Moving to The Dalles
Wasco County loses about 4.8 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.
Where people come from and where they go, top counties
Within Oregon, other states or abroad
Income per tax return
People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Wasco County; flows under 20 returns are not published.
- Who moves here
- 6.7% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 1.4% from another state.
- Who arrives and who leaves
- Households moving into Wasco County report $67,600 a year in income on average; those leaving, $57,800, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
- Income you would need
- $39,700 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
- Rent or buy
- Median rent is $993 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,709 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $360,800.
- Getting to work
- 17 minutes each way on average; 7.4% work from home.
- If it is close but not quite
- Shelby, OH matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
All 5 moving measures
| Measure | The Dalles | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moved here in the past year1 | 6.7% | 16% above | |
| Moved from another state1 | 1.4% | 27% below | |
| Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure | -4.8 | below (median -0.6) | |
| Income of households moving in7County figure | $67,603 | 4% below | |
| Income of households moving out7County figure | $57,813 | 18% below |
What it costs to live here
Half the homes were built before 1964, older housing than in 78% of the 2,300 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
Could you afford it?
Uses the median rent in The Dalles, $993 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.
Like The Dalles, but easier on the budget
Places that match The Dalles on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.
Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in The Dalles.
All 15 cost and housing measures
| Measure | The Dalles | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent1 | $993 | 27% below | |
| Rent to income1 | 19.0% | 7% below | |
| Property tax rate1 | 0.8% | 8% below | |
| Home price to income1 | 5.8x | 52% above | |
| Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure | $1,604 | 1% below | |
| HUD area median income3County figure | $91,800 | 14% below | |
| Property tax paid (median)1 | $3,030 | 7% below | |
| Median home value1 | $360,800 | 13% above | |
| Home prices, 1-year change4County figure | 1.6% | 49% below | |
| Home prices, 5-year change4County figure | 41.8% | 19% below | |
| Homeownership1 | 63.2% | 5% below | |
| Renters paying 30%+1 | 49.6% | 2% below | |
| Owner costs with a mortgage1 | $1,709 | 9% below | |
| Vacant homes1 | 6.3% | 11% below | |
| Median year built1 | 1964 | 1% below |
Work and pay
Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 115 hours a year commuting, less than in 91% of the 2,241 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
More on work and pay, against the typical place
All 9 work and pay measures
| Measure | The Dalles | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income1 | $62,614 | 22% below | |
| Income per person1 | $40,289 | 1% above | |
| Unemployment1 | 7.7% | 57% above | |
| Average annual pay5County figure | $58,525 | 11% below | |
| Pay growth, 1 year5County figure | 3.2% | 14% below | |
| Jobs5County figure | 11,532 | 92% below | |
| Poverty rate1 | 11.0% | 2% above | |
| Mean commute1 | 17 min | 34% below | |
| Works from home1 | 7.4% | 40% below |
Who lives here
Population change since 2020 is -1.7%, below the median place (median 1.1%).
More about who lives here, against the typical place
All 9 people measures
| Measure | The Dalles | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population1 | 15,917 | 2860th largest | |
| Population change since 20206 | -1.7% | below (median 1.1%) | |
| Median age1 | 38.5 | 1% below | |
| Bachelor's or higher1 | 22.7% | 29% below | |
| High school or higher1 | 87.1% | 6% below | |
| Household size1 | 2.4 | 6% below | |
| Born abroad1 | 9.1% | 3% above | |
| No health insurance1 | 7.6% | 19% above | |
| Homes with broadband1 | 90.6% | 2% below |
Life in The Dalles
About 19 km of named paths and bike trails are mapped in and around the city, more than in 93% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
Founded or incorporated in 1857. 23 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia
- Fort Dalles Surgeon's Quarters listed 1971
- Fivemile Rapids Site (35 WS 4) listed 1974
- St. Peter's Roman Catholic Church listed 1974
- Dalles Carnegie Library listed 1978
- Indian Shaker Church and Gulick Homestead listed 1978
- The Dalles Civic Auditorium listed 1978
Out the door, against the typical place
Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
National Park Service sites nearby
- Fort Vancouver National Historic Site 70 miles
- Mount Rainier National Park 89 miles
- Mount Rainier Wilderness 89 miles
Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)
Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.
