Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety54#427/924
Economy55#419/925
Housing56#403/925
Health51#458/925
Healthcare48#478/923
Environment41#546/917
Education9#840/925
Infrastructure68#293/925
Community21#731/925
Leisure & amenities32#628/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Hermiston-Pendleton, OR micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Job growth · high3.9%
98/100Oregon -1.3%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional data
Public libraries · high1.7 /10k
93/100Oregon 0.5 /10kUnited States 0.5 /10k2024Institute of Museum and Library ServicesAggregated from counties
Mental health providers · high590 /100k
92/100Oregon 776 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · low1,850 /100k
88/100Oregon 1,868 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.422
87/100Oregon 0.463United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Public EV charging ports · high9.7 /10k
84/100Oregon 10.1 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Pharmacies · low0.4 /10k
1/100Oregon 0.9 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Drought exposure · high94%
6/100Oregon 56%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAAggregated from counties
High school diploma or higher · low83.2%
10/100Oregon 91.8%United States 89.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Unemployment rate · high5.5%
11/100Oregon 5.2%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year
Bachelor's degree or higher · low17.3%
12/100Oregon 36.8%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Flu vaccinations · low32.6%
13/100Oregon 39.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

High ozone daysImproving
8 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Homicide rateImproving
7.4 /100k (2020) → 2.3 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−70%6 yearsUS 7.4 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Drought exposureWorsening
81% (2021) → 94% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+13 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Child poverty rateImproving
25.5% (2015-2019) → 13.6% (2020-2024)
−12 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
New business applicationsImproving
6.3 /1k (2020) → 9.9 /1k (2025)
+57%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Child care cost burdenWorsening
20.6% (2020 & 2021) → 29.1% (2023 & 2024)
+8.5 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%

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, Hermiston-Pendleton, OR micropolitan area improved on 14 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 4. 7 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved14

Poverty−5.4 points17.4% → 12.0%
Child poverty−12 points25.5% → 13.6%
Real income+40%$41,464 → $58,187
Weekly wage+30%$915 → $1,192
Arts & recreation+31%2.0 /10k → 2.6 /10k

Declined4

Overdose deaths+54%13.0 /100k → 20.0 /100k
Pharmacies−34%0.7 /10k → 0.4 /10k
Price / income+1.0×3.0× → 4.0×
Grocery stores−8.3%1.6 /10k → 1.5 /10k

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of Hermiston-Pendleton, OR micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.0 /10k2020	2.6 /10k2025	+31%	Improved	88%
Average commute time	18.9 min2015-2019	19.7 min2020-2024	+0.8 min	Within the margin of error	36%
Average weekly wage	$9152020	$1,1922025	+30%	Improved	94%
Bachelor's degree or higher	16.2%2015-2019	17.3%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	18%
Broadband subscriptions	79.5%2015-2019	87.3%2020-2024	+7.8 points	Improved	36%
Child poverty rate	25.5%2015-2019	13.6%2020-2024	−12 points	Improved	97%
Distance to an airport	38 mi2020	38 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	17%
Drug overdose deaths	13.0 /100k2020	20.0 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+54%	Declined	8%
Effective property tax rate	1.07%2015-2019	0.77%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	90%
Firearm deaths	21.4 /100k2020	16.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−25%	Improved	87%
Grocery stores	1.6 /10k2020	1.5 /10k2025	−8.3%	Declined	27%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.7 /10k2020	0.6 /10k2025	−1.7%	Little change	36%
High school diploma or higher	81.6%2015-2019	83.2%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Home price to income ratio	3.0×2015-2019	4.0×2020-2024	+1.0×	Declined	12%
Homicide rate	7.4 /100k2020	2.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−70%	Improved	89%
Income adjusted for local prices	$41,4642019	$58,1872024	+40%	Improved	91%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4282015-2019	0.4222020-2024	−0.005	Within the margin of error	71%
Median household income	$54,6452015-2019	$68,4272020-2024	+25%	Improved	41%
New business applications	6.3 /1k2020	9.9 /1k2025	+57%	Improved	66%
Pharmacies	0.7 /10k2020	0.4 /10k2025	−34%	Declined	5%
Poverty rate	17.4%2015-2019	12.0%2020-2024	−5.4 points	Improved	97%
Property crime rate	2,032 /100k2020	1,475 /100k2025	−27%	Improved	36%
Public libraries	1.8 /10k2019	1.7 /10k2024	−4.3%	Little change	27%
Rent as share of income	26.6%2015-2019	26.1%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	68%
Rent-burdened households	42.0%2015-2019	42.9%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	51%
Restaurants and bars	8.8 /10k2020	8.6 /10k2025	−1.7%	Little change	37%
Traffic deaths	18.1 /100k2015-2019	16.2 /100k2020-2024	−10%	Improved	77%
Unemployment rate	7.0%2020	5.5%2025	−1.5 points	Improved	11%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.9%2015-2019	8.4%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Within the margin of error	59%
Violent crime rate	250 /100k2020	223 /100k2025	−11%	Improved	42%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Hermiston-Pendleton, OR micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Hermiston-Pendleton, OR micropolitan area 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, Hermiston-Pendleton, OR micropolitan area itself moved +2.3 points in standing on average over the same 29 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

92,240 residents

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

33,033 households (±454)

Hermiston-Pendleton, OR micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k16%5,170
$25k–50k20%6,445
$50k–75k19%6,284

Homes

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

Owners and renters

33,033 households (±454)

Hermiston-Pendleton, OR micropolitan area
United States share

Own68%22,600
Rent32%10,433

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

39,634 workers (±972)

Hermiston-Pendleton, OR micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone76%30,115
Carpool13%4,979
Public transit0.5%†198

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 no occupation wages for Hermiston-Pendleton, OR micropolitan area.

