Hermiston Children School Church, 1941
Hermiston’s story
121 years in pictures
Census counts: 647 in 1910, 19,354 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1941 and 4 maps from 1962 on.
- 1905Hermiston is settled
Photo: MIM1765 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
19,906
2025 Census estimate · +2.5% since 2020
Typical home
$344K
+2.3% in a year
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
30.9
years
Jobs based here
7,512
Balanced
TownGrade
D
#101 of 142 in OR
Is Hermiston a good place to live?
Hermiston earns a D, ranked 101st of 142 in Oregon, mostly because of safety. Its crime rate is higher than 86% of U.S. towns, with 47 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. One bright spot: natural-hazard risk is low. 34% of working residents work locally in Hermiston, where Oregon’s towns sit at 9.5% and U.S. towns at 8%. Among 142 Oregon towns, just 1 have a higher share of children under 18 than Hermiston. The biggest park or preserve is Field of Dreams, at 23 acres.
What makes Hermiston stand out
Where Hermiston beats most towns.
A growing town
Hermiston has grown 18% since 2010
16,745 counted in 2010 and 19,354 in 2020; an estimated 19,906 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Hermiston grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Hermiston is from typical.
SafetyDOpen →Hazard riskcold waves tops the listA−Open →Cost of livingC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 12.7 of 20; 6.1% of households have no car; 1.3% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →Jobs & income$67K median household income; 7,512 jobs based hereC+Open →HealthGood Shepherd Medical Center 1.6 miles awayC+Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors6 miles of trails; 1% conserved landB−Open →History2 notable people born hereDOpen →Civic life4.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market37 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 30.9; 17% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Hermiston: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hermiston, and how to reach them.
PowerCity of HermistonEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Hermiston water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpEvery other week, day by addressCurbside recyclingTown 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 hereUmatilla County Clerk, Elections OfficeUmatilla County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code9783897838 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 Hermiston.
Hermiston carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Oregon (mostly cold waves) and has seen reported crime fall by a third or more.
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Hermiston stands out in Oregon and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is lower
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 100% of Oregon towns, with expected losses of about $80 per resident a year; that rating is what its A− for hazard risk is built on.
The FEMA risk score in Hermiston is 5 of 100. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Hermiston since 2016.
5risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingEarthquakes
1
paid flood claims since 2016
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
SchoolsB−
On state tests, Hermiston’s schools trail 51% of Oregon districts
Its public schools are run by Hermiston SD 8. Two of its 10 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
49%of OR districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Armand Larive Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 722 | – |
| Hermiston High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,705 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
SafetyD
For safety, Hermiston earns a D
Reported crimes fell from 786 to 546 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
Hermiston’s property crime rate is 25.2 per 1,000 residents. Hermiston reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 86% report less.
14%of U.S. towns report more crimeDSafety Grade
| Hermiston | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 25.2 per 1,000 residents | 15.2 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.4 per 1,000 residents | 2.1 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Hermiston2.4
Oregon3.2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Hermiston25.2
Oregon21.8
U.S.15.5
14th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
16th
percentile among OR towns
47
violent crimes reported in 2025
499
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade C−
The typical home in Hermiston is valued at about $344K
The typical Hermiston home is worth about $344,000, up 2.3% in a year, 30% below the Oregon typical home. 62% of Hermiston households own their home.
$344KZillow home value
| Hermiston | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 62% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,088 a month | $1,415 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Hermiston$344K
Oregon$493K
Market temperature
37
days on market
99.3%
sale-to-list price
+2.3%
value change, 1 year
10
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
#77for trails in OR
| Hermiston | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 0.9% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.7 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
0.9%
conserved · 49 of 5,499 acres
6.3 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Victory Square Park | 0.4 mi | 5 |
| 2. McKenzie Park | 0.3 mi | 5 |
| 3. Highland Park | 0.3 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
In Hermiston, expect mild winters and hot summers
Hermiston has mild winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 91°, January nights drop to 29° and about 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
4″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter29–44°
Spring40–66°
Summer56–87°
Fall40–66°
Oct 10
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
About one in three working residents works right in Hermiston
About one in 3 of Hermiston’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Umatilla (6%), Boardman (4%) and Pendleton (4%).
34%work in town
| Hermiston | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Hermiston34%
Umatilla6%
Boardman4%
Pendleton4%
Portland3%
4 mi
median commute distance
7,512
jobs based in Hermiston
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 69% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC+
Hermiston is less healthy than 59% of U.S. towns
Hermiston beats the Oregon average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 16% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Hermiston. Only 5 of the 142 Oregon towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Hermiston.
41%healthier than U.S. townsC+Health Grade
| Hermiston | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 8.4% | 8.1% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 73% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 33% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 20% | 19% |
26 measures vs. Oregon
1 better20 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Hermiston | OR |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.8% | 8.9% |
| More uninsured adults | 16.4% | 8.5% |
Good Shepherd Medical Center
1.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
27th
percentile among OR towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hermiston
20pages on Hermiston
The big questions
SchoolsB−Behind 51% of OR districts · 10 schoolsSafetyD2.4 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC+Better than OR on 1 of 26 CDC measuresCost of livingC−$344K typical home · up 2.3% in a yearWork & commuteC+$67K median household income · 7,512 jobs hereNatural hazardsA−FEMA risk higher than 5% of U.S. communities · cold waves
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Hermiston; the nearest are
Blue Mountain Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Pendleton25 mi$7,076 in-state tuitionColumbia Basin CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Pasco, WA30 mi$6,555 in-state tuition
About 5 of every 100 Hermiston residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Oregon.
About Hermiston
City in Oregon, United States
Hermiston () is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. Its population of 20,322 makes it the largest city in Eastern Oregon. Hermiston is the largest and fastest-growing city in the Hermiston-Pendleton Micropolitan Statistical Area, the eighth largest Core Based Statistical Area in Oregon with a combined population of 92,261 at the 2020 census. Hermiston sits near the junction of I-82 and I-84, and is 7 miles (11 km) south of the Columbia River, the Washington state line, Lake Wallula, and the McNary Dam. The Hermiston area has become a hub for logistics and data center activity due to the proximity of the I-82 and I-84 interchange, Pacific Northwest fiber-optic backbone, and low…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 8.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 643 ft
- ZIP code
- 97838
- Area code
- 541
Questions about Hermiston
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Hermiston, OR a good place to live?
Hermiston grades D overall, better than 13% of U.S. towns and #101 of 142 in Oregon. It grades C+ for health, D for safety and B− for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
What is Hermiston, OR known for?
2 notable people were born here, including Gregory Chaney and Jared Zabransky.