Seneca, Oregon. Sheepskins, 1942
Seneca’s story
131 years in pictures
Census counts: 285 in 1980, 165 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1942 and 2 maps from 1961 on.
- 1895Seneca is settled
SenecaOR
A town of 160, settled in 1895.
Population
160
2025 Census estimate · −3% since 2020
Median home value
$156K
Census ACS
Household income
$40K
median
Median age
67.8
years
Jobs based here
15
A commuter town
Is Seneca a good place to live?
Seneca’s median age is 67.8 years, where Oregon’s towns sit at 39.4 years and U.S. towns at 40.5 years. Of the 143 Oregon towns we compare, none has a lower January low than Seneca. Seneca has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
160 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Seneca: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Seneca, and how to reach them.
PowerOregon Trail El Cons Coop11.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Seneca water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet1 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Seneca’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 hereGrant County Clerk, Elections OfficeGrant County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code9787397873 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 Seneca.
Schools
The schools Seneca’s kids attend
Its one school is below. John Day SD 3 runs its public schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seneca Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 12 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
Seneca has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Only 9 of the 143 Oregon towns we compare have a higher FEMA risk score than Seneca. Of the losses FEMA expects here, 66% come from inland flooding and 24% from wildfires. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 90% of U.S. communities.
90risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireLightning
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
With only 0.2 jobs per working resident, most people in Seneca work out of town
The top destinations are John Day (8%), Portland (8%) and Bend (6%). Just 2% of Seneca’s working residents have a job in town. Also worth knowing: in Seneca, 22% of residents live below the poverty line, above both the Oregon town median (11%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). The typical journey to work for Seneca comes to 17 minutes.
2%work in town
| Seneca | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 11% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 23 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.5% | 9.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Seneca2%
John Day8%
Portland8%
Bend6%
Dayville3%
116 mi
median commute distance
15
jobs based in Seneca
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Seneca’s year
July afternoons reach 83° and January nights drop to 16°.
83°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–38°
Spring28–54°
Summer41–79°
Fall28–58°
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
83°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Seneca is
The share of adults in Seneca who have obesity: 33%. This Oregon town does better than the Oregon average on 2 of 26 CDC measures and worse on 7. Two figures for adults in the town: 14% binge drink, 16% report frequent physical distress.
| Seneca | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 33% | 35% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 15% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 32% | 36% |
26 measures vs. Oregon
2 better17 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Seneca | OR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 77.6% | 71.4% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 87.5% | 84% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.5% | 8.9% |
Blue Mountain Hospital
19.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
0.5% of Seneca is conserved land
Among 141 Oregon towns, just 8 have a lower share of conserved land than Seneca. Trails run 0.8 miles in 1 park or preserve. One park or preserve covers 2 acres in the town.
0.5%conserved
| Seneca | Oregon towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.0 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 0.5% | 4.4% | 4.3% |
0.5%
conserved · 2 of 506 acres
0.8 mi
of trails · 1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Malheur National Forest | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Seneca
17pages on Seneca
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Seneca; the nearest are
Eastern Oregon UniversityUniversity or college · Public · La Grande92.6 mi$11,076 in-state tuitionTreasure Valley Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Ontario99.7 mi$6,345 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Seneca residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Oregon.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Seneca for work
Where Seneca’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
15jobs based in Seneca
2%of working residents work in town
116 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Seneca
City in Oregon, United States
Seneca is a city in Grant County, Oregon, United States. It is located in the Blue Mountains about 23 miles (37 km) south of Canyon City, on U.S. Route 395, on the edge of the Malheur National Forest. As of the 2020 census, Seneca had a population of 165.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1970
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 4,692 ft
- ZIP code
- 97873
- Area code
- 541
Questions about Seneca
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Seneca, OR a good place to live?
Seneca has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.