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.

Hermiston-Pendleton, OR has 1,830 employer establishments, 198 for every 10,000 residents (0.80× the US rate of 248), with 27,461 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,683. The Census Bureau also counts 4,302 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,830; 4,302 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 198; US 248
Paid employees: 27,461
Average annual pay: $51,683; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Hermiston-Pendleton, OR by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	151	16.3	0.89×About typical	2,121	$22,605	21
Specialty trade contractors	131	14.2	0.91×About typical	878	$70,352	200
Ambulatory health care services	118	12.8	0.61×Fewer than typical	1,124	$67,913	156
Lessors of real estate	90	9.7	0.79×Fewer than typical	245	$36,902	470
Full-service restaurants	75	8.1	1.06×About typical	750	$26,219	6
Construction of buildings	74	8	1.06×About typical	316	$48,655	129
Truck transportation	71	7.7	1.52×More than typical	862	$78,400	201
Religious organizations	54	5.8	1.05×About typical	212	$20,255	—
Limited-service restaurants	52	5.6	0.70×Fewer than typical	1,136	$21,007	13
Automotive repair and maintenance	46	5	0.99×About typical	261	$45,544	79
Services to buildings and dwellings	44	4.8	0.71×Fewer than typical	203	$29,764	232
Other specialty trade contractors	43	4.6	1.85×More than typical	316	$74,237	98

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 92,500 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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $220.8M on contracts performed in Hermiston-Pendleton, OR micropolitan area: $2,356 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $220.8M; +23% vs FY2025
Per resident: $2,356; US $1,994
Sole-source: 14%; US 30%
Single offer: 35%; 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

Department of the Army$111M50%
Forest Service$84.7M38%
Department of State$14.7M6.7%
Agricultural Marketing Service$2.5M1.1%
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Acquisition and Property Management Division$2.3M1.1%
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$2.3M1.0%
Federal Bureau of Investigation$1.1M0.5%
Agricultural Research Service$934.6K0.4%

Top recipients

GE RENEWABLES US LLC$67.6M31%
KNIGHT CONST. & SUPPLY, INC$29.5M13%
CAYUSE NATIVE HAWAIIAN VETERANS, LLC$8.4M3.8%
CAYUSE FEDERAL SERVICES LLC$8M3.6%
CAYUSE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC$7.4M3.3%

Spending by fiscal year

30.2MFY2017
27.4MFY2018
61.9MFY2019
28.2MFY2020
92MFY2021
95.9MFY2022
116.5MFY2023
134.6M

Top industries (NAICS)

Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$96.8M44%
Support activities for forestry · 1153$58.3M26%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$18.7M8.5%
Special food services · 7223$9.2M4.2%
Other ambulatory health care services · 6219$5.6M2.6%
Building equipment contractors · 2382

Largest awards

REPLACEMENT OF MAIN UNIT GENERATOR TURBINE RUNNERS IN UNITS 1-14 AT MCNARY DAM POWERHOUSE, UMATILLA, OREGON, INCLUDING REWIND OF 3 MAIN UNIT GENERATORS.$159.3M
GE RENEWABLES US LLC· Umatilla County, OR· Construction & real property· Mar 21, 2018 – May 7, 2026· W912EF18C0001
DESIGN ENGINEERING & INTEGRATION SERVICES (DEIS)$86.4M
CAYUSE TECHNOLOGIES, LLC· Umatilla County, OR· Professional services· Jul 1, 2021 – Aug 28, 2026· 19AQMM21C0104
MCNARY INTAKE GATES AND ISOPHSE BUS SYSTEMS$83.2M
KNIGHT CONST. & SUPPLY, INC· Umatilla County, OR· Construction & real property· Apr 18, 2022 – Jun 4, 2026· W912EF22C0004
MCNARY EXCITERS, GOVERNORS, AND POWERHOUSE CONTROLS UPGRADES

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $560.2M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Hermiston-Pendleton, OR micropolitan area: $5,977 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $560.2M; −6.5% vs FY2025
Per resident: $5,977; US $12,955
Loan face value: $32.7M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 4.7%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$307.3M55%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$53.7M9.6%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$43.5M7.8%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$27.5M4.9%
57.001 · Social Insurance for Railroad Workers$16.3M2.9%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$15.5M2.8%
15.022 · Tribal Self-Governance$12.6M2.3%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$11.8M2.1%

Top recipients (organizations)

CONFEDERATED TRIBES OF THE UMATILLA INDIAN RESERVATION$19.5M3.5%
PENDLETON, OR
OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$8.8M1.6%
SALEM, OR
UMATILLA MORROW HEAD START, INC.$5.8M1.0%
HERMISTON, OR
BOUTIQUE AIR, INC.$4.7M0.8%
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
BLUE MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$393.8M70%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$61.2M11%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Farm Service Agency$20.7M3.7%
Department of Agriculture
Railroad Retirement Board$16.3M2.9%
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$12.8M

Assistance by fiscal year

534.2MFY2021
570.8MFY2022
571.4MFY2023
595MFY2024
599.1MFY2025
560.2MFY2026

County aggregates

84%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Hermiston-Pendleton, OR

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Oregon

Areas based in Oregon, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M25840

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved14

Declined4

Metro and micro areas like Hermiston-Pendleton, OR micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Hermiston-Pendleton, OR

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Oregon

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved14

Declined4

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought