Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,689, settled in 1885. 73% more nonprofits per person than the typical Oregon town.
The best of Elgin’s subject grades are an A− for walkability and an A+ for civic life; the weakest is a D for schools. Only 5 of Oregon’s 228 towns score higher on cost of living. Only 2 of Oregon’s 161 towns score higher on civic life. Elgin City Hall and Opera House is on the National Register of Historic Places. On the outdoors, just 16 of Oregon’s 228 towns do worse. Elgin has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Elgin beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Stella Mayfield Elementary School | PK–6 | 204 |
| Elgin High School | 7–12 | 180 |
Where Elgin’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Elgin is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Elgin, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Oct 2, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Elgin.
Its public schools are run by Elgin SD 23. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stella Mayfield Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 204 | B+ |
| Elgin High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 180 | D |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
The typical Elgin home is worth about $269,000, up 2.1% in a year, 45% below the Oregon typical home. Elgin’s median rent is $992 a month, below both the Oregon town median ($1,414 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month).
| Elgin | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $992 a month | $1,414 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 64% | 65% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Elgin for work: only 9% work in town. Elgin’s median household income is $58,000, against $81,000 in Oregon’s towns and $80,000 across U.S. towns. Jobs based in Elgin fell to 165 in 2023, 37 fewer than in 2013.
| Elgin | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $58,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 23 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities. Since 2019, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Elgin.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Elgin has chilly winters and warm summers. Elgin’s July high is 86°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Elgin beats the Oregon average on 0 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 31% of Elgin adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Elgin | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 74% | 72% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 27% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 33% | 35% |
| What stands out | Elgin | OR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 8.4% | 6.8% |
| More adults with arthritis | 33.4% | 27.4% |
| More adults who have had a stroke | 4% | 3.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tom McDowell Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Elgin; the nearest are
About 8 of every 100 Elgin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
City in Oregon, United States
Elgin is a city in Union County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2020 census, Elgin had a population of 1,717. The community is named after the Lady Elgin, a ship lost on Lake Michigan. The city is known for the Elgin Opera House, originally dedicated in 1912.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
73% more nonprofits per person than the typical Oregon town.
Not for the area. That is 4.1 years of the area's median household income ($65,661 across the La Grande, 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+.