Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
The best of Heppner’s subject grades are an A− for history and a B+ for civic life; the weakest is a D− for incomes. Heppner’s average trip to work is 10 minutes, against 23 minutes in Oregon’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Only 13 of Oregon’s 228 towns score higher on cost of living. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 82% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Only 19 of Oregon’s 228 towns score higher on history. Heppner has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Heppner beats most towns.
Heppner HotelIn a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Heppner is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 318 in 1880, a peak of 1,661 in 1960, 1,187 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers and 2 maps from 1968 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Heppner, 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 Heppner.
About one in 5 of Heppner’s working residents works in town. Heppner’s median household income is $50,000, where Oregon’s towns sit at $81,000 and U.S. towns at $80,000. 16% of Heppner residents live below the poverty line.
| Heppner | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 21% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $50,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 16% | 11% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by Morrow SD 1. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heppner Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 185 | B+ |
| Heppner Junior/Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 171 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
Heppner’s median rent is $744 a month. The typical Heppner home is worth about $251,000, up 1.5% in a year, 49% below the Oregon typical home. 50% of households own their home in Heppner.
| Heppner | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 50% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $744 a month | $1,414 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
One flood insurance claim has been paid in Heppner since 2012.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Heppner has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. The July high in Heppner is 87°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Heppner beats the Oregon average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 6.
| Heppner | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 72% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| What stands out | Heppner | OR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 76.1% | 71.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.9% | 6.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.3 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves. Only 4 of the 141 Oregon towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Heppner.
| Heppner | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.3 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.2% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hager Park | — | 2 |
| 2. Heritage Park | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Heppner; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Heppner residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
Where Heppner’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 places in Heppner on the National Register of Historic Places.
City in Oregon, United States
Heppner is a city in and the county seat of Morrow County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,187, down from 1,291 in 2010. Heppner is part of the Pendleton-Hermiston Micropolitan Area. It is named after Henry Heppner, a prominent Jewish-American businessman.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Home to 3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B.
2 notable people were born here, including John Kilkenny and Jackson Earle Gilliam.
