Gilliam County, Oregon Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Gilliam County, OR Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
-
B
Health Around average
-
D
Income Well below average
-
F
Education Well below averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in Oregon
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Gilliam County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,969 | 4,252,306 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 1.6 | 43.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.38% | 0.82% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 50.5 | 40.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 875 | 1,717,698 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Gilliam County grew by 21.2% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 1,969 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Gilliam County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 27.6% of residents. That is 9.6 points above Oregon as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 287 14.6% -6.1 pts
- Millennials 29–44 320 16.2% -6.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 415 21.1% +1.1 pts
- Boomers 61–79 544 27.6% +9.6 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Oregon, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.2% of the people living in Gilliam County and men 50.8%.
- Women 49.2% Oregon 50.1%
- Men 50.8% Oregon 49.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Gilliam County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Gilliam County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Gilliam County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,740 | $83,617 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 6.69% | 5.70% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 2.8% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Gilliam County is about 21% lower than in Oregon.
Housing
| Metric | Gilliam County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $100,000 | $406,603 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,124 | $1,525 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 74.1% | 63.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Gilliam County is about 7.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,124 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Gilliam County spend about 24 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 99 hours, about 4.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Gilliam County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 11.8 | 20.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 23.7 | 40.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 99 | 168 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,057 | $5,203 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 6.6% | 19.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,649 | 7,643 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 162 | 967 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Oregon:
Lake County (7.7 min), Harney County (8.6 min), Baker County (8.9 min).
Slowest:
Columbia County (31.7 min), Clackamas County (23.9 min), Polk County (22.2 min).
The average commute time in Gilliam County is 12 minutes, shorter than the 20 minutes in Oregon.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Gilliam County has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Gilliam County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 20.4% | 32.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.21 | 2.41 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Oregon:
Benton County (0.4), Multnomah County (0.4), Washington County (0.4).
Lowest:
Morrow County (0.2), Malheur County (0.2), Gilliam County (0.2).
Health
Gilliam County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Gilliam County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.5 | 78.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 17.0% | 15.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.8% | 17.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Oregon:
Benton County (0.8), Washington County (0.8), Clackamas County (0.8).
Lowest:
Josephine County (0.8), Malheur County (0.8), Lake County (0.8).
Gilliam County, OR Compared With Nearby Counties
How Gilliam County, OR compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilliam County, OR | 1,969 | $65,740 #2/3 | $100,000 #2/3 | 11.8 min #1/3 |
| Klickitat County, WA | 23,411 | $70,563 | $67,682 | 21.3 min |
| Wasco County, OR | 26,553 | $64,105 | $333,688 | 13.1 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Gilliam County, Oregon.
How big is Gilliam County, Oregon by population?
About 1,969 people live in Gilliam County, Oregon, in 875 households of 2.2 people on average. The median age is 50.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 13 years.
Is Gilliam County, Oregon urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Gilliam County, Oregon has 2 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 2% of the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Gilliam County, Oregon?
The median home costs 1.5 times the median household income ($100,000 against $65,740), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,124 a month takes about 21% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
How strong is the job market in Gilliam County, Oregon?
Unemployment in Gilliam County, Oregon is only 2.8%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
What share of adults in Gilliam County, Oregon have a college degree?
20.4% of adults in Gilliam County, Oregon hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 5), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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