Photo: SounderBruce · CC BY-SA 4.0Pendleton spent more per resident in 2022 than 95% of similar cities
Pendleton’s city government spent $32.4 million on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, about $1,896 per resident. Water and other utilities ($5.5 million) and the airport ($2.4 million) are counted separately.
What stands out about how Pendleton is run
Read from the city’s budget and official records.
$1,565 per resident in 2022: more than 95% of them
Pendleton’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($1,565 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 21 Oregon cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $991, and the middle half spent $893–$1,166. Pendleton spent more than 95% of them.
Includes sewer and trash ($3.9 million), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →
Oregon cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Pendleton itself left out).
About $1,896 per resident a year, or $5.19 a day
Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: administration & buildings, at 21%.
Thank you for being a neighbor
Day-to-day spending is up 25% since 2022
Day-to-day services, in dollars, in the years Pendleton reported to the Census Bureau. Prices rose too: about 4% a year in 2022–2024.
Day-to-day spending by fiscal year
Per resident: 2022: $1,565 · 2023: $1,674 · 2024: $1,896.
full-time in March 2025, up from 137 in 2022. Both are Census estimates.
Building projects, interest and enterprises (hospital, utilities) are left out, so a big construction year doesn’t read as growth.
The typical homeowner pays $2,871 a year
Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county. About 1.00% of the home’s value, vs 0.81% across Oregon.
Typical yearly bill next door and statewide
The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Pendleton’s rate.
Can I afford it? →The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate.
Tax bills are one input to Pendleton’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Pendleton →
Who’s in charge in Pendleton
Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.
Pendleton’s meeting calendar isn’t in our feed yet. The city posts agendas and minutes on pendleton.or.us ↗.
One full-time city employee for every 120 residents
On the payroll in March 2025, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (a Census estimate). Residents: the Census population in the 2024 finance file (17,070).
By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2025
The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.
Pendleton School District 16
Pendleton’s K–12 school district, shared with Adams. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.
Of the $15,684 per pupil, $9,490 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.
Oregon districts overall: 38% local, 52% state, 10% federal.
School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.
Pendleton’s votes are counted by county
Oregon reports official results by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Pendleton alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Umatilla County’s results.
Donald J TrumpRepublican67.2%20,973 votes
Kamala D HarrisDemocrat29.6%9,251 votesOthers: 3.2% (1,001 votes).
Most votes in Umatilla County: Donald J Trump
Oregon: Harris 55.3%, Trump 41.0%
100% of Pendleton lies in Umatilla County. Every 2024 race in Umatilla County is on the county’s page.
Umatilla County’s 2024 results →Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.
Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.
From town hall to Washington
Every level of government that speaks for Pendleton.
- 1Your cityMayor & councilOfficials: pendleton.or.us ↗
- 2Oregon HouseState representatives
- 3Oregon SenateState senator
- 4GovernorStatewide
- 5U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
- 6U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Oregon
Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.
Reach Pendleton’s government
The official site has phone numbers, hours and forms. Neighbors add the rest to the Handbook.
Questions about Pendleton’s government
How much does Pendleton spend per resident?
About $1,896 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to June 30, 2024, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $1,565 was more than 95% of 21 Oregon cities of 10,000–24,999 that don’t run their own schools.
What is the property tax rate in Pendleton?
Homeowners report a typical bill of $2,871 a year (Census ACS, 2020–24), about 1.00% of the typical home’s value, vs 0.81% across Oregon. For the official rate per $1,000 of assessed value, see pendleton.or.us.
Who runs Pendleton’s government?
See pendleton.or.us for current officials. We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Pendleton yet.
How did Pendleton vote in 2024?
Oregon counts votes by county and precinct, not by city, so there are no official results for Pendleton alone. Umatilla County, where 100% of Pendleton lies, voted Trump 67.2%, Harris 29.6% for president; its page has every race.
How many people work for Pendleton?
142 full-time and 79 part-time employees in March 2025, with a March payroll of $1.2M (about $14.3M a year if every month were the same); Census Bureau estimates.
Who represents Pendleton in the state legislature?
State Senate District 29 (Todd Nash) and State House District 58 (Bobby Levy). The House district also covers 20 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.
Ask neighbors about Pendleton’s government
Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.
Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →