Editing Hood River County, Oregon (section)

==Economy==
[[File:MtHoodRailroad Spring.jpg|thumb|[[Mount Hood Railroad]]]]
[[File:Mount Hood 3233.JPG|thumb|View from McCall Point across Hood River County to Mount Hood]]
Health Care and Social Assistance was the largest major [[North American Industry Classification System|NAICS industry sector]] in Hood River County in 2013, with 14 percent of earnings. Manufacturing, at 12 percent, was the second largest sector. Farm Earnings combined with Forestry, Fishing and Related Activities represented nearly 11 percent of earnings. The Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector, while accounting for seven percent of earnings in 2013, was the fastest growing sector between 2002 and 2013, growing at an average annual rate of over 11 percent, and increasing its relative share of total earnings by 6.45 percent. Earnings in the Health Care and Social Assistance sector grew at an average of over five percent per year during that period.<ref name="BEA">{{Cite web |title=Bureau of Economic Analysis |url=https://www.bea.gov/ |access-date=October 15, 2015 |publisher=United States Department of Commerce}}</ref>

Despite a relatively small share of total earnings, farming, forestry and tourism are all important economic drivers in Hood River County. In 2013, Farm Earnings and Forestry, Fishing and Related Activities had [[Economic base analysis|location quotients]] of 8.57 percent and 12.09 percent, respectively, indicating an outsized concentration of these sectors within the county. The Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation industry, while comprising less than four percent of total earnings, had a location quotient of 3.27 percent, the highest of any county in the State of Oregon, indicating a highly concentrated tourism sector.<ref name="REAP">{{Cite web |title=Oregon Regional Economic Analysis Project |url=https://oregon.reaproject.org |access-date=October 15, 2015 |publisher=Oregon Regional Economic Analysis Project}}</ref>

Agriculture, timber, lumber and recreation are important sources of revenue and industry. Fruit grown in the fertile valley is of such exceptional quality the county leads the world in Anjou pear production. A 1997 census recorded {{convert|15,553|acre|km2}} of commercial orchards growing pears, apples, cherries and peaches. Hood River County also has two ports and two boat basins, one serving local barge traffic, a steel boat manufacturing firm and Mid-Columbia yachting interests.

The [[Columbia River]], which runs right by the city of Hood River, has become a premier [[windsurfing]] destination, attracting windsurfers from throughout the United States and around the world. Cool, moist coastal air is drawn through the [[Columbia River Gorge]] as the desert to the east heats up on warm days, creating winds between 15 and 35 knots most days in the summer. With the current in the Columbia River flowing from east to west, and the wind blowing from west to east, large swells are created on the river that windsurfers enjoy riding like waves. Windsurfing has affected the local economy in many ways: windsurfing-oriented businesses and upscale restaurants catering to visiting windsurfers have reinvigorated the downtown area, many people who first visited Hood River in search of wind and waves have settled in the area and become an integral part of the community, and the local economy has been infused with much needed tourist dollars.

The Mount Hood Railroad provides freight service, connecting with the Union Pacific at Hood River, Oregon, and operates excursion trains and dinner trains on a {{convert|22|mi|km|adj=on}} rail line running from Hood River to [[Parkdale, Oregon|Parkdale]]. The line was completed in 1909, and operated as an independent company until acquired by [[Union Pacific Railroad]] in 1968. In 1987 a local group of investors purchased the line for $600,000, naming it the [[Mount Hood Railroad]]. In 2008 Mount Hood Railroad was acquired by [[Iowa Pacific Holdings]], based in [[Chicago]]. The company leases storage on its lines for excess freight cars, in addition to, or at times in place of, operating recreational rides.<ref name="IOWAPAC">{{Cite web |title=Mount Hood Railroad |url=http://www.iowapacific.com/railroads/mount-hood-railroad/ |publisher=Iowa Pacific Holdings}}</ref>