	8.6%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	20.8%
Binge drinking	13.5%
No physical activity	25.4%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.0%
Depression	25.2%
Fair or poor health	21.5%
Poor mental health	16.2%
Poor physical health	15.5%
No health insurance	12.2%
Visited doctor (checkup)	76.9%
Visited dentist	61.4%
Cholesterol screening	90.4%
Teeth loss	18.2%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	745	14.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	22.4%
Under 18	8.0%
18–64 years	16.1%
65 and over	41.8%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	44.9%
Public insurance	70.0%
No insurance	10.1%
Uninsured under 19	8.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,091	94.6%
Spanish	93	1.5%
Other Indo-European	8	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	21	0.3%
Other languages	23	0.4%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	6,119	95.1%
Born in same state	6,051	94.0%
Born in different state	2,206	34.3%
Foreign born	68	1.1%
Naturalized citizen	317	4.9%
Not a US citizen	226	71.3%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	726	11.3%
Italian	494	7.7%
Arab	345	5.4%
Polish	344	5.3%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	107	1.7%
Dutch	30	0.5%
Irish	15	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	44.9%
Internet access	94.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 97523

What city is ZIP code 97523 in?

ZIP code 97523 is primarily assigned to Cave Junction, Oregon.

What county is ZIP code 97523 in?

ZIP code 97523 falls within Josephine County, Oregon.

Does ZIP code 97523 have a large retiree population?

58% of households in ZIP code 97523 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

Does ZIP code 97523 have an older population?

31% of residents in ZIP code 97523 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 97523?

23% of residents in ZIP code 97523 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Is ZIP code 97523 mostly owner-occupied?

81% of occupied units in ZIP code 97523 are owner-occupied, well above the national average.

What timezone is ZIP code 97523 in?

ZIP code 97523 observes the PST timezone.