City · Oregon
Athena, Oregon
Athena, city, in Umatilla County, Oregon. Athena had 1,187 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.6% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,209 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,377 (±328). GEOID 4103200.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
1,187
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,209 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,377 ±328
Median household income
$71,898
±$11,351 (90% margin)
Oregon: $83,011
Median home value
$239,200
±$70,713 (90% margin)
Oregon: $477,600
Median gross rent
$894
±$327 (90% margin)
Oregon: $1,525
Where is Athena and what county is it in?
Athena is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon. It covers 0.6 square miles of land, 2,074 residents per square mile in 2020.
Athena is in the Hermiston-Pendleton, OR micropolitan statistical area, which takes in 2 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Athena, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 1,187 people lived in Athena on July 1, 2025, down 0.6% since 2020, while Oregon grew 0.9%. The 2020 Census counted 1,209 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,377 (±328).
| Measure | Athena | Umatilla County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 1,377 ±328 | 79,940 | no clear change |
| Households | 531 ±117 | 28,707 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.57 ±0.40 | 2.65 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 576 ±121 | 32,199 | no clear change |
Athena's population since 2000
From 1,221 in 2000 to 1,187 in 2025: down 2.8%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Athena as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Athena?
The median resident of Athena is 36.7 years old; 25.1% are under 18 and 10.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 90.6%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 4.4%.
| Measure | Athena | Umatilla County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.7 ±6.3 | 36.9 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 25.1% ±8.0 pts | 24.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 10.9% ±5.5 pts | 16.4% | – |
| Male | 51.1% ±5.9 pts | 52.1% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.2% ±2.6 pts | 29.7% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 90.6% ±4.8 pts | 61.5% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 2.1% ±3.5 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 0.7% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.7% ±1.1 pts | 1.9% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.4% ±3.0 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 0.0% ±2.9 pts | 10.9% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 1.1% ±1.4 pts | 23.3% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 3.1% ±3.3 pts | 6.5% | – |
| With a disability | 18.5% ±9.3 pts | 18.8% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 11.4% ±8.1 pts | 6.7% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 93.3% ±6.0 pts | 84.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 35.5% ±10.4 pts | 18.3% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 15.2% ±8.8 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.1% ±6.8 pts | 90.5% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.2% ±1.4 pts | 1.3% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Athena earn?
Half of Athena's 531 households earn less than $71,898 a year (±$11,351), against $67,728 in Umatilla County and $83,011 in Oregon. In 2015-2019 it was $78,542 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart.
| Measure | Athena | Umatilla County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $71,898 ±$11,351 | $67,728 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $87,520 ±$13,079 | $86,272 | – |
| Per capita income | $33,905 ±$5,257 | $32,100 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 9.0% ±7.6 pts | 11.8% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 1.4% ±2.6 pts | 13.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 18.6% ±9.2 pts | 20.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 97.7% ±3.8 pts | 93.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 87.6% ±10.6 pts | 87.1% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Athena?
Owners occupy 79.1% of Athena's occupied homes and renters 20.9%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $239,200 by its owner (±$70,713). The median renter pays $894 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Athena | Umatilla County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $239,200 ±$70,713 | $282,600 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $894 ±$327 | $997 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 16.2% ±16.9 pts | 31.7% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,459 ±$298 | $1,640 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 79.1% ±9.4 pts | 67.9% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 20.9% ±9.4 pts | 32.1% | – |
| Housing units | 576 ±121 | 32,199 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 2.5% ±4.4 pts | 1.5% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±29.4 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 59.5% ±9.8 pts | 61.6% | – |
| Mobile homes | 22.6% ±10.4 pts | 18.1% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±6.7 pts | 0.8% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 10.9% ±6.7 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 18.6% ±8.5 pts | 11.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 0.0% ±7.3 pts | 5.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Athena work and get to work?
64.2% of Athena's workers drive alone and 17.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 19.0 minutes.
| Measure | Athena | Umatilla County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.5% ±11.2 pts | 59.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 1.0% ±2.4 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 64.2% ±12.7 pts | 76.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 17.9% ±12.3 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±5.9 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Walked | 0.8% ±1.3 pts | 3.0% | – |
| Worked from home | 17.1% ±8.5 pts | 7.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.0 min ±2.4 | 19.1 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Athena?
No census tract lies mostly in Athena; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9503Umatilla County | 3,791 | $71,014 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Athena) · Census block assignment files
How does Athena compare with other places in Oregon?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Athena is the 9,640th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 155th-most populous of 240 in Oregon.
Athena ranks 126th of 223 places in Oregon with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 155th | 240 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 101st | 162 |
| Residents per square mile | 107th | 224 |
| Median household income | 126th | 223 |
| Per capita income | 151st | 224 |
| Median home value | 204th | 224 |
| Median gross rent | 190th | 207 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 53rd | 219 |
| Median age | 177th | 224 |
| Owner-occupied share | 70th | 224 |
| Work from home | 63rd | 169 |
| Travel time to work | 165th | 221 |
Athena's figures with every place in Oregon (CSV)
Every place in Oregon, sortable · Compare Athena with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Athena?
23 of the 57 figures for Athena on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Athena are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Athena.