Jobs, pay and daily life in Pendleton, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Pendleton is a city in Oregon with 16,950 residents. The median household earns $66,563 a year and the median rent is $956 a month, which is 17.2% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Pendleton compares. Among the 60 largest places in Oregon, Pendleton is #41 by population, #2 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #49 for remote work (#1 = most), #48 for household income (#1 = highest). Its county, Umatilla County, is #16 of 36 counties for average pay ($55,594).
Pendleton has 16,950 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.4% of the population of Oregon. It covers 12 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,464 people per square mile. The median age is 36.9, 9% younger than the state median (36.9 against 40.4).
The median gross rent is $956 a month (rent plus utilities), 37% below the state median ($956 against $1,525). Over a year that is 17.2% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $287,100, which is 4.3 times the median household income ($66,563). 56.5% of households own their home, 11% below the state average (56.5% against 63.3%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Umatilla County was 4.0%. 52.6% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Umatilla County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 75.7% drive alone, 0.8% use public transit, 3.4% walk, 7.9% work from home. 7.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 40% below the state average (7.0% against 11.6%).
24.7% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 33% below the state share (24.7% against 36.8%). 2.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 71% below the state share (2.9% against 9.8%). The poverty rate is 15.0%, 26% above the state rate (15.0% against 11.9%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 71°F (21.5°C), and the coolest is Dec at 31°F (-0.3°C). About 520 mm (20 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (71 mm) and Jul the driest (8 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Hermiston (25 miles, rent 14% higher); Walla Walla (36 miles, rent 38% higher); Kennewick (40 miles, rent 30% higher); La Grande (43 miles, similar rent). Rent differences are against Pendleton; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Oregon (788) →State guide: OregonCountry guideUmatilla CountyOregon rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 788 federal postings open in Oregon (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 27.3% |
| Retail trade | 12.4% |
| Public administration | 12.1% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 10.4% |
| Manufacturing | 8.7% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 8.2% |
| Other services | 6.3% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.2% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 3.0% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 2.6% |
| Construction | 1.5% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.8% |
| Information | 0.5% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Pendleton lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Umatilla County | 79,940 | $4,552 million | $56,937 | 33,030 | 2,534 | $55,594 | -1.4% | 4.0% | 37,926 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 4,313 | 17.0% | $59,851 | 0.91 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 3,576 | 14.1% | $43,834 | 13.38 |
| Retail trade | 3,379 | 13.3% | $36,514 | 1.02 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,783 | 10.9% | $23,982 | 0.93 |
| Manufacturing | 2,630 | 10.3% | $55,239 | 0.97 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 2,179 | 8.6% | $61,574 | 1.56 |
| Construction | 1,494 | 5.9% | $69,923 | 0.86 |
| Wholesale trade | 1,001 | 3.9% | $67,100 | 0.77 |
| Information | 779 | 3.1% | $121,559 | 1.26 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 776 | 3.1% | $39,639 | 0.78 |
| Administrative and waste services | 769 | 3.0% | $44,899 | 0.40 |
| Professional and technical services | 486 | 1.9% | $64,699 | 0.21 |
| Finance and insurance | 476 | 1.9% | $73,046 | 0.36 |
| Real estate and rental | 246 | 1.0% | $46,036 | 0.48 |
| Utilities | 220 | 0.9% | $134,553 | 1.75 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 165 | 0.6% | $18,760 | 0.30 |
| Management of companies | 70 | 0.3% | $80,887 | 0.13 |
| Educational services | 64 | 0.3% | $49,460 | 0.09 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 22 | 0.1% | $68,695 | 0.18 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 75.7% |
| Public transit | 0.8% |
| Walk | 3.4% |
| Work from home | 7.9% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 7.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,563 |
| Income per person | $31,052 |
| Median gross rent per month | $956 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 17.2% |
| Median home value | $287,100 |
| Homeowners | 56.5% |
| Poverty rate | 15.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 9.90%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 36.9 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 90.6% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 24.7% |
| Born abroad | 2.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 52.6% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.1 | 32 | 60 |
| Feb | 1.3 | 34 | 49 |
| Mar | 4.6 | 40 | 58 |
| Apr | 7.6 | 46 | 51 |
| May | 12.6 | 55 | 56 |
| Jun | 16.2 | 61 | 40 |
| Jul | 21.5 | 71 | 8 |
| Aug | 20.9 | 70 | 13 |
| Sep | 16.3 | 61 | 19 |
| Oct | 9.7 | 49 | 41 |
| Nov | 3.8 | 39 | 54 |
| Dec | -0.3 | 31 | 71 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hermiston | OR | 25 mi | 19,546 | $66,998 | $1,088 |
| Walla Walla | WA | 36 mi | 33,925 | $66,748 | $1,323 |
| Kennewick | WA | 40 mi | 85,295 | $73,576 | $1,240 |
| La Grande | OR | 43 mi | 13,058 | $58,427 | $968 |
| Pasco | WA | 43 mi | 79,575 | $85,586 | $1,227 |
| Richland | WA | 48 mi | 62,753 | $95,813 | $1,468 |
| Lewiston | ID | 101 mi | 34,651 | $72,197 | $1,027 |
| Moses Lake | WA | 103 mi | 26,083 | $74,752 | $1,216 |
| Yakima | WA | 104 mi | 96,961 | $62,815 | $1,117 |
| Pullman | WA | 108 mi | 32,229 | $46,812 | $1,062 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
16,950 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$956 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 17.2% of the median household income.
$66,563 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.0% (BLS county, Umatilla County (latest month 2026M09)).
Oregon. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.