Scores by category

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

Safety31#637/924
Economy41#548/925
Housing34#613/925
Health26#682/925
Healthcare70#276/923
Environment91#81/917
Education29#660/925
Infrastructure83#162/925
Community70#274/925
Leisure & amenities91#82/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Mental health providers · high785 /100k
97/100Oregon 776 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · low1,401 /100k
97/100Oregon 1,868 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Restaurants and bars · high14.4 /10k
94/100Oregon 12.4 /10kUnited States 9.0 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Median Air Quality Index · low25
94/100Oregon 352025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Primary care physicians · high105 /100k
93/100Oregon 95 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Public EV charging ports · high11.8 /10k
88/100Oregon 10.1 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Drug overdose deaths · high53.2 /100k
1/100Oregon 19.7 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Traffic deaths · high39.2 /100k
2/100Oregon 13.3 /100kUnited States 12.3 /100k2020-2024National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationAggregated from counties
Flu vaccinations · low29.0%
6/100Oregon 39.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Pharmacies · low0.8 /10k
7/100Oregon 0.9 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · high5.7×
8/100Oregon 5.8×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Income inequality (Gini index) · high0.488
11/100Oregon 0.463United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083

Trends

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

Drought exposureImproving
89% (2021) → 48% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−41 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Gyms and fitness centersImproving
0.4 /10k (2020) → 1.1 /10k (2025)
+203%5 yearsUS 1.2 /10k → 1.3 /10k
High ozone daysImproving
3 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
New business applicationsImproving
6.3 /1k (2020) → 12.4 /1k (2025)
+97%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Premature deathWorsening
7,082 /100k (2018-2020) → 11,372 /100k (2021-2023)
+61%3 yearsUS 7,282 /100k → 8,123 /100k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
78.6% (2015-2019) → 89.4% (2020-2024)
+11 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, The Dalles, OR micropolitan area improved on 11 of 30 measures with a comparison and declined on 8. 7 moved within the margin of error and 4 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.

Improved11

Gyms+203%0.4 /10k → 1.1 /10k
New businesses+97%6.3 /1k → 12.4 /1k
Real income+41%$44,023 → $61,881
Restaurants+16%12.4 /10k → 14.4 /10k
Weekly wage+28%$879 → $1,125

Declined8

Overdose deaths+220%16.6 /100k → 53.2 /100k
Inequality+0.0740.414 → 0.488
Libraries−25%1.5 /10k → 1.1 /10k
Price / income+1.7×4.0× → 5.7×
Rent burden+9.9 points36.4% → 46.2%

All 30 measures

Change of every measure of The Dalles, OR micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	6.8 /10k2020	5.3 /10k2025	−21%	Declined	5%
Average commute time	18.2 min2015-2019	18.9 min2020-2024	+0.7 min	Within the margin of error	40%
Average weekly wage	$8792020	$1,1252025	+28%	Improved	85%
Bachelor's degree or higher	19.6%2015-2019	22.4%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Broadband subscriptions	78.6%2015-2019	89.4%2020-2024	+11 points	Improved	69%
Child poverty rate	15.4%2015-2019	12.3%2020-2024	−3.1 points	Within the margin of error	59%
Distance to an airport	67 mi2020	67 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	16.6 /100k2020	53.2 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+220%	Declined	1%
Effective property tax rate	1.03%2015-2019	0.77%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	84%
Firearm deaths	16.1 /100k2020	15.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−3.7%	Little change	56%
Grocery stores	2.3 /10k2020	2.3 /10k2025	+1.2%	Little change	56%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.4 /10k2020	1.1 /10k2025	+203%	Improved	99%
High school diploma or higher	86.4%2015-2019	86.2%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	5%
Home price to income ratio	4.0×2015-2019	5.7×2020-2024	+1.7×	Declined	1%
Income adjusted for local prices	$44,0232019	$61,8812024	+41%	Improved	91%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4142015-2019	0.4882020-2024	+0.074	Declined	0%
Median household income	$53,1052015-2019	$64,1752020-2024	+21%	Improved	17%
New business applications	6.3 /1k2020	12.4 /1k2025	+97%	Improved	94%
Pharmacies	1.1 /10k2020	0.8 /10k2025	−33%	Declined	7%
Poverty rate	11.6%2015-2019	11.6%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	25%
Property crime rate	2,924 /100k2020	1,978 /100k2025	−32%	Improved	47%
Public libraries	1.5 /10k2019	1.1 /10k2024	−25%	Declined	2%
Rent as share of income	24.6%2015-2019	28.3%2020-2024	+3.7 points	Within the margin of error	6%
Rent-burdened households	36.4%2015-2019	46.2%2020-2024	+9.9 points	Declined	4%
Restaurants and bars	12.4 /10k2020	14.4 /10k2025	+16%	Improved	89%
Suicide rate	21.4 /100k2020	19.3 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−9.8%	Improved	78%
Traffic deaths	26.1 /100k2015-2019	39.2 /100k2020-2024	+50%	Declined	6%
Unemployment rate	7.3%2020	5.1%2025	−2.2 points	Improved	28%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	9.5%2015-2019	10.7%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	17%
Violent crime rate	307 /100k2020	242 /100k2025	−21%	Improved	59%

“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 The Dalles, OR micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of The Dalles, 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, The Dalles, OR micropolitan area itself moved −6.3 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

26,552 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

10,563 households (±236)

The Dalles, OR micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k16%1,714
$25k–50k22%2,346
$50k–75k20%2,160

Homes

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

Owners and renters

10,563 households (±236)

The Dalles, OR micropolitan area
United States share

Own68%7,131
Rent32%3,432

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+5.3 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

11,593 workers (±491)

The Dalles, OR micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone74%8,540
Carpool9.7%1,120
Public transit0.5%†59

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 The Dalles, 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.

