Harney County, Oregon Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Harney 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
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D
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Harney County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,499 | 4,252,306 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 0.7 | 43.2 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.48% | 0.82% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 46.9 | 40.6 | 37.3 |
| Households | 3,129 | 1,717,698 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Harney County grew by 10.6% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 7,499 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Harney County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 23.9% of residents. That is 5.9 points above Oregon as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 1,274 17.0% -3.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 1,375 18.3% -4.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 1,617 21.6% +1.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 1,794 23.9% +5.9 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 49.1% of the people living in Harney County and men 50.9%.
- Women 49.1% Oregon 50.1%
- Men 50.9% Oregon 49.9%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Harney County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Harney County has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Harney County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $56,838 | $83,617 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.24% | 5.70% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Harney County is about 32% lower than in Oregon.
Housing
| Metric | Harney County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $57,272 | $406,603 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $683 | $1,525 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.4% | 63.3% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Harney County is about 7.0 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $683 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Harney County spend about 17 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 72 hours, about 3.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Harney County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 8.6 | 20.1 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 17.2 | 40.3 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 72 | 168 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $2,222 | $5,203 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 12.6% | 19.0% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,247 | 7,643 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 38 | 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 Harney County is 9 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
Harney County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Harney County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.9% | 32.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.33 | 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
Harney County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Harney County | Oregon Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.8 | 78.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.5% | 15.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.4% | 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).
Harney County, OR Compared With Nearby Counties
How Harney County, OR compares with the 2 counties closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harney County, OR | 7,499 | $56,838 #2/3 | $57,272 #3/3 | 8.6 min #1/3 |
| Malheur County, OR | 31,953 | $54,079 | $294,932 | 14.0 min |
| Crook County, OR | 26,277 | $82,119 | $225,004 | 20.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Harney County, Oregon.
What is the population of Harney County, Oregon?
About 7,499 people live in Harney County, Oregon, in 3,129 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 46.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
Is Harney County, Oregon mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Harney County, Oregon has 1 people per square mile, a density typical of rural areas. That is about 1% of the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Harney County, Oregon?
The median home costs 1.0 times the median household income ($57,272 against $56,838), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $683 a month takes about 14% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Harney County, Oregon?
Unemployment in Harney County, Oregon is only 3.7%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
How educated are people in Harney County, Oregon?
12.9% of adults in Harney County, Oregon hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 8), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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