Malheur County, Oregon Income Statistics
Malheur County Wealth Score
The wealth index reflects the overall economic prosperity and financial well-being of a county's residents based on income levels, employment rates, and income inequality metrics.
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D
Malheur County Well below averageLeast wealthy county in Oregon
Source: Map AI Methodology
Income Statistics Overview
| Metric | Malheur County | Oregon Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Household Income | $54,079 | $83,617 | $80,455 |
| Median Personal Income | $44,212 | $63,212 | $60,758 |
| Average Yearly Income Growth | 5.8% | 5.7% | 4.8% |
| Six-Figure Earners | 5.0% | 14.2% | 13.9% |
| $200k+ Households | 5.0% | 12.7% | 13.2% |
The median household income in Malheur County is about 35% lower than in Oregon. Income has been growing faster in Malheur County (5.8%/yr) than in Oregon (5.7%/yr).
About 5% of adults in Malheur County earn six figures ($100,000 or more) a year, lower than the Oregon average of 14%.
Median Household Income 2009–2024 Trend
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income in Malheur County, Oregon grew by 36.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching $54,079 in 2024. That's an average of about 5.8% per year.
Income Inequality and the Gender Pay Gap in Malheur County
| Metric | Malheur County | Oregon Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gini Coefficient | 0.590 | 0.538 | 0.552 |
| Male Median Income | $52,515 | $71,900 | $69,667 |
| Female Median Income | $43,842 | $60,417 | $56,850 |
| Gender Pay Gap | 16.5% | 16.0% | 18.4% |
The Gini coefficient measures how evenly income is shared between richer and poorer households, from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns nearly everything). The lower the number, the more equally income is distributed. In Malheur County, it is 0.590, higher than Oregon's 0.538, so income is less evenly distributed here than there, and higher than the US's 0.552, so income is less evenly distributed here than there.
Men's income is about 20% more than women's income in Malheur County, Oregon. Over a 35-year career, a 20% wage gap accumulates to roughly $303,555 in unearned income for female workers in the area.
Income by Sex Over Time
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Malheur County, Oregon has widened from about 14% to 17% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 29% in 2020, and was narrowest at 11% in 2010. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,649 since 2009.
Sharply against the trend: the pay gap in Malheur County widened by 2.2 points while Oregon's narrowed by 7.1 points.
Employment
| Metric | Malheur County | Oregon Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment Rate | 5.2% | 5.3% | 5.2% |
| Working from Home | 7.7% | 19.0% | 15.0% |
| Commute time (minutes) | 13 | 20 | 22 |
Approximately 655 people are unemployed in Malheur County, Oregon.
The average commute time in Malheur County is 13 minutes, shorter than the 20 minutes in Oregon.
Unemployment Rate Over Time
Since 2011, the unemployment rate in Malheur County, Oregon has fallen from 12.3% to 5.2% in 2024. Over that period the rate peaked at 14.6% in 2013 and fell as low as 5.0% in 2023.
Malheur County, OR Wealth Compared With Nearby Counties
Malheur County, OR is the 3rd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 31,953 residents against a local median of 26,771. Malheur County, OR's unemployment, at 5.2%, runs 64% above the 3.2% typical of the counties around it. That is the weaker end of the local range on this measure.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $54,079 against a local median of $67,405, 20% below it. Every measure here with a clear better direction points the same way, and it is the wrong way: Malheur County, OR reads weaker than its neighbours on all of them. The counties themselves sit within 0.7% of each other on unemployment, a tighter band than the gap between any of them and Malheur County, OR, which makes it a genuine outlier here rather than one end of a wide local spread. Malheur County, OR has the 6th lowest unemployment of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Income growthAverage yearly change in median household income since 2016. Each year is measured in its own dollars, so this is growth before inflation. | Unemployment | Income inequalityGini coefficient: 0 would mean every household earns the same, 1 that a single household earns everything. The lower the number, the more equally income is shared here. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malheur County, OR | 31,953 | $54,079 #6/6 | 5.8%/yr #4/6 | 5.2% #6/6 | 0.590 #6/6 |
| Canyon County, ID | 250,790 | $76,988 | 7.0%/yr | 3.7% | 0.527 |
| Payette County, ID | 26,771 | $67,405 | 5.1%/yr | 3.2% | 0.509 |
| Harney County, OR | 7,499 | $56,838 | 5.2%/yr | 3.7% | 0.541 |
| Ada County, ID | 518,902 | $92,349 | 5.9%/yr | 3.1% | 0.532 |
| Gem County, ID | 20,614 | $65,574 | 6.2%/yr | 2.9% | 0.530 |
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, Malheur County, Oregon has an overall wealth index grade of D, making it somewhat worse than Oregon, and somewhat worse than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about income and wealth in Malheur County, Oregon.
How Rich Is Malheur County, Oregon?
Malheur County has a wealth index grade of D. The wealth index grades areas from A+ (best) to F- by combining income levels, employment rates, and income inequality; a D grade means residents are somewhat worse off than the U.S. average. The median household income is $54,079, about 35% lower than the Oregon average of $83,617.
How fast is household income rising in Malheur County, Oregon?
Between 2009 and 2024, the median household income in Malheur County, Oregon rose 37%, from $39,505 to $54,079. Over the same years, income here lagged behind Oregon as a whole: +37% against +71%.
What was the median household income in Malheur County in 2023?
In 2023, the median household income in Malheur County, Oregon was $49,902, up 2% from $49,051 in 2022. The Oregon median that year was $80,917.
What was the median household income in Malheur County in 2020?
In 2020, the median household income in Malheur County, Oregon was $44,178. By 2024 it had risen 22% to $54,079.
What is the Gini coefficient in Malheur County, Oregon?
The Gini coefficient in Malheur County is 0.590. It measures income inequality on a scale from 0 (everyone earns the same) to 1 (one household earns everything). That is higher than the US average of 0.552, so income is distributed less equally than in the country overall.
How has the income gap between men and women changed in Malheur County, Oregon?
Since 2009, the income gap between men and women in Malheur County, Oregon has widened from about 14% to 17% in 2024. Over that period the gap was widest at 29% in 2020, and was narrowest at 11% in 2010. In dollar terms, the gap has widened by $3,649 since 2009.
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