Paisley is a city in Lake County, Oregon, United States. It is along Oregon Route 31 between Summer Lake and Lake Abert. The population was 250 at the 2020 census.
History
There are two theories regarding the origin of the name "Paisley". One story says that Charles Mitchell Innes, from Scotland, named the place for Paisley in his home country, in about 1873. Another informant stated that the place was named by Samuel G. Steele, also a native of Scotland.
Arts and culture
Paisley is home to an annual Mosquito Festival that raises funds for vector control. The festival is held the last full weekend of July.
Paisley is also home to the Paisley Players Community Theater, a non-profit organization with a board of directors. The group stages a play each year in the spring, either at the Community Center or the Paisley School Auditorium.
Geography
Paisley is located at an elevation of . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land. The Chewaucan River flows through the city.
Geothermal energy
Paisley sits on top of a supply of hot groundwater. In 1980 on the Colahan Ranch in Paisley, a well was unintentionally drilled into a fault, revealing the hot water. After using the water for irrigation for a time, the Colahans invited the local electricity cooperative to investigate the well's use as a geothermal energy source in 2008. The plant became operational later that year at a projected 3.1 megawatts capability. The plant was able to generate an estimated 4,129,6800 kilowatt hours of energy over the eight months it was operational during 2016 with a peak output of 2,100 kilowatts.
Climate
thumb|right|Aerial view of Paisley, 2008
According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Paisley has a steppe climate, abbreviated "BSk" on climate maps.
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Paisley had a population of 250. The median age was 51.6 years. 19.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 33.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 101.6 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 106.1 males age 18 and over.
There were 102 households in Paisley, of which 24.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.2% were married-couple households, 18.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 35.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
! Race !! Number !! Percent
|-
| White || 225 || 90.0%
|-
| Black or African American || 0 || 0%
|-
| American Indian and Alaska Native || 3 || 1.2%
|-
| Asian || 0 || 0%
|-
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 0 || 0%
|-
| Some other race || 3 || 1.2%
|-
| Two or more races || 19 || 7.6%
|-
| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 12 || 4.8%
|}
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 243 people, 125 households, and 67 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 156 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.8% White, 2.1% African American, 1.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population.
The section of Lake County that Paisley is in is not a part of a community college district, but the county has a "contract-out-of-district" (COD) with Klamath Community College.
Recreation
Recreational activities including hunting, fishing in the Chewaucan River, hiking in the nearby Fremont and Winema National Forests, hang gliding, rock hounding, and swimming in local lakes and hot springs. The Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge, Goose Lake State Recreation Area, and a number of Oregon State Parks are within driving distance of Paisley as well.