BLM Firefighters, Moonhill RX, 2011
Burns’s story
142 years in pictures
Census counts: 264 in 1890, 2,730 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and 2 maps from 1960 on.
- 1884Burns is settled
BurnsOR
A town of 2,692, settled in 1884. 2.6 times the nonprofits per person than the typical Oregon town.
Photo: Cacophony · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
2,692
2025 Census estimate · −1.4% since 2020
Typical home
$186K
+4.1% in a year
Household income
$42K
median
Median age
52.8
years
Jobs based here
1,306
Balanced
TownGrade
D
#120 of 142 in OR
Is Burns a good place to live?
Burns grades D overall, 120th of 142 graded towns in Oregon, mostly because of schools and incomes. Its public schools trail 94% of Oregon towns on state tests and graduation. The median household income is $42K, and 16% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 83% of U.S. towns. 41% of working residents work locally in Burns, against 9.5% in Oregon’s towns and 8% across U.S. towns. Only 14 of Oregon’s 228 towns score lower on health. Burns's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 96% of U.S. towns.
What makes Burns stand out
Where Burns beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Burns13.6
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical OR town5.2
Civic lifeA+
2.6 times the nonprofits per person
than the typical Oregon town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
WalkabilityA−
More walkable than 83% of U.S. towns
4.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Harney County SD 3 schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Henry L Slater Elementary School | K–5 | 297 |
| Burns High School | 9–12 | 215 |
| Monroe School | 6–12 | 15 |
Worth knowing · SchoolsD
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
How Burns grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Burns is from typical.
SchoolsDOpen →Jobs & incomeDOpen →HealthHarney District Hospital 0 miles awayC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.6 of 20; 7.8% of households have no carA−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →Cost of livingTypical home $186K, 3.4 years of the county’s $55K median household incomeBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 2% conserved landB−Open →History2 notable people born hereC+Open →Civic life13.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA+Open →
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 52.8; 7% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Burns: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Burns, and how to reach them.
PowerOregon Trail El Cons Coop11.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBurns Water Department1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Burns’ trash rules yet
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 hereHarney County Clerk, Elections OfficeHarney County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code9772097720 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 Burns.
Burns is healthier than towns with similar incomes and has home values climbing faster than Oregon’s, but it has household incomes well below the Oregon norm.
HousingCost of living grade B
In Burns, the median rent runs lower than in the typical Oregon or U.S. town
Home values rose 31% in five years, to about $186K, against 7% across Oregon. The median property tax bill is $1,707, against $3,876 across Oregon, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
The median rent in Burns is $734 a month. The typical Burns home is worth about $186,000, up 4.1% in a year, 62% below the Oregon typical home. 59% of households own their home in Burns.
$186KZillow home value
| Burns | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $734 a month | $1,415 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 59% | 65% | 73% |
Typical home value
Burns$186K
Oregon$493K
+4.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsD
Burns earns a D for schools
Its public schools are run by Harney County SD 3. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
6%of OR districts it outscoresDSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henry L Slater Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 297 | C+ |
| Burns High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 215 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
HealthC−
Health in Burns trails 85% of U.S. towns
Against the 2,979 U.S. towns with household incomes like Burns’s, it is healthier than 58%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
Burns beats the Oregon average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 18% of Burns adults report frequent physical distress. Among 142 Oregon towns, just 6 have a higher share of adults who smoke cigarettes than Burns.
15%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Burns | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 11% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 20% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
26 measures vs. Oregon
1 better12 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Burns | OR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 75.6% | 71.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.9% | 6.8% |
Harney District Hospital
0 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
6th
percentile among OR towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Burns
Burns has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. Burns’ July high is 87°F.
87°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–39°
Spring31–58°
Summer46–83°
Fall30–62°
Sep 6
typical first frost
Jun 11
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
87°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Compared with most of Oregon and the rest of the country, the median household income in Burns is lower
The average commute for its 1,071 working residents takes 12.9 minutes, against 23 across Oregon.
Jobs based in Burns grew to 1,306 in 2023, 73 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Hines (13%), Bend (4%) and Redmond (2%).
41%work in town
| Burns | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 13 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $42,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Burns41%
Hines13%
Bend4%
Redmond2%
Medford1%
2 mi
median commute distance
1,306
jobs based in Burns
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 83% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
Burns faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 11 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Burns.
62risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfire
11
paid flood claims since 1982
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
OutdoorsB−
Burns has set aside 2.1% of its land for conservation
1.4 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves.
#95for trails in OR
| Burns | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.4 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 2.1% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
2.1%
conserved · 47 of 2,256 acres
1.4 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Memorial Field | — | 5 |
| 2. Washington Park | — | 2 |
| 3. Triangle Park | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Burns
17pages on Burns
The big questions
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Burns; the nearest are
Treasure Valley Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ontario108.3 mi$6,345 in-state tuitionOregon State University-Cascades CampusUniversity or college · Public · Bend117.6 mi$13,566 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Burns residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
About Burns
City in Oregon, United States
Burns is a city in and the county seat of Harney County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. According to the 2020 census, the population was 2,730. Burns and the nearby city of Hines are home to about 60 percent of the people in the sparsely populated county, by area the largest in Oregon and the tenth largest in the United States. The Burns–Hines region has a high-desert climate but was much wetter in the recent geologic past. The Harney Basin was the largest of many depressions in which lakes formed in southeastern Oregon during the late Pleistocene. Remnants of an ancient lake that reached as far north as Burns are at the center of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, south of the city. North…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1889
- Area
- 3.6 sq mi
- Elevation
- 4,147 ft
- ZIP code
- 97720
- Area code
- 541
Questions about Burns
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Burns, OR a good place to live?
Burns grades D overall, better than 7% of U.S. towns and #120 of 142 in Oregon. It grades C− for health and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Burns, OR expensive?
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
What is Burns, OR known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Kellen Clemens and Susannah Scaroni.