We hope everyone has a lovely Valentine’s Day! Since it’s not a holiday that everyone adores, we thought we’d talk about a couple other reasons to celebrate February 14th. Specifically, two of the 50 United States were admitted into the Union on this day.

  • Oregon was admitted to the Union as the 33rd state on February 14, 1859
    • Like many U.S. locations, Oregon is currently in a housing crisis with rapidly rising rents and home prices.
    • The median home value in Portland is currently around $426,000 ($295 median price per sqft), and the median monthly rent in Portland is $1,950.
    • The Oregon Housing and Community Services recently issued a statewide housing plan, with a major focus on creating affordable housing for low and moderate income Oregonians.
  • Arizona was admitted as the 48th state on February 14, 1912
    • Arizona is the 6th largest state in terms of land mass, and the state with the largest percentage of its acreage designated as Native American tribal land.
    • Hopi Village, which dates back to around 1150 AD, is believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the United States.
    • With it’s vast preserved acreage, Arizona contains most of its population in Urban areas. Here are the median home values and rents in those cities:
      • The median home value in Phoenix is approximately $241,000 ($169 median price per sqft), and monthly rent will set you back $1,400.
      • The median home value in Tucson is around $187,000 ($138 median price per sqft), and the median monthly rent is $1,245.