City · Hood River County, Oregon

Hood River, Oregon

Hood River is a city in Hood River County, Oregon, part of the Hood River, OR metro area. It has 8,361 residents. Hood River, Oregon has a quality-of-life score of 88 out of 100 (very high), ranking #1,946 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Oregon it ranks #14 of 227 cities and towns. It ranks best on primary care physicians (high), dentists (high) and public EV charging ports (high). It ranks worst on home price to income ratio (high), child care cost burden (high) and pharmacies (low).

88Very high

Quality-of-life score: #1,946 of 15,651 cities and towns
Oregon: #14 of 227 in OR
Population: 8,361 (2020-2024)
Land area: 3 mi²
Density: 3,193.2 /mi²
FIPS code: 4134900

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 71 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety70#4,645/15,637
Economy46#8,410/15,631
Housing22#11,678/14,977
Health76#3,817/15,609
Healthcare70#4,633/15,650
Environment96#674/15,453
Education72#4,359/15,649
Infrastructure88#1,897/15,650
Community99#104/15,651
Leisure & amenities99#95/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Hood River, Oregon ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Hood River County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Primary care physicians · high220 /100k
100/100Oregon 95 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHood River County value
Dentists · high135 /100k
99/100Oregon 86 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHood River County value
Public EV charging ports · high35.0 /10k
99/100Oregon 10.1 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyHood River County value
Restaurants and bars · high20.7 /10k
99/100Oregon 12.4 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHood River County value
Gyms and fitness centers · high2.5 /10k
98/100Oregon 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHood River County value
Preventable hospital stays · low1,502 /100k
96/100Oregon 1,868 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHood River County value

Weaknesses

Home price to income ratio · high8.0×
4/100Oregon 5.8×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Child care cost burden · high40.4%
8/100Oregon 33.0%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteHood River County value
Pharmacies · low0.8 /10k
9/100Oregon 0.9 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsHood River County value
Mental health care shortage · high18.0
11/100Oregon 12.5United States 9.9Oct 2026Health Resources and Services AdministrationHood River County value
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.486
12/100Oregon 0.463United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Rent-burdened households · high52.9%
24/100Oregon 52.5%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
7,715 (2015-2019) → 8,361 (2020-2024)
+8.4%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Bachelor's degree or higherImproving
41.2% (2015-2019) → 54.2% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Child poverty rateWorsening
1.5% (2015-2019) → 14.1% (2020-2024)
+13 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
New homes permittedWorsening
2.9 /1k (2021) → 1.3 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−55%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
42.9% (2015-2019) → 52.9% (2020-2024)
+10 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
81.2% (2015-2019) → 90.6% (2020-2024)
+9.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Hood River, Oregon improved on 3 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 6 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved3

Bachelor's++13 points41.2% → 54.2%
Household income+41%$60,542 → $85,647
Broadband+9.4 points81.2% → 90.6%

Declined3

Price / income+2.1×5.9× → 8.0×
Inequality+0.0570.429 → 0.486
Poverty+4.6 points6.2% → 10.8%

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Hood River, Oregon between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	20.2 min2015-2019	16.5 min2020-2024	−3.8 min	Within the margin of error	84%
Bachelor's degree or higher	41.2%2015-2019	54.2%2020-2024	+13 points	Improved	95%
Broadband subscriptions	81.2%2015-2019	90.6%2020-2024	+9.4 points	Improved	57%
Effective property tax rate	0.73%2015-2019	0.68%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	25%
High school diploma or higher	87.5%2015-2019	89.7%2020-2024	+2.2 points	Within the margin of error	61%
Home price to income ratio	5.9×2015-2019	8.0×2020-2024	+2.1×	Declined	4%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4292015-2019	0.4862020-2024	+0.057	Declined	14%
Median household income	$60,5422015-2019	$85,6472020-2024	+41%	Improved	76%
Poverty rate	6.2%2015-2019	10.8%2020-2024	+4.6 points	Declined	14%
Rent as share of income	27.9%2015-2019	31.2%2020-2024	+3.3 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Rent-burdened households	42.9%2015-2019	52.9%2020-2024	+10 points	Within the margin of error	24%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.3%2015-2019	10.0%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	29%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Hood River, Oregon five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Hood River, Oregon in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Hood River, Oregon itself moved −5.2 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

