South Marion & Jefferson

The southern reaches of Marion County along the I-5 corridor toward Albany and Corvallis. Jefferson (pop ~3,500) is a small farming community at the confluence of the Santiam and Willamette rivers. This largely rural area includes unincorporated communities and agricultural land, offering the most affordable housing in the metro with a trade-off of longer commutes into Salem proper. The landscape is quintessential Willamette Valley — flat, fertile, and green.