The Dalles, OR has 735 employer establishments, 279 for every 10,000 residents (1.12× the US rate of 248), with 7,679 paid employees at an average annual pay of $51,338. The Census Bureau also counts 1,629 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 735; 1,629 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 279; US 248
Paid employees: 7,679
Average annual pay: $51,338; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of The Dalles, OR by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	59	22.4	1.22×About typical	856	$25,043	7
Ambulatory health care services	51	19.4	0.93×About typical	467	$75,687	88
Specialty trade contractors	45	17.1	1.10×About typical	250	$64,928	96
Lessors of real estate	40	15.2	1.23×About typical	69	$36,493	201
Full-service restaurants	29	11	1.43×More than typical	314	$27,344	3
Construction of buildings	27	10.3	1.36×More than typical	80	$46,200	73
Religious organizations	24	9.1	1.64×More than typical	99	$22,990	—
Limited-service restaurants	23	8.7	1.09×About typical	463	$23,849	—
Services to buildings and dwellings	23	8.7	1.30×More than typical	60	$27,900	104
Offices of other health practitioners	22	8.4	1.38×More than typical	67	$55,104	46
Automotive repair and maintenance	20	7.6	1.51×More than typical	95	$44,168	23
Building equipment contractors	20	7.6	1.26×More than typical	99	$69,859	14

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 26,327 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 $5.2M on contracts performed in The Dalles, OR micropolitan area: $197 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $5.2M; −46% vs FY2025
Per resident: $197; US $1,994
Sole-source: 3.6%; US 30%
Single offer: 2.1%; 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$2.7M53%
Forest Service$2.3M45%
Department of Veterans Affairs$100.9K1.9%
Departmental Offices$19.5K0.4%
Department of the Navy$16.1K0.3%
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education$5980.0%

Top recipients

MERITUS SOLUTIONS GROUP LLC$2.3M44%
JAMES DEAN CONSTRUCTION INC$766.6K15%
SPROUT FORESTRY INCORPORATED$491.1K9.5%
THREE STRIPES CONTRACTING LLC$303.3K5.9%
RIDGE2RIVER CONSTRUCTION LLC$289K5.6%

Spending by fiscal year

15MFY2017
24.2MFY2018
38.9MFY2019
6.6MFY2020
14.8MFY2021
10.3MFY2022
15.7MFY2023
4.5M

Top industries (NAICS)

Investigation and security services · 5616$2.4M46%
Support activities for forestry · 1153$1.1M22%
Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$1.1M20%
Computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing · 3341$245.1K4.7%
Building equipment contractors · 2382$54.4K1.1%
Other specialty trade contractors · 2389

Largest awards

MANUFACTURE AND DELIVER NEW CRANE$30M
KNIGHT CONST. & SUPPLY, INC· Wasco County, OR· Other equipment & supplies· Sep 18, 2019 – May 19, 2026· W9127N19C0024
ARMED SECURITY GUARD AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES FOR THE LOWER COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN PROJECTS:$2.5M
MERITUS SOLUTIONS GROUP LLC· Wasco County, OR· Facilities & utilities· Mar 10, 2026 – Jun 5, 2026· W9127N26CA002
BADGER MECHANICAL SSC -12363N24F4047 $999,867.00 TOTAL CONTRACT VALUE COR: [name removed], [email removed] PERFORMANCE PERIOD FOR AWARDED ITEMS: DATE OF AWARD THROUGH 12/31/2025. DESCRIPTION OF WORK- THIS WORK REQUIRES A MAND$1.3M
DAVID LINN TRUCKING AND EXCAVATION, LLC.· Wasco County, OR· Facilities & utilities· Mar 18, 2024 – Jan 26, 2026· 12363N24F4047

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 $192.5M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for The Dalles, OR micropolitan area: $7,315 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $192.5M; −17% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,315; US $12,955
Loan face value: $8.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 5.2%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$117.8M61%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$17.4M9.1%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$12.6M6.5%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$8.8M4.6%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$8.4M4.3%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$5.1M2.7%
10.991 · Assistance for Specialty Crop Farmers$3.8M2.0%
10.988 · Supplemental Disaster Relief Program$3.5M1.8%

Top recipients (organizations)

MID-COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY$6.8M3.6%
THE DALLES, OR
COLUMBIA GORGE HOUSING AUTHORITY$2.9M1.5%
THE DALLES, OR
OREGON DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$1.8M0.9%
SALEM, OR
COLUMBIA GORGE COMMUNITY COLLEGE$1.6M0.8%
THE DALLES, OR
STATE OF OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE

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$143.8M75%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$19.4M10%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$9.7M5.0%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Farm Service Agency$8.8M4.6%
Department of Agriculture
Railroad Retirement Board

Assistance by fiscal year

208.6MFY2021
184.7MFY2022
196.1MFY2023
211.2MFY2024
233.1MFY2025
192.5MFY2026

County aggregates

86%

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 The Dalles, 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.

Wasco CountyCentral county4926,310

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

The DallesPrincipal city15,917

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/M45520

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved11

Declined8

Metro and micro areas like The Dalles, 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 The Dalles, 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

Improved11

Declined8

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