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Place dossier plate
SheetOR-THE-DALLES-OR · The Dalles, OR 15,973 pop · income 40th pct · 8 tracts
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around The Dalles
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest The Dalles on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Coos Bay · lowest
55,292
Coos Bay · lowest
55,292 median HH income
35.8% of the leader · rank #1
Brookfield Ce… · near
62,826
Brookfield Ce… · near
62,826 median HH income
40.6% of the leader · rank #2
Aledo · near
62,829
Aledo · near
62,829 median HH income
40.7% of the leader · rank #3
The Dalles · this city
62,830
The Dalles · this city
62,830 median HH income
40.7% of the leader · rank #4
Paul · near
62,830
Paul · near
62,830 median HH income
40.7% of the leader · rank #5
Otter Creek · near
62,833
Otter Creek · near
62,833 median HH income
40.7% of the leader · rank #6
La Grange · highest
154,556
La Grange · highest
154,556 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for The Dalles on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 15,973.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
The Dalles - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, The Dalles lands in the 40th percentile for household income and the 17th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
40th
percentile, household income
68th
percentile, home value
66th
percentile, median rent
17th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: The Dalles, OR
Oregon's The Dalles is a small town, with 15,973 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $62,830 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 4.4%. The Dalles's housing stock carries a median value of $318,400, and the median resident age is 38.5 years. 22.3% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 56.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Dalles's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program logs 2927.7 total incidents per 100,000 residents here, above the national average (agency reporting is voluntary, so this measures reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 53.5°F with 14.0 inches of precipitation per year and 5.5 inches of snowfall.
Oregon carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 103.4 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,425 monthly. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Oregon run around $185, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 63.4 out of 100 (Moderate).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of The Dalles's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from population change to comparison shortlist to climate and hazard context to schools and households to within-city variation to work and mobility to housing and income to reported crime; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For The Dalles, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates, within-city Census tract profiles, annual population history, matched public-school count.
No matched row is reported here for local building permits; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
Question 1
Is The Dalles growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -232 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -1.5% change. No comparable local building-permit series is available here, so population change should not be read as a housing-supply measure. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
Which cities make useful reference points for The Dalles?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within Oregon, the closest population matches are Troutdale (16,000 residents, $84,339 income); Coos Bay (15,867 residents, $55,292 income); Four Corners (16,168 residents, $69,232 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Grain Valley, MO (15,967 residents); Seven Oaks, SC (15,990 residents); Bay, OH (15,992 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
What physical conditions frame life in The Dalles?
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 53.5°F, with 14.0 inches of precipitation and 5.5 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Oregon is 63.4 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
What can 8 Census tracts reveal inside The Dalles?
PlainCities matches 8 Census tracts to this city.
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for The Dalles?
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
The NCES join finds 6 public schools within the city match. 22.3% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Poverty estimate
4.4%
Bachelor's degree+
22.3%
Matched public schools
6
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
What does the journey to work look like in The Dalles?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 82.4%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Drive alone
82.4%
Work from home
6.1%
Public transit
0.3%
City-level Census ACS commuting estimates covering 7,224 workers age 16+.
How far does income reach against housing in The Dalles?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 5.1 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 4.4%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
5.1×
Home value
$318,400
Household income
$62,830
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
What can the FBI record say about safety in The Dalles?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 2927.7 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 28% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
2927.7
Violent rate
369.1
Property rate
2558.6
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Below median income · poverty 4.4% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
103.4 (US=100)
Above-average cost · BEA RPP 2024, Oregon average
D
City profile score · The Dalles, OR
40/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Poverty rate B-
4.4%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share D
22.3%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income F
$62,830
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Cost of living F
103.4 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Violent crime F
369 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
The Dalles profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Poverty rate: 69/100 (B-) · 4.4%
Bachelor's+ share: 41/100 (D) · 22.3%
Household income: 39/100 (F) · $62,830
Cost of living: 25/100 (F) · 103.4 index
Violent crime: 24/100 (F) · 369 /100k
Where The Dalles sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
The Dalles's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - The Dalles highlighted among 8 peers.Read the chart values
The Dalles, OR (this city): home $318,400, crime 2,928/100k
Grain Valley, MO : home $269,800, crime 1,406/100k
Longwood, FL : home $327,400, crime 1,607/100k
Marco Island, FL : home $866,200, crime 471/100k
La Grange, IL : home $582,600, crime 963/100k
Coos Bay, OR : home $272,100, crime 5,088/100k
Pendleton, OR : home $276,400, crime 3,090/100k
Dallas, OR : home $355,700, crime 2,345/100k
How does The Dalles compare to other US cities?
The Dalles measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income40% higher than other cities
Home value68% pricier than other cities
Median rent66% pricier than other cities
Safety17% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Oregon, The Dalles ranks #67 of 85 Oregon cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares The Dalles against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Oregon only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Oregon-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places The Dalles near the bottom of Oregon's cities
Among the 395 Oregon cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, The Dalles ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares The Dalles only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#230 of 364
37th percentile in Oregon
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 395
0th percentile in Oregon
Median Home Value
#208 of 366
42nd percentile in Oregon
Poverty Rate
#248 of 395
37th percentile in Oregon
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#197 of 395
50th percentile in Oregon
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Oregon only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
40th percentile nationally for median household income · 17th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
The Dalles's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
The Dalles's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How The Dalles's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$318,40032nd percentilemore affordable than 32% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
The Dalles's home-value-to-income ratio: 5.1×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#13,014 of 15,516
More affordable than 16% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#2,647 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 5.1×, The Dalles sits in the pressured band:
national rank #13,014 of 15,516 and #2,647 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$62,830The Dalles, OR median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context The Dalles, OR median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for The Dalles, OR.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)22.3%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)4.4%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)56.8%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
15,973
Median Income
$62,830
Median Home Value
$318,400
Median Age
38.5
Poverty Rate
4.4%
Labor force participation
56.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
22.3%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2927.7
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
369.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2558.6
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
53.5°F
Annual Precipitation
14.0"
Annual Snowfall
5.5"
Schools
Total Schools
6
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
The Dalles's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
15,977 residents
2021
16,016 residents
2022
15,891 residents
2023
15,755 residents
2024
15,849 residents
2025
15,745 residents
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
82.4%
Carpool
7.0%
Public Transit
0.3%
Walk
1.7%
Work from Home
6.1%
Other
2.5%
Based on 7,224 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Oregon statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $185
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Oregon at $185 (electricity about $85 , water and sewer about $50 ).
These are Oregon statewide averages, not a meter reading for The Dalles. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Oregon's BEA cost-of-living index is 103.4 (Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around The Dalles is $1,425/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Oregon statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 63.4 / 100 (Moderate).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Oregon statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county The Dalles sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How The Dalles compares to similar-size Oregon cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.