Wheeler County, Oregon
Population 1,485 · Fossil, Mitchell, Spray
- Overall cost of living: −2.8% vs the US average, higher than 83% of US counties.
- Median age: 59.3, higher than 99% of US counties.
- Colleges within 30 mi: 0, the lowest in the US.
Cost & Housing
| Overall cost of living (vs US avg) | ≈−2.8% | higher than 83% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| ≈ Shared figure for all of Oregon outside its metro areas. Prices are published for areas, not single counties. | ||
| Median home price | $272,400 | higher than 76% of US counties |
| Median rent | $870 | lower than 51% of US counties |
| Electric bill | $143/mo | lower than 80% of US counties |
| Child care (preschool) | $7,800/yr | higher than 55% of US counties |
| Property tax rate | 0.69% | lower than 61% of US counties |
| Sales tax | 0% | the lowest in the US |
| State income tax | 8.75% | higher than 97% of US counties |
| Property tax paid / yr | $1,893 | higher than 60% of US counties |
Jobs & Career
| Median household income | $55,284 | lower than 78% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 4.6% | higher than 70% of US counties |
| Job growth (5 yr) | +17.1% | higher than 96% of US counties |
| Jobs per 1k residents | 118 | lower than 94% of US counties |
Climate & Environment
| Sunny days / yr | ≈212 days | lower than 52% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| ≈ Regional estimate: satellite grid cell about 100 km across. Nearby counties can share it. | ||
| July high | 82°F | lower than 81% of US counties |
| January low | 27°F | higher than 61% of US counties |
| Annual snowfall | ≈12 in | lower than 50% of US counties |
| ≈ Weather station: Ashwood, OR, 34 mi from where the county’s people live. | ||
| Hot days (90°F+) | ≈27 days | lower than 57% of US counties |
| ≈ Weather station: Fossil, OR, 13 mi from where the county’s people live. | ||
| Freezing days (32°F or colder) | ≈127 days | higher than 62% of US counties |
| ≈ Weather station: Fossil, OR, 13 mi from where the county’s people live. | ||
| Severe drought | 23.8% of weeks | higher than 86% of US counties |
| Summer dew point | ≈45.2°F | lower than 92% of US counties |
| ≈ Regional estimate: NASA grid cell about 50 km across, read at where the county’s people live. Nearby counties can share it. | ||
| Annual precipitation | 15.2 in | lower than 93% of US counties |
| Disaster damage per $100k | $393/yr | higher than 97% of US counties |
| Flood damage per $100k | $228/yr | higher than 97% of US counties |
| Hurricane damage per $100k | $0/yr | the lowest in the US |
| Earthquake damage per $100k | $2.8/yr | higher than 50% of US counties |
| Tornado damage per $100k | $0.07/yr | lower than 97% of US counties |
| Wildfire damage per $100k | $159/yr | higher than 99% of US counties |
| PM2.5 air pollution | 7.9 µg/m³ | higher than 51% of US counties |
| Distance to coast | 194.2 mi | lower than 52% of US counties |
| Terrain relief | ≈4,060 ft | higher than 92% of US counties |
| ≈ Estimated from about 75 elevation points sampled across the county, so the true range is usually somewhat larger. | ||
Education & Health
| % Adults with a high school diploma | 91% | higher than 57% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| % Adults with a bachelor's degree | 18.8% | lower than 68% of US counties |
| % Adults with a graduate degree | 7.1% | lower than 53% of US counties |
| Colleges within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Student-teacher ratio | 28.1:1 | higher than 99% of US counties |
| On-time high school graduation | 48.5% | lower than 99% of US counties |
| 8th-grade math (grade level) | N/A | |
| 8th-grade reading (grade level) | N/A | |
| 3rd-grade math (grade level) | N/A | |
| Library visits per resident | 1.9 | lower than 59% of US counties |
| Primary care docs / 100k | 0/100k | the lowest in the US |
| Hospitals within 25 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Hospital quality (avg stars) | N/A | |
| Life expectancy | N/A | |
| % Uninsured (under 65) | 7.6% | lower than 65% of US counties |
| Mental health providers / 100k | 275/100k | higher than 75% of US counties |
| Dentists / 100k | 209/100k | higher than 99% of US counties |
| Lyme disease cases | 0/100k | the lowest in the US |
| % Near parks or rec facilities | 12.6% | lower than 96% of US counties |
Transit & Connectivity
| Airport drive time | 88 min | higher than 87% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Int'l airport drive time | 181 min | higher than 82% of US counties |
| Avg commute | 24 min | lower than 47% of US counties |
| Broadband coverage | 81.5% | lower than 83% of US counties |
| Transit commute share | 3.9% | higher than 98% of US counties |
| Work-from-home share | 19.9% | higher than 96% of US counties |
| Drive to a big city | 176 min | higher than 71% of US counties |
| Street intersections | 1 per sq mi | lower than 95% of US counties |
Community & Safety
| Violent crime | 1.8 per 1k | lower than 54% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Property crime | 5.5 per 1k | lower than 66% of US counties |
| Population | 1,485 | lower than 98% of US counties |
| Median age | 59.3 | higher than 99% of US counties |
| Net domestic migration | +10.7 per 1k/yr | higher than 81% of US counties |
| % Democratic vote | 24.3% Dem | lower than 61% of US counties |
| % Republican vote | 71.4% Rep | higher than 53% of US counties |
| % Third-party vote | 4.3% | higher than 99% of US counties |
| % White | 83.3% | higher than 55% of US counties |
| % Hispanic or Latino | 4.8% | lower than 52% of US counties |
| % Black | 0% | the lowest in the US |
| % Asian | 0.5% | lower than 55% of US counties |
| % American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.1% | lower than 50% of US counties |
| % Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0% | the lowest in the US |
| % Two or more races | 10.2% | higher than 98% of US counties |
| % Some other race | 1.1% | higher than 95% of US counties |
Recreation & Lifestyle
| Parks & protected areas | 257 parks | higher than 80% of US counties |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants / 10k | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Arts & rec venues / 10k | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Drive to dark skies | Dark here | the lowest in the US |
| Lakes & rivers | 0% | the lowest in the US |
| Ski areas within 90 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Golf courses within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Marinas & boat tours within 90 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Trails (km) within 30 mi | 165 km | lower than 52% of US counties |
| Named paved greenways (km) within 15 mi | 0 km | lower than 57% of US counties |
| Gyms & fitness centers within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Bars within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Music & theater companies within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Museums within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Breweries within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Wineries within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Theme parks & arcades within 90 mi | 5 | lower than 73% of US counties |
| Casinos & casino hotels within 90 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Campgrounds & RV parks within 30 mi | 0 | the lowest in the US |
| Sports teams & arenas within 90 mi | 7 | lower than 63% of US counties |
| Bike paths (km) within 15 mi | 3 km | lower than 59% of US counties |
Most similar counties
Closest across all well-covered metrics.
Every number is from a public dataset; N/A means the source doesn't cover this county. Percentages compare against all US counties. ≈ marks a value not measured in the county itself; the line under it says where it comes from. Report bad data