George A. Wells Jr. House · Photo: 46percent · Public domainHousehold incomes in Independence are higher than in 63% of U.S. towns
About one in ten work in Independence itself; outside it, Salem draws the most (25%, 10 miles). 12.5% of residents live below the poverty line, against 11.9% across Oregon. The two grades for Independence are B− for jobs and income and B+ for walkability.
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
Where Independence stands out on work
Independence and Salem trade workers both ways
Salem is the top workplace for Independence residents (25%) and also where the most people who work in Independence come from (15% of its jobs). The commute map ↓
Independence has added jobs fast
Jobs based in Independence went from 1,771 in 2013 to 2,388 in 2023, +35%. The jobs ↓
Written from the Census figures on this page. Commute flows, distances and jobs are Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs only (the self-employed aren’t counted); commute time and working from home are from the Census American Community Survey; a jump in jobs can partly be a big employer changing how it reports its locations.
Jobs & income in Independence: the grade in detail
On income, poverty, unemployment and job access, Independence is better than 53% of U.S. towns, #63 of 142 in Oregon. Household income holds Independence’s grade up ($85,375, U.S. $80,734); the poverty rate pulls it down. It also does well on unemployment and job access by car.
A rough placement. Within the Census margins of error for income, poverty and unemployment, Independence could be anywhere from C to A−.
Where Independence goes to work
Where Independence clocks in
25% of workers
6% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
Independence makes things: 29% of its jobs are in goods
2,388 jobs are based in Independence.
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Independence, 2013 → 2023: 1,771 → 2,388. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Independence’s own residents hold wherever they work.
How many people are in Independence by day
On a workday 3,562 residents head out to work, 464 work right here, and 1,924 people come in from elsewhere.
About 8,600 people are in Independence on a workday afternoon, 16% fewer than live here.
0.59 jobs for every working resident, so most people commute out.
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
How long Independence spends getting to work: about 25 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 8 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Independence workers work from home, vs 19% across Oregon. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 4,597 commuters (the 13% who work from home are left out). Across Oregon: 80% drive alone, 3% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
Close to home or a long way: work trips from Independence
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
Independence is a driving town
On EPA’s walkability index and the share of commuters who walk, bike or take transit, Independence is more walkable than 68% of U.S. towns, #113 of 142 in Oregon. The street layout scores higher than the way people actually get to work: 2.4% of commuters walk, bike or take transit, below the 8.4% across Oregon.
A firm grade. EPA’s index has no published margin of error; the commuting share comes from a Census survey of 5,298 workers.
How TownRatings grades walkability →
Transit service (shown, not graded). 12% of residents live within a ¾-mile walk of a bus or train stop, 10% within a quarter mile. At the weekday evening rush, about 0.9 trips an hour stop near the typical resident, more than in 57% of the 9,825 U.S. towns with transit data.
Transit at the evening rush trips an hour stopping within ¼ mile of the typical resident, EPA 2020
Households without a car (shown, not graded). 2.6% of Independence households have no vehicle (Oregon 7.1%, U.S. 8.4%). 0% of Independence’s commuters take a bus or train.
For jobs and income, Independence is 1,624th of 2,878 U.S. towns of 7,000 to 14,000
| # | Town | People | Household income | Poverty | Unemployment | Work in town | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Des Peres MO | 9,102 | $224K | 2.0% | 0.5% | 5% | A+ |
| 2 | Beverly Hills MI | 10,449 | $177K | 1.7% | 1.6% | 3% | A+ |
| 3 | Ladue MO | 8,934 | $250K | 1.1% | 1.7% | 5% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 168 | Bull Mountain OR | 9,865 | $165K | 4.7% | 2.3% | 1% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 207 | Oak Hills OR | 11,131 | $127K | 3.4% | 3.1% | 2% | A+ |
| … | |||||||
| 409 | Damascus OR | 11,437 | $123K | 3.2% | 3.6% | 4% | A |
| … | |||||||
| 1,622 | Clinton Township OH | 9,470 | $69K | 7.4% | 4.1% | 28% | B− |
| 1,623 | Charlotte MI | 9,305 | $63K | 11.1% | 3.2% | 23% | B− |
| 1,624 | Independence OR | 10,195 | $85K | 12.5% | 3.9% | 12% | B− |
| 1,625 | Junction City OR | 7,224 | $86K | 9.5% | 5.3% | 12% | B− |
| 1,626 | Absecon NJ | 9,209 | $74K | 7.9% | 5.6% | 5% | B− |
| … | |||||||
| 2,878 | Shiprock NM | 7,610 | $36K | 34.6% | 14.9% | 14% | D− |
Census ACS 2020–24 (income, poverty, unemployment), Census LEHD (work in town), TownRatings Jobs & income grades. Each town links to its Work & commute page.
Ranked on the Jobs & income grade: the towns either side of Independence, the top three, the last and three more from Oregon.
Independence and the towns next door
The biggest share goes to Monmouth (6%).
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Independence workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independence | – | B− | B+ | 25 min | $85,375 |
| Monmouth | 6% | C | A+ | 24 min | $69,170 |
Same-state neighbors only. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of Independence’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in Independence: questions
What is the median household income in Independence?
$85,375 (±$8,821) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $83,011 across Oregon and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Independence?
12.5%, against 11.9% across Oregon and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Independence?
25 minutes each way on average, against 23 across Oregon and 26 nationally. 13% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Independence work?
12% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Salem (25%, 10 mi), Portland (7%, 54 mi), Monmouth (6%, 2 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Is Independence walkable?
Independence is more walkable than 68% of U.S. towns (Walkability B+): an EPA walkability index of 8.6 out of 20, and 2% of commuters walk, bike or take transit.
Can you get around Independence without a car?
0% of commuters take transit and 3% of households have no car. 10% of residents live within a quarter mile of a stop.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Independence, from the people who make the trip.
More of Independence
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer. Walkability index, job access and transit service: U.S. EPA Smart Location Database. The two grades are our own summaries of these figures, not official ratings.