All 18 schools and local life measures
| Measure | The Dalles | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public schools13 | 6 | 33% below | |
| Public school students13 | 2,673 | 45% below | |
| Students per teacher13 | 17.6 | 14% above | |
| Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure | 27.1 | 30% above | |
| Shops per 10k8County figure | 39.2 | 29% above | |
| Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure | 4.9 | 20% above | |
| Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure | 19.2 | 5% below | |
| Child care centers per 10k8County figure | 4.1 | 78% above | |
| Parks per 10k9 | 17.0 | 67% above | |
| Playgrounds per 10k9 | 11.9 | 27% above | |
| Grocery stores per 10k9 | 7.5 | 256% above | |
| Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k9 | 30.8 | 176% above | |
| Libraries per 10k9 | 1.3 | 45% above | |
| Named paths and bike trails9 | 18.9 | above (median 2.0) | |
| Transit stops per sq mi9 | 0.6 | 186% above | |
| Nearest National Park Service site10 | 70.3 | 128% above | |
| National Park Service sites within 60 miles10 | 0 | below (median 2) | |
| National Register listings11 | 23 | 77% above |
Safety, weather and risk
Violent crime per 100k is 258, 34% above the median place.
Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.
All 10 weather and risk measures
| Measure | The Dalles | Among 6,645 places | Vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| July average high14County figure | 83°F | 4% below | |
| January average low14County figure | 27°F | 6% above | |
| Average temperature14County figure | 49°F | 11% below | |
| Annual precipitation14County figure | 20.3 in | 54% below | |
| Natural hazard risk15County figure | 67.8 | 27% below | |
| Tornado risk15County figure | 4.7 | 94% below | |
| Wildfire risk15County figure | 98.1 | 60% above | |
| Heat wave risk15County figure | 42.6 | 53% below | |
| Median air quality index16County figure | 25 | 42% below | |
| Good air days16County figure | 86.3% | 26% above |
How it is changing
Five-year survey estimates, one point per release. Between the 2019 and 2024 releases, which share no survey years, the median rent went from 19.7% to 19.0% of the median income.
Median gross rent
Median household income
Median home value
Population estimate
Citytistics measures
Measures only Citytistics publishes, built from the figures on this page. Scores of 100 beat every place we track. Formulas
The Dalles in 2030: where the trends point
If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 19% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 19% now.
Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, The Dalles does better than 37% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 87%.
| Measure | Latest | 2030 projection | Likely range | Avg. per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $993/mo (2024) | $1,260/mo | $1,040 to $1,540/mo | +4.1% |
| Median household income | $62,614 (2024) | $79,000 | $67,000 to $93,500 | +4.0% |
| Median home value | $360,800 (2024) | $535,000 | $389,000 to $737,000 | +6.8% |
| Population | 15,745 (2025) | 15,730 | 15,080 to 16,390 | −0.0% |
The median home would be worth 6.8 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.8 now.
A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.
Places like The Dalles
The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.
| Place | Rent | Income | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centralia, WA | $1,084 | $56,219 | Compare |
| Fortuna, CA | $1,168 | $62,289 | Compare |
| Sheridan, WY | $936 | $62,867 | Compare |
| Front Royal, VA | $1,135 | $64,838 | Compare |
Nearby
- Hood River, OR20 mi
- Sandy, OR56 mi
- Washougal, WA58 mi
- Troutdale, OR60 mi
- Estacada, OR61 mi
- Camas, WA62 mi
Compare The Dalles with
More in this area
Places built like The Dalles
Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how The Dalles performs against places like it.
Common questions
Is The Dalles a good place to live?
It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 35 out of 100, better than 35% of the places we rate and 63rd of 104 in Oregon. Unemployment averaged 7.7% over the survey period, higher than in 84% of the 2,058 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 26 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.
Is The Dalles expensive to live in?
The median rent takes 19.0% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $360,800.
What salary do you need to live in The Dalles?
To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $39,720 a year. Work it out from your current city.
Is The Dalles safe?
There were 258 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.
What places are similar to The Dalles?
On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Centralia, WA, Fortuna, CA, Sheridan, WY and Front Royal, VA.
Sources and methods
The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.
- American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
- Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
- Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
- House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
- Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
- Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
- SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
- County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
- OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
- National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
- National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
- Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
- Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
- 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
- National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
- Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files
Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).
What stands out compares The Dalles with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for The Dalles itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/the-dalles-oregon
Citytistics. “The Dalles, Oregon.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/the-dalles-oregon/
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.