Wasco County, Oregon

OR · FIPS 41065 Republican

Located in Oregon, Wasco County has a population of 26,552 residents and a median age of 41.0 years, making it the #1,594 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 11.6%. The median home value is $367,400, and the median household income is $64,175, which is 15% below the national median.

26,552
Population
#1,594 of 3,222
$64,175
Median Income
-14.6% #1,692 of 3,222
41.0 years
Median Age
+5.4% #1,811 of 3,222
11.6%
Poverty Rate
-7.7% #1,169 of 3,222

Demographics

Wasco County has a population of 26,552, making it the #1,594 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.0 years, which is 5.4% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

90.1%
Native Born
9.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Wasco County is $64,175, ranking #1,692 out of 3,222 counties — 14.6% below the national median. The poverty rate is 11.6% and unemployment stands at 7.7%.

Income#1,692
$64,175
-14.6%
vs nation
47th percentile
Per Capita#1,035
$38,408
-6.9%
vs nation
68th percentile
Poverty#1,169
11.6%
-7.7%
vs nation
64th percentile
Unemployment#2,910
7.7%
+44.4%
vs nation
10th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Wasco County is $367,400 (+30.3% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,008/mo and the homeownership rate is 67.5%.

Home Value#370
$367,400
+30.3%
vs nation
89th percentile
Rent#969
$1,008
-13.3%
vs nation
70th percentile
Homeownership#2,533
67.5%
+4.8%
vs nation
21th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Wasco County, 22.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 33.4% below the national average, ranking #1,587 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
22.4% −33.4% vs nation
Rank #1,587 of 3,222
51th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Wasco County is 75.2 years. 18.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.3% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#1,548
75.2
+0.1%
vs nation
50th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,533
18.7%
-4.4%
vs nation
51th percentile
Diabetes#922
9.6%
-13.8%
vs nation
71th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#213
31.0%
-16.9%
vs nation
93th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#2,415
6.1
+7.4%
vs nation
23th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#2,123
4.7
+6.1%
vs nation
33th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,774
10.3%
-1.3%
vs nation
44th percentile
Physical Inactivity#526
21.4%
-18.9%
vs nation
83th percentile
Food Insecurity#1,409
13.7%
-4.9%
vs nation
55th percentile

Substance Use

14.3% of adults in Wasco County smoke , 32.9% are obese , and 21.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 35.1 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#508
14.3%
-20.4%
vs nation
84th percentile
Adult Obesity#432
32.9%
-13.2%
vs nation
86th percentile
Excessive Drinking#2,009
21.0%
+5.8%
vs nation
36th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,405
35.1
+8.7%
vs nation
34th percentile

Safety

The suicide rate is 24.8 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 14.0 per 100,000.

Suicide Rate#2,062
24.8
+25.8%
vs nation
19th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#1,449
18.1
+1.0%
vs nation
41th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#823
14.0
-30.8%
vs nation
71th percentile

Families & Children

18.3% of children in Wasco County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 18.4 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Teen Birth Rate#1,301
18.4
-16.0%
vs nation
57th percentile
Child Poverty#1,647
18.3%
-3.6%
vs nation
48th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Wasco County is 75.4%. The mean commute time is 20.9 min, which is 24.4% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
75.4% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
20.9 min −24.4% vs nation
Rank #2,720 of 3,222
16th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Wasco County voted Republican with a margin of 5.7%. The vote was 45.5% Dem / 51.2% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.6 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +5.7%
45.5% 51.2%
Dem 13,185 votes Rep
2020 REP +3.1%
46.7% 49.8%
Dem 14,130 votes Rep
2016 REP +9.6%
41.2% 50.8%
Dem 11,251 votes Rep
2012 REP +0.8%
48% 48.8%
Dem 10,550 votes Rep
2008 DEM +7.1%
51.9% 44.8%
Dem 11,380 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Wasco County, Oregon

Wasco County, Oregon has a total population of 26,552, making it the 1,594th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Wasco County is 41.0 years, which is 5.4% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Wasco County is $64,175, which ranks #1,692 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 14.6% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 11.6%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 7.7%.

The median home value in Wasco County is $367,400, 30.3% above the national median. Renters in Wasco County pay a median gross rent of $1,008 per month. The homeownership rate is 67.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Wasco County, 22.4% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 33.4% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.5% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 20.9 min.

Wasco County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 70.8% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (20.6%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).

All data for Wasco County, Oregon comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.