8,361 residents (±24)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

3,569 households (±199)

Hood River, Oregon
Oregon share

Under $25k15%†550
$25k–50k14%†505
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

3,569 households (±199)

Hood River, Oregon
Oregon share

Own53%1,889
Rent47%1,680

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

4,244 workers (±278)

Hood River, Oregon
Oregon share

Drive alone54%2,282
Carpool5.4%†230
Public transit1.4%†58

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Hood River, OR

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Hood River County, the county holding most of Hood River's residents.

Hood River County has 1,068 employer establishments, 449 for every 10,000 residents (1.81× the US rate of 248; 1.56× Oregon's), with 11,320 paid employees at an average annual pay of $48,699. The Census Bureau also counts 2,423 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,068; 2,423 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 449; US 248 · Oregon 288
Paid employees: 11,320
Average annual pay: $48,699; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Hood River County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Ambulatory health care services	87	36.5	1.75×More than typical	756	$72,602	190
Restaurants and other eating places	85	35.7	1.94×More than typical	1,218	$28,100	14
Specialty trade contractors	71	29.8	1.93×More than typical	419	$57,869	108
Lessors of real estate	47	19.7	1.60×More than typical	100	$44,660	330
Construction of buildings	46	19.3	2.56×More than typical	186	$50,489	94
Full-service restaurants	36	15.1	1.97×More than typical	581	$32,021	3
Legal services	31	13	2.42×More than typical	62	$61,129	17
Offices of physicians	31	13	2.01×More than typical	223	$57,552	45
Offices of other health practitioners	30	12.6	2.07×More than typical	82	$46,390	111
Limited-service restaurants	29	12.2	1.52×More than typical	438	$24,128	7
Management, scientific and technical consulting	29	12.2	1.82×More than typical	54	$64,000	137
Services to buildings and dwellings	27	11.3	1.68×More than typical	133	$29,474	104

Rank places for an industry Open Hood River County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 23,809 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $226.3K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Hood River, Oregon: $27.07 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $226.3K; +68% vs FY2025
Per resident: $27.07; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.7%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Federal Highway Administration$175.9K78%
Bureau of Reclamation$24.2K11%
Forest Service$11.9K5.2%
Federal Acquisition Service$10.2K4.5%
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service$1,7360.8%
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration$1,5570.7%
Agricultural Research Service$8870.4%

Top recipients

JAL CONSTRUCTION, INC.$109.6K48%
CRESTLINE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, L.L.C.$61.1K27%
INTER-FLUVE, INC.$24.2K11%
ALLSTEEL LLC$10.2K4.5%
JAMES DEAN CONSTRUCTION INC$7,5073.3%

Spending by fiscal year

476.3KFY2017
78.3KFY2018
286.2KFY2019
189.1KFY2020
119.4KFY2021
459.7KFY2022
103KFY2023
295.4K

Top industries (NAICS)

Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$178.2K79%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$31.8K14%
Office furniture (including fixtures) manufacturing · 3372$10.2K4.5%
Motion picture and video industries · 5121$1,7360.8%
Architectural and structural metals manufacturing · 3323$1,5570.7%
Electrical equipment manufacturing · 3353

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Hood River, Oregon, so they do not add up across cities.

Hood River, Oregon's figures are part of those of Hood River County, OR ($36.4M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.6% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Hood River is mostly in Hood River County.

See federal money in Hood River County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Hood River, Oregon is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Maxine DexterD-OR-3 · 100% of residentsWith party 100%Missed 1.2%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Hood River County91100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Hood River, OR96

Other cities and towns in Hood River County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/4134900

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends