Renee Robinson With Kids, 2013
Boardman’s story
110 years in pictures
Census counts: 113 in 1920, 3,828 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1962 on.
- 1916Boardman is settled
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0
Population
4,495
2025 Census estimate · +17.4% since 2020
Typical home
$336K
+0.1% in a year
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
29.6
years
Jobs based here
2,422
Balanced
TownGrade
C+
#62 of 142 in OR
Is Boardman a good place to live?
Boardman grades C+ overall, ranked 62nd of 142 in Oregon, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Natural-hazard risk is low. On the other side, CDC estimates put its residents' health behind 90% of the country. 5.7% of residents are 65 or older in Boardman, where Oregon’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 18%. Only 16 of Oregon’s 161 towns score lower on civic life. The biggest place to walk is Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge, 190 acres with 1.7 miles of trail.
What makes Boardman stand out
Where Boardman beats most towns.
A growing town
Boardman has grown 40% since 2010
3,220 counted in 2010 and 3,828 in 2020; an estimated 4,495 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 17.4% since 2020, after 18.9% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Boardman grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Boardman is from typical.
HealthGood Shepherd Medical Center 18.4 miles awayDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listA−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.6 of 20; 7.2% of households have no carB+Open →Jobs & income$67K median household incomeC+Open →SchoolsBOpen →SafetyB−Open →Cost of livingB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1% conserved landB+Open →HistoryDOpen →Civic life3.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsCOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 29.6; 9% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Boardman: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Boardman, and how to reach them.
PowerUmatilla Electric Coop Assn10.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of BoardmanNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers42% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpBy addressTown’s hauler · day by addressTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Oregon you can register online until 21 days before Election Day, in person until 21 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 21 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereMorrow County Clerk, Elections OfficeMorrow County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code9781897818 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Oct 2, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Boardman.
Boardman carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Oregon (mostly inland flooding), has seen reported crime fall by about half and has added half again as many jobs in ten years.
HealthD
Boardman stands out in Oregon and nationally, with more of its adults who say their health is fair or poor
For adults in Boardman, the share who have diabetes is 14%. Only 5 of the 142 Oregon towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Boardman. Nearly two thirds of adults here had a checkup this year; 32% get no exercise outside work. This Oregon town does better than the Oregon average on 3 of 26 CDC measures and worse on 13.
10%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Boardman | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 20% | 19% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 66% | 73% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 21% | 25% |
26 measures vs. Oregon
3 better10 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Boardman | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 4.5% | 8.9% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 21.7% | 27.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 27.3% | 8.5% |
Good Shepherd Medical Center
18.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
3rd
percentile among OR towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB
Boardman’s schools rank ahead of 61% of Oregon districts
The largest public high school is Riverside Junior/Senior High School, with 520 students. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed. Its public schools are run by Morrow SD 1.
61%of OR districts it outscoresBSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Boardman Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 330 | D |
| Riverside Junior/Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 520 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
OutdoorsB+
Conservation land takes up 1.3% of Boardman
Across 5 parks and preserves: 4.8 miles of trail. The trail network density in Boardman is 1.1 miles per square mile.
#58for trails in OR
| Boardman | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.1 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.3% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
1.3%
conserved · 37 of 2,815 acres
4.8 mi
of trails · 1.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Umatilla National Wildlife Refuge | 1.7 mi | 190 |
| 2. The Fourty | 0.4 mi | 12 |
| 3. Boardman Marina Park | 0.2 mi | 125 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HousingCost of living grade B−
The typical home in Boardman is valued at about $336K
58% of Boardman households are owner-occupiers. The town’s typical rent is $971 a month.
$336KZillow home value
| Boardman | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 58% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $971 a month | $1,415 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Boardman$336K
Oregon$493K
+0.1%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Natural hazards: low risk in Boardman, mostly inland flooding
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 95% of Oregon towns; that rating is what its A− for hazard risk is built on.
The FEMA risk score for Boardman comes to 26 of 100. 64% of Boardman’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by earthquakes at 10%.
26risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakesWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Expect mild winters and hot summers in Boardman
In July, afternoons reach 91°; in January, nights fall to 29°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
4″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter29–44°
Spring41–67°
Summer57–88°
Fall41–66°
Oct 21
typical first frost
Apr 14
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
A job hub: Boardman has 1.5 jobs for every working resident and draws in 1,933 commuters
Jobs based here grew from 1,368 in 2013 to 2,422.
Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Boardman rose by 1,054, to 2,422. About one worker in three stays in Boardman for work. The share of residents in Boardman who live below the poverty line: 17%. For half of commuters, work is under 12 miles away.
30%work in town
| Boardman | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 30% | 9.5% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Boardman30%
Hermiston5%
Portland5%
Pendleton2%
Umatilla2%
12 mi
median commute distance
2,422
jobs based in Boardman
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 74% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
SafetyB−
More crime per resident in Boardman than in 54% of U.S. towns
Reported crimes fell from 76 to 46 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
For Boardman, the level of violent crime is 0.9 per 1,000 residents. Within Oregon, it does better than nearly three quarters of towns.
46%of U.S. towns report more crimeB−Safety Grade
| Boardman | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 9.4 per 1,000 residents | 15.6 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Boardman0.9
Oregon3.2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Boardman9.4
Oregon21.8
U.S.15.5
46th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
74th
percentile among OR towns
4
violent crimes reported in 2025
42
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Boardman
19pages on Boardman
The big questions
SchoolsBBeat 61% of OR districts · 3 schoolsSafetyB−0.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than OR on 3 of 26 CDC measuresCost of livingB−$336K typical home · up 0.1% in a yearWork & commuteC+$67K median household income · 2,422 jobs hereNatural hazardsA−FEMA risk higher than 26% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Boardman; the nearest are
Pacific Northwest Christian CollegeCommunity college · Private nonprofit · Kennewick, WA36.4 mi$11,350 tuitionColumbia Basin CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Pasco, WA39.7 mi$6,555 in-state tuitionBlue Mountain Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Pendleton43.6 mi$7,076 in-state tuition
About 4 of every 100 Boardman residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
About Boardman
City in Oregon, United States
Boardman is a city in Morrow County, Oregon, United States, on the Columbia River and Interstate 84. As of the 2020 census the population was 3,828, up from 3,220 in 2010. It is the largest town in Morrow County.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1921
- Area
- 4.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 308 ft
- ZIP code
- 97818
- Area code
- 541
Questions about Boardman
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Boardman, OR a good place to live?
Boardman grades C+ overall, better than 35% of U.S. towns and #62 of 142 in Oregon. It grades D for health, B− for safety and B for schools. Health is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Boardman, OR safe?
Within Oregon, it does better than 74% of towns.
Is Boardman, OR expensive?
That is 4.9 years of the area's median household income ($68,427 across the Hermiston-Pendleton, OR area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B−.