Scores by category

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

Safety35#597/924
Economy32#631/925
Housing72#256/925
Health49#474/925
Healthcare39#562/923
Environment4#882/917
Education7#857/925
Infrastructure39#564/925
Community7#860/925
Leisure & amenities30#644/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Preventable hospital stays · low1,529 /100k
94/100Oregon 1,868 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · low37.0%
93/100Oregon 52.5%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Rent as share of income · low25.1%
90/100Oregon 31.3%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.422
86/100Oregon 0.463United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Effective property tax rate · low0.50%
85/100Oregon 0.81%United States 0.94%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25090
Homicide rate · low1.6 /100k
85/100Oregon 3.2 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Income adjusted for local prices · low$50,208
4/100Oregon $68,520United States $73,2042024U.S. Bureau of Economic AnalysisEstimated from related areas or data (see the source notes)Aggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · high186 mi
4/100Oregon 24 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Arts, entertainment and recreation · low1.8 /10k
7/100Oregon 5.9 /10kUnited States 5.5 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Bachelor's degree or higher · low16.2%
7/100Oregon 36.8%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Social associations · low6.4 /10k
9/100Oregon 9.7 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Primary care physicians · low34 /100k
9/100Oregon 95 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Trends

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

Drought exposureImproving
92% (2021) → 43% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−49 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.2 /10k (2020) → 0.5 /10k (2025)
+186%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Access to exercise opportunitiesImproving
41.9% (2010 & 2021) → 56.3% (2022 & 2024)
+14 pts3 yearsUS 79.8% → 84.5%
Homicide rateImproving
3.6 /100k (2021) → 1.6 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−57%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
76.6% (2015-2019) → 87.3% (2020-2024)
+11 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
3.3× (2015-2019) → 4.9× (2020-2024)
+51%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×

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, Ontario, OR-ID micropolitan area improved on 15 of 29 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 6 moved within the margin of error and 3 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.

Improved15

Gyms+186%0.2 /10k → 0.5 /10k
Pharmacies+27%1.0 /10k → 1.3 /10k
Uninsured−3.5 points13.3% → 9.8%
Poverty−3.9 points17.9% → 14.0%
Arts & recreation+31%1.4 /10k → 1.8 /10k

Declined5

Price / income+1.7×3.3× → 4.9×
Libraries−8.8%1.1 /10k → 1.0 /10k
Traffic deaths+37%19.7 /100k → 26.9 /100k
Overdose deaths+9%13.0 /100k → 14.1 /100k
Grocery stores−13%2.1 /10k → 1.8 /10k

All 29 measures

Change of every measure of Ontario, OR-ID micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	1.4 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	+31%	Improved	87%
Average commute time	19.2 min2015-2019	21.1 min2020-2024	+1.9 min	Within the margin of error	14%
Average weekly wage	$7752020	$9952025	+28%	Improved	87%
Bachelor's degree or higher	14.6%2015-2019	16.2%2020-2024	+1.6 points	Within the margin of error	24%
Broadband subscriptions	76.6%2015-2019	87.3%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	68%
Child poverty rate	24.3%2015-2019	18.2%2020-2024	−6 points	Improved	83%
Distance to an airport	49 mi2020	49 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	92%
Drug overdose deaths	13.0 /100k2020	14.1 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+9%	Declined	22%
Effective property tax rate	0.71%2015-2019	0.50%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	76%
Firearm deaths	20.5 /100k2020	16.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−21%	Improved	83%
Grocery stores	2.1 /10k2020	1.8 /10k2025	−13%	Declined	20%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.2 /10k2020	0.5 /10k2025	+186%	Improved	98%
High school diploma or higher	83.1%2015-2019	84.9%2020-2024	+1.8 points	Within the margin of error	53%
Home price to income ratio	3.3×2015-2019	4.9×2020-2024	+1.7×	Declined	1%
Homicide rate	3.2 /100k2020	1.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−51%	Improved	79%
Income adjusted for local prices	$38,0462019	$50,2082024	+32%	Improved	54%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4442015-2019	0.4222020-2024	−0.021	Within the margin of error	91%
Median household income	$46,9362015-2019	$62,5682020-2024	+33%	Improved	80%
New business applications	7.5 /1k2020	10.3 /1k2025	+37%	Improved	36%
Pharmacies	1.0 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	+27%	Improved	96%
Poverty rate	17.9%2015-2019	14.0%2020-2024	−3.9 points	Improved	93%
Public libraries	1.1 /10k2019	1.0 /10k2024	−8.8%	Declined	13%
Rent as share of income	26.7%2015-2019	25.1%2020-2024	−1.6 points	Within the margin of error	83%
Rent-burdened households	41.9%2015-2019	37.0%2020-2024	−4.8 points	Within the margin of error	88%
Restaurants and bars	9.1 /10k2020	8.7 /10k2025	−4.8%	Little change	26%
Suicide rate	24.8 /100k2020	21.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−12%	Improved	80%
Traffic deaths	19.7 /100k2015-2019	26.9 /100k2020-2024	+37%	Declined	12%
Unemployment rate	5.5%2020	4.5%2025	−1 points	Improved	5%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	13.3%2015-2019	9.8%2020-2024	−3.5 points	Improved	95%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 786 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; 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 Ontario, OR-ID micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Ontario, OR-ID 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, Ontario, OR-ID micropolitan area itself moved +2.6 points in standing on average over the same 28 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

58,725 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

19,984 households (±333)

Ontario, OR-ID micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k17%3,381
$25k–50k24%4,833
$50k–75k19%3,784

Homes

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

Owners and renters

19,984 households (±333)

Ontario, OR-ID micropolitan area
United States share

Own69%13,728
Rent31%6,256

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+3.7 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

22,963 workers (±723)

Ontario, OR-ID micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone80%18,258
Carpool9.3%2,141
Public transit0.1%†21

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 Ontario, OR-ID 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.

