Population 26,552 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Wasco County
Household size in Wasco County
| Period | Wasco County | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.44 | 2.50 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.47 | 2.55 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.45 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.41 | 2.50 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.03 | +0.00 | −0.03 |
The average household in Wasco County has 2.41 people, under the U.S. average of 2.65. Households are largest in the northwest and smallest in the northeast.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Wasco County
| Period | Wasco County | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.8 | 39.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 42.7 | 40.0 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 42.2 | 40.9 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 43.2 | 41.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.3 | +2.5 | +2.3 |
Wasco County skews older than the country: its median age is 43.2, against 40.1 nationally. The median age has crept up from 42.8 in 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. The youngest areas are in the north, the oldest in the center.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Wasco County
| Period | Wasco County | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 10.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 10.8% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.3% | 9.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.7% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −0.1 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are less common in Wasco County than nationally: 8.7%, against 11.6%. Wasco County has a lower share of single-parent households than most Oregon counties.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Wasco County
Renters in Wasco County
| Period | Wasco County | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 32.5% | 36.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 35.5% | 38.5% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.8% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 32.5% | 36.7% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.0 pts | +0.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
About a third of households in Wasco County rent their homes (32.5%), close to the national share of 34.8%. Renters make up a smaller share here than in Oregon overall (36.7%). Among homeowners, 44.8% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Wasco County
| Period | Wasco County | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.9% | 8.9% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.0% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.9% | 8.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 12.6% | 7.4% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.3 pts | −1.5 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy runs high in Wasco County: 12.6% of homes are empty, against 9.6% nationally. The count includes vacation homes and homes between owners or tenants, not just abandoned ones.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Wasco County
| Period | Wasco County | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1968 | 1976 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1969 | 1977 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1969 | 1978 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1970 | 1981 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in Wasco County is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1970, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. Newer construction is concentrated in the northwest, while the center has the oldest housing. Wasco County has older homes than the great majority of Oregon counties.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Wasco County
| Period | Wasco County | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $634 | $870 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $771 | $982 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $851 | $1,183 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,125 | $1,601 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$491 | +$731 | +$606 |
The median renter in Wasco County pays $1,125 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent has climbed $491 a month since 2006–10, up 78%, faster than rents rose nationally. Rent takes 30.6% of the typical renter's income, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Wasco County
Bachelor's degrees in Wasco County
| Period | Wasco County | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 21.1% | 29.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 18.4% | 30.2% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.3% | 33.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.0% | 36.4% | 35.6% |
| Change | +0.9 pts | +7.3 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in Wasco County have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 22.0%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 0.9 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Wasco County
| Period | Wasco County | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 84.7% | 88.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 85.4% | 89.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 86.3% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 85.7% | 91.5% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | +3.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About one in seven adults in Wasco County never finished high school, more than nationally: 85.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. The share with a diploma is up 1.0 points from 2006–10, a smaller shift than nationally. Wasco County has a lower share of high school graduates than the great majority of Oregon counties.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Wasco County
| Period | Wasco County | Oregon | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.9% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.4% | 10.6% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 4.5% | 5.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 5.3% | 5.4% |
| Change | −0.9 pts | −3.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Wasco County: 8.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Only one other Oregon county has higher unemployment. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Wasco County compared with nearby counties
| County | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wasco County | 2.41 | 43.2 | 8.7% | 32.5% | 12.6% | 1970 | $1,125 | 22.0% | 85.7% | 8.0% |
| Hood River County | 2.65 | 41.7 | 9.7% | 30.6% | 14.8% | 1983 | $1,545 | 41.8% | 87.1% | 3.5% |
| Sherman County | 2.40 | 43.8 | 9.4% | 34.1% | 17.0% | 1960 | $1,021 | 16.0% | 91.1% | 0.9% |
| Skamania County | 2.50 | 48.8 | 7.9% | 20.0% | 10.0% | 1985 | $1,067 | 29.9% | 93.6% | 5.5% |
| Gilliam County | 2.25 | 50.7 | 5.9% | 25.9% | 20.3% | 1971 | $1,174 | 20.6% | 88.3% | 2.6% |
| Clark County | 2.69 | 39.7 | 10.5% | 33.6% | 5.3% | 1992 | $1,937 | 33.0% | 92.4% | 5.1% |
| Multnomah County | 2.34 | 39.4 | 10.2% | 46.6% | 6.7% | 1969 | $1,755 | 47.6% | 91.9% | 5.6% |
| Washington County | 2.62 | 39.2 | 9.4% | 39.2% | 4.4% | 1989 | $1,997 | 47.6% | 92.6% | 4.4% |
| Tillamook County | 2.26 | 49.4 | 11.2% | 25.7% | 30.0% | 1978 | $1,263 | 26.9% | 90.5% | 4.8% |
| Wallowa County | 2.22 | 49.3 | 8.5% | 27.5% | 21.5% | 1970 | $1,127 | 38.7% | 93.9% | 3.7% |
| Madison County | 2.44 | 50.6 | 2.5% | 19.0% | 37.0% | 1995 | $1,165 | 32.7% | 93.6% | 3.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Counties with similar populations: Rockbridge County, VA · Sabine Parish, LA · Sabana Grande Municipio, PR · Russell County, KY · Rush County, IN · Rowan County, KY · Wayne County, KY · Wayne County, MS · Routt County, CO · Roscommon County, MI
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Wasco County. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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