Pilot Rock High School, 2014
Pilot Rock’s story
158 years in pictures
The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2004.
- 1868Pilot Rock is settled
Pilot RockOR
A town of 1,320, settled in 1868. 64% more nonprofits per person than the typical Oregon town.
Photo: Tedder · CC BY 4.0
Population
1,320
2025 Census estimate · −1% since 2020
Typical home
$246K
+6.8% in a year
Household income
$89K
median
Median age
46.0
years
Jobs based here
229
A commuter town
Is Pilot Rock a good place to live?
The best of Pilot Rock’s subject grades is an A− for civic life; the weakest is a D− for walkability. Only 1 of Oregon’s 228 towns score lower on the outdoors. Pilot Rock has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Pilot Rock stand out
Where Pilot Rock beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Pilot Rock8.6
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical OR town5.2
Civic lifeA−
64% more nonprofits per person
than the typical Oregon town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
Typical home value
Pilot Rock$246K
Oregon$493K
Cost of livingB+
3.6 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 75% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD
Inland flooding and wildfire at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
Small town
1,320 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
How Pilot Rock grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Oregon), ordered by how far Pilot Rock is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.4 of 20; 5.9% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitD−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →SchoolsDOpen →Cost of livingB+Open →Jobs & income229 jobs based hereCOpen →HealthSt. Anthony Hospital 11.3 miles awayBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →HistoryCOpen →Civic life8.6 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsA−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 46.0; 12% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Pilot Rock: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pilot Rock, and how to reach them.
PowerPacific Power15.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Pilot Rock water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Pilot Rock’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 hereUmatilla County Clerk, Elections OfficeUmatilla County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code9786897868 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 Pilot Rock.
HousingCost of living grade B+
A home in Pilot Rock is worth about $246K, on Zillow’s estimate
In Pilot Rock, the going rate for rent is $973 a month, below both the Oregon town median ($1,414 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Pilot Rock: 84% of households live in a home they own. Also worth knowing: over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 6.8% in value.
$246KZillow home value
| Pilot Rock | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 84% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $973 a month | $1,414 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Pilot Rock$246K
Oregon$493K
+6.8%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
SchoolsD
Public schools in Pilot Rock fall behind 87% of Oregon districts
Its two schools are below. The public schools here belong to Pilot Rock SD 2. Public school enrollment here: 285 students across 2 schools.
13%of OR districts it outscoresDSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot Rock Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 136 | C |
| Pilot Rock High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 149 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Natural hazards: very high risk in Pilot Rock, mostly inland flooding
Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 87% of U.S. communities. Flood insurance has paid out on 4 claims in Pilot Rock since 2020. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 52% come from inland flooding and 33% from wildfires. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Pilot Rock once, in 2020.
87risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireCold waves
4
paid flood claims since 2020
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C
Most of Pilot Rock’s workers head elsewhere: there are 0.5 jobs for each of them
The top destinations are Pendleton (38%), Mission (6%) and Portland (5%). For most workers, Pilot Rock is a place to come home to: only 10% work in town. In Pilot Rock, the income of the median household is $89,000, above both Oregon’s towns ($81,000) and U.S. towns ($80,000).
10%work in town
| Pilot Rock | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $89,000 | $81,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Pilot Rock10%
Pendleton38%
Mission6%
Portland5%
La Grande3%
14 mi
median commute distance
229
jobs based in Pilot Rock
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 4% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Pilot Rock brings four seasons and hot summers
Summer afternoons peak near 89° in July, and January nights bottom out around 27°; snowfall runs to about 10 inches a winter. Pilot Rock brings chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain.
10″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–45°
Spring37–63°
Summer51–85°
Fall37–65°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Safety
Crime reported in Pilot Rock
4 violent crimes were reported in 2024. For Pilot Rock, the rate of thefts and burglaries is 8.5 per 1,000 residents. Pilot Rock's reported crime rate is well below Oregon's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Pilot Rock | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 8.5 per 1,000 residents | 18.6 | 11.5 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2024) | 3.1 per 1,000 residents | 2.4 | 1.7 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Pilot Rock3.1
Oregon3.4
U.S.3.6
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Pilot Rock8.5
Oregon24.5
U.S.17.7
4
violent crimes reported in 2024
11
property crimes reported in 2024
FBI crime data, 2024 · crimes reported to police
HealthB
Pilot Rock ranks healthier than 59% of the country’s towns
This Oregon town does better than the Oregon average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and worse on 2. In Pilot Rock, 31% of adults sleep under 7 hours. Three quarters of adults here had a checkup this year; 25% have been diagnosed with depression.
59%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Pilot Rock | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 72% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 27% | 23% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 21% | 25% |
26 measures vs. Oregon
1 better23 too close to call2 worse
| What stands out | Pilot Rock | OR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 75% | 71.4% |
| More adults with arthritis | 31.9% | 27.4% |
St. Anthony Hospital
11.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Pilot Rock
18pages on Pilot Rock
The big questions
SchoolsDBehind 87% of OR districts · 2 schoolsSafety3.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2024)HealthBBetter than OR on 1 of 26 CDC measuresCost of livingB+$246K typical home · up 6.8% in a yearWork & commuteC$89K median household income · 229 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 87% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Pilot Rock
About 4 of every 100 Pilot Rock residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
A shrinking town
Pilot Rock has shrunk 12% since 2010
1,502 counted in 2010 and 1,328 in 2020; an estimated 1,320 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
About Pilot Rock
City in Oregon, United States
Pilot Rock is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. The population was 1,328 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Pendleton–Hermiston Micropolitan Statistical Area. The main industries are timber and agriculture. Pilot Rock is home to Pilot Rock High School. The name of Pilot Rock refers to a large basalt rock formation which is visible from the old Oregon Trail and was used in navigating wagon trains through the area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1911
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,637 ft
- ZIP code
- 97868
- Area code
- 541
Questions about Pilot Rock
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Pilot Rock, OR a good place to live?
64% more nonprofits per person than the typical Oregon town.
Is Pilot Rock, OR expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.