As of 2025, Corvallis, Oregon’s population sits at a steady 60,408, while Oregon State University’s student body sits at approximately 38,125 students.
Although OSU students are not considered in Corvallis’s population, the college student population is equal to over half of the total population.
With the plethora of local businesses and lack of larger chain corporations, it leads a large portion of Corvallis residents to shop locally and support the smaller vendors Corvallis has to offer.
customer on October 13th in Corvallis downtown. The space reflects a curated blend of nostalgia and modern street style that resonates with younger shoppers and adding the personal touch of the store owner, Jairus Lovell (Brandon Ndungu)
Jairus Lovell, owner of local Vintage clothing shop TSA vintage, who started his business back in 2018 when he was an OSU freshman.
“I started a little rack in my dorm room and had people book appointments on a website, and slowly moved through a bunch of houses that I lived in,” Lovell said.
Lovell said that being in Corvallis and being an OSU student was the reason he could start a business, due to how the majority of OSU students shop locally.
“I’d say 70% [of costumers] are college students, 30% local townies. During game days, there’s always the families that are looking for different things to do, all the parents of all the athletes, they’re like I can’t hang out with my kid Saturday [and] they all come and meander downtown,” Lovell said.
Corvallis also has many local regulations when it comes to larger stores.
Larger stores, or ‘box-stores, must go through a more extensive planning process, and zoning laws, building code standards, and land development codes must be followed. This allows more local businesses to take priority, and empowers both college students and locals alike to shop small.
“Corvallis does a good job of keeping big businesses out of Corvallis. Like, that’s why there’s no Target here. There’s Targets [that] tried to come here. The city rejects them. They don’t want any big businesses coming in to displace the local mom and pops,” Lovell said.
Not only do OSU students shop local, but many work local as well. Bryon Daniels, owner of Greenhouse Coffee + Plants, speaks on this.
“The largest demographic is definitely students. Like, I mean like if you look around right now, it’s easily seven of the ten people in here are students, as well as my employees. Half of them are students as well,” Daniels said.
The lack of larger companies occupying Corvallis is not the only thing that helps the local businesses.
“I think buying locally and shopping small is a pretty strong mindset of college students right now, which is incredible. And I think that’s something that especially younger generations have really started actively trying to be mindful of,” Daniels said.
Corvallis’s small atmosphere and sense of community also aids the locals’ favor of shopping local.
“Because it is smaller, people feel a little bit more attached to going to their shops and their stores, like their favorite places to go,” Daniels said.
