Harper, Oregon bus stop - Eastern POINT, 2011
Harper’s story
113 years in pictures
The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2011 and 2 maps from 1966 on.
- 1913Harper is settled
HarperOR
A town of 219, settled in 1913.
Hart, Moses and Mary, Stone House and Ranch Complex · Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
219
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$215K
Census ACS
Household income
$49K
median
Median age
34.4
years
Land area
7 sq mi
Settled
1913
113 years ago
Is Harper a good place to live?
Harper’s July high is 94°F, above both the Oregon town median (82°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Only 2 of the 143 Oregon towns we compare have a lower January low than Harper. Harper has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
219 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Harper.
Schools
The schools Harper’s kids attend
Its one school is below. Harper’s only public school teaches 258 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harper Charter SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | 258 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Harper is inland flooding, at a high overall level
75risk score of 100
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 75% of U.S. communities. FEMA puts 44% of Harper’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 43% to wildfires.
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Harper has four seasons and hot summers
6″snow a winter
Summers in Harper are hot, and winters chilly, with very little rain.
Typical low → high °F
Winter21–42°
Spring35–66°
Summer53–90°
Fall34–66°
Oct 3
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Harper is
The share of adults in Harper who smoke cigarettes: 18%. Harper: 21% of adults report frequent mental distress.
| Harper | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 15% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 13% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 18% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 35% | 35% |
26 measures vs. Oregon
0 better13 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Harper | OR |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25.8% | 12.5% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.6% | 6.8% |
| More smokers | 18.2% | 12% |
Saint Alphonsus Medical Center Ontario
34.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
0% of Harper is conserved land
0%conserved
3.6 miles of trail. Harper’s concentration of trails comes in at 0.5 miles per square mile.
0%
conserved · 0 of 4,456 acres
3.6 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Harper
17pages on Harper
The big questions
Out and about
Getting set up
Moving to Harper: who provides what
Harper is unincorporated, so Malheur County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerIdaho Power11.9¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesMalheur CountyMalheur County provides services here
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 hereMalheur County Clerk, Elections OfficeMalheur County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code9790697906 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.
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Harper; the nearest are
Treasure Valley Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ontario34.4 mi$6,345 in-state tuitionBoise State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Boise, ID73.2 mi$9,048 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Harper residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
About Harper
Unincorporated community in the state of Oregon, United States
Harper is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Malheur County, Oregon, United States. It has a post office with ZIP code 97906. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 113.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,520 ft
- ZIP code
- 97906
- Area code
- 458, 541
Questions about Harper
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Harper, OR a good place to live?
Harper has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Harper is in here
Say something about Harper.
Ask a question, answer one, post a photo or an event. Free, and the parts only a neighbor would know are the parts worth reading.