Island City vehicles, 2010
Island City’s story
153 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1873Island City is settled
Island CityOR
1,142 people live in this town, settled in 1873.
Photo: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
1,142
2025 Census estimate · −1.5% since 2020
Typical home
$361K
+5% in a year
Household income
$67K
median
Median age
42.8
years
Jobs based here
508
Balanced
Is Island City a good place to live?
The best of Island City’s subject grades is an A− for walkability; the weakest is a C− for incomes. Island City’s mean commuting time is 10 minutes, against 23 minutes in Oregon’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. On hazard risk, just 3 of Oregon’s 228 towns do better. Only 4 of Oregon’s 228 towns score lower on the outdoors. Island City has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Island City stand out
Where Island City beats most towns.
Small town
1,142 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Island City grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Island City is from typical.
Hazard riskCold waves top the listA−Open →Jobs & income$67K median household incomeC−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.5 of 20; 3.1% of households have no carA−Open →HealthGrande Ronde Hospital 2.9 miles awayC−Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnCOpen →SchoolsSchools do better than mostB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →HistoryBehind most towns comparedC−Open →Civic life0.1 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsC−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Island City: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Island City, and how to reach them.
PowerOregon Trail El Cons Coop11.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterIsland City water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers94% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Island City’s trash rules yet
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 hereUnion County Clerk, Elections OfficeUnion County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code9785097850 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 Island City.
HealthC−
Health in Island City trails 77% of U.S. towns
For adults in Island City, the share who report frequent mental distress is 19%. The town beats the Oregon average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 40% of adults locally have high blood pressure; 14% have diabetes.
23%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Island City | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 20% | 19% |
26 measures vs. Oregon
1 better13 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Island City | OR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 75.6% | 71.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.5% | 6.8% |
Grande Ronde Hospital
2.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsB+
Island City’s schools rank ahead of 66% of Oregon districts
La Grande SD 1 runs its public schools. Its two schools are below. 293 students attend Island City’s public school.
66%of OR districts it outscoresB+School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Island City Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 293 | B |
| Lighthouse Apostolic Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 103 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade A−
Island City has a low natural-hazard risk, chiefly from cold waves
Island City’s natural-hazard score from FEMA is 20 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 39% come from cold waves and 29% from inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in four fifths of U.S. communities.
20risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland floodingEarthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HousingCost of living grade C
Homes in Island City are worth about $361K, by Zillow’s estimate
Among 141 Oregon towns, just 8 have a lower rent at the middle of the market than Island City. Home values are up 5% over the year to September 2026. The share of households in Island City who live in a home they own: 81%.
$361KZillow home value
| Island City | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 81% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $950 a month | $1,414 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Island City$361K
Oregon$493K
+5%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Who lives here
A older population than Oregon as a whole
College graduates make up 30% of adults 25 and older, against 37% across Oregon. People 65 and older are 28% of residents (19% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 15% of residents (23% statewide). For Island City, the midpoint age is 42.8 years.
42.8median age · OR 40.4
| Island City | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.8 years | 39.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 30% | 27% | 29% |
Island CityOregonUnited States
Ages · share of residents
17%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school31%
Some college22%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s22%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4 points. Across Oregon, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Island City | OR | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.2% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 15.5% | 9.6% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.7% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 3.8% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.4% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.6% | 12.2% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.6% | 11.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.5% | 8.2% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31.2% | 22.4% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.4% | 23.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.6% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.2% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 8.2% | 14.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Island City’s year
A winter brings about 9 inches of snow, with January nights at 25° and July afternoons at 86°.
9″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter25–41°
Spring35–60°
Summer49–83°
Fall35–63°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 6
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C−
About half of Island City’s working residents commute to La Grande
The top destinations are La Grande (45%), Pendleton (4%) and Portland (2%). Most people who work leave Island City to do it: just 5% work in town. Employers in Island City shed 285 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 508. Island City: 14% of residents live below the poverty line.
5%work in town
| Island City | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.6% | 9.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Island City5%
La Grande45%
Pendleton4%
Portland2%
Union2%
3 mi
median commute distance
508
jobs based in Island City
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 77% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Island City
17pages on Island City
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Island City
About 5 of every 100 Island City residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Oregon.
About Island City
City in Oregon, United States
Island City is a city in Union County, Oregon, United States. Its name originated from the city's location on an island between the Grande Ronde River and a nearby slough. However, the slough was later diverted, removing the city's island status. As of the 2020 census, Island City had a population of 1,144.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1904
- Area
- 1.0 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,743 ft
- Area code
- 458, 541
Questions about Island City
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Island City, OR expensive?
That is 5.5 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 C.