Ontario, OR-ID has 1,337 employer establishments, 225 for every 10,000 residents (0.90× the US rate of 248), with 15,786 paid employees at an average annual pay of $47,203. The Census Bureau also counts 3,427 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,337; 3,427 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 225; US 248
Paid employees: 15,786
Average annual pay: $47,203; US $68,342

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

Ambulatory health care services	109	18.3	0.88×About typical	1,260	$58,392	96
Restaurants and other eating places	103	17.3	0.94×About typical	1,421	$19,647	10
Specialty trade contractors	100	16.8	1.08×About typical	480	$56,423	296
Lessors of real estate	71	11.9	0.97×About typical	116	$34,397	362
Construction of buildings	52	8.7	1.16×About typical	166	$43,994	117
Full-service restaurants	44	7.4	0.96×About typical	540	$20,976	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	39	6.6	1.30×More than typical	178	$38,230	80
Truck transportation	39	6.6	1.30×More than typical	286	$78,269	139
Services to buildings and dwellings	38	6.4	0.95×About typical	442	$58,898	197
Limited-service restaurants	35	5.9	0.73×Fewer than typical	662	$18,713	3
Religious organizations	35	5.9	1.06×About typical	145	$20,310	—
Real estate agents and brokers	33	5.5	1.14×About typical	38	$32,026	51

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 59,540 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 $17M on contracts performed in Ontario, OR-ID micropolitan area: $283 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $17M; +52% vs FY2025
Per resident: $283; US $1,994
Sole-source: 1.7%; US 30%
Single offer: 42%; 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

Forest Service$6.4M38%
Bureau of Land Management$4.9M29%
Agricultural Marketing Service$2.2M13%
Federal Highway Administration$1.5M8.7%
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration$1.3M7.6%
Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services$367.8K2.2%
Federal Acquisition Service$205.8K1.2%
Departmental Offices$205.7K1.2%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

11.9MFY2017
9.7MFY2018
10.8MFY2019
9.4MFY2020
8.3MFY2021
11.2MFY2022
11.3MFY2023
21.7M

Top industries (NAICS)

Support activities for forestry · 1153$4.5M27%
Special food services · 7223$3.3M20%
Fruit and vegetable preserving and specialty food manufacturing · 3114$2.2M13%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$2M12%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$1.5M8.8%
Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$1.5M

Largest awards

AE DESIGN SERVICES FOR PREDESIGN, SCHEMATIC DESIGN, DESIGN DEVELOPMENT, CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS, AND SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICES FOR THE REHABILITATE BARNES POINT WASTEWATER TREATMENT SYSTEMS PROJECT AT OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK, WASHINGTON, OLYM 285331$2.5M
HOLLADAY ENGINEERING COMPANY· Payette County, ID· Construction & real property· Jun 17, 2024 – Mar 23, 2026· 140P2024F0220
BISHOP SERVICES, INC. ORVAD260201 E85$2.1M
BISHOP SERVICES, INC.· Malheur County, OR· Facilities & utilities· Jul 31, 2026 – Sep 1, 2026· 1202SC26M0868
ESR FENCE REPAIR & INSTALL_VALE DISTRICT, OR$1.9M
GLOBAL ENGINEERING SERVICES INC· Malheur County, OR· Construction & real property· Sep 5, 2025 – Jul 29, 2026· 140L4325C0005

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 $366.3M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Ontario, OR-ID micropolitan area: $6,096 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $366.3M; −16% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,096; US $12,955
Loan face value: $18.3M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 4.7%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$219.1M60%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$32M8.7%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$31.3M8.5%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$18.4M5.0%
20.287 · Surface Transportation Block Grant Program$18M4.9%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$12.4M3.4%
93.600 · Head Start$10.9M3.0%
10.991 · Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers$7.2M2.0%

Top recipients (organizations)

TRANSPORTATION, IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF$20.2M5.5%
GARDEN CITY, ID
WESTERN IDAHO COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP, INC$8.6M2.3%
PAYETTE, ID
VALLEY FAMILY HEALTH CARE INC$4.6M1.2%
PAYETTE, ID
TREASURE VALLEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE$4.2M1.2%
ONTARIO, OR
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF MALHEUR COUNTY

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$281.9M77%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$35.5M9.7%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Farm Service Agency$12.9M3.5%
Department of Agriculture
Administration for Children and Families$10.9M3.0%
Department of Health and Human Services
Health Resources and Services Administration

Assistance by fiscal year

337.9MFY2021
351.8MFY2022
347.5MFY2023
351.3MFY2024
433.9MFY2025
366.3MFY2026

County aggregates

87%

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 Ontario, OR-ID

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

States

The share of the area's residents living in each state.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

OntarioPrincipal city11,842

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
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M36620

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved15

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Ontario, OR-ID 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 Ontario, OR-ID

States

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

Improved15

Declined5

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