Jobs, pay and daily life in St. Helens, 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.
St. Helens is a city in Oregon with 14,258 residents. The median household earns $82,865 a year and the median rent is $1,413 a month, which is 20.5% of the median household income. It is part of the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 1,208,410 jobs.
How St. Helens compares. Among the 60 largest places in Oregon, St. Helens is #47 by population, #60 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #53 for college degrees (#1 = most), #26 for rent (#1 = cheapest). Its county, Columbia County, is #18 of 36 counties for average pay ($54,228).
St. Helens has 14,258 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Oregon. It covers 5 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,936 people per square mile. The median age is 39.8, about the same as the state median (39.8 against 40.4).
The median gross rent is $1,413 a month (rent plus utilities), 7% below the state median ($1,413 against $1,525). Over a year that is 20.5% 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 $394,200, which is 4.8 times the median household income ($82,865). 62.0% of households own their home, about the same as the state average (62.0% against 63.3%).
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metropolitan area has 1,208,410 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $60,690 a year, 19% above the national median ($60,690 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (127,020 jobs, median $52,840); food preparation and serving related (107,090 jobs, median $39,080); transportation and material moving (104,320 jobs, median $47,340). The area is most specialised in architecture and engineering (1.8 times) and community and social service (1.4 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($136,440) and computer and mathematical ($126,120). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Columbia County was 4.8%. 58.8% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Columbia County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 63.8% drive alone, 0.1% use public transit, 2.2% walk, 13.2% work from home. 30.7% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 164% above the state average (30.7% against 11.6%).
16.9% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 54% below the state share (16.9% against 36.8%). 3.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 60% below the state share (3.9% against 9.8%). The poverty rate is 10.0%, 16% below the state rate (10.0% against 11.9%).
The warmest month is Aug, averaging 62°F (16.9°C), and the coolest is Dec at 38°F (3.1°C). About 1,603 mm (63 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (259 mm) and Jul the driest (15 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: Salmon Creek (13 miles, rent 15% higher); Battle Ground (14 miles, rent 12% higher); Hazel Dell (14 miles, rent 24% higher); Five Corners (17 miles, rent 49% higher). Rent differences are against St. Helens; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Oregon (788) →State guide: OregonCountry guideColumbia 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.
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 34,840 | 1.16 | $35,620 | $34,280 | $45,320 | +14% |
| Retail Salespersons | 28,230 | 0.93 | $37,340 | $34,650 | $50,190 | +5% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 26,750 | 1.21 | $44,440 | $37,120 | $55,200 | +19% |
| Registered Nurses | 24,220 | 0.92 | $130,310 | $97,180 | $155,650 | +34% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 22,860 | 0.68 | $45,570 | $39,120 | $52,900 | +27% |
| General and Operations Managers | 21,070 | 0.77 | $121,050 | $62,140 | $280,300 | +14% |
| Cashiers | 20,150 | 0.84 | $36,560 | $33,940 | $47,390 | +11% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 18,640 | 0.81 | $46,100 | $36,870 | $61,210 | +15% |
| Software Developers | 18,260 | 1.39 | $156,000 | $94,040 | $213,540 | +15% |
| Office Clerks, General | 15,920 | 0.83 | $50,640 | $37,440 | $70,310 | +13% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 14,620 | 0.85 | $41,170 | $35,530 | $58,720 | +12% |
| Project Management Specialists | 14,440 | 1.74 | $108,340 | $67,370 | $177,090 | +6% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 14,370 | 0.90 | $63,800 | $49,090 | $85,590 | +9% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 13,910 | 0.79 | $54,780 | $33,980 | $81,630 | +55% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 13,510 | 1.02 | $55,360 | $40,640 | $72,750 | +16% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 13,020 | 1.19 | $45,200 | $37,510 | $61,430 | +21% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 12,720 | 0.63 | $48,650 | $37,750 | $64,990 | +9% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 12,500 | 1.13 | $45,280 | $31,360 | $57,180 | +23% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 12,170 | 1.14 | $57,040 | $40,260 | $75,490 | +13% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 10,900 | 1.29 | $79,660 | $54,220 | $135,390 | -4% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executives | 690 | 0.43 | $375,810 | $191,880 | $772,850 | +76% |
| Physicians, All Other | 2,940 | 1.10 | $333,860 | $112,020 | $408,660 | +26% |
| Family Medicine Physicians | 700 | 0.83 | $286,170 | $190,510 | $318,170 | +17% |
| Dentists, General | 990 | 1.02 | $209,440 | $140,300 | $373,870 | +23% |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | 660 | 2.29 | $206,220 | $131,020 | $351,690 | +47% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 5,680 | 1.09 | $183,720 | $120,350 | $274,530 | +5% |
| Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers | 670 | 0.83 | $173,190 | $100,260 | $424,850 | -25% |
| Marketing Managers | 4,050 | 1.32 | $172,610 | $100,130 | $286,640 | +3% |
| Pharmacists | 2,070 | 0.83 | $168,830 | $127,100 | $196,500 | +20% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 1,040 | 1.23 | $165,200 | $118,300 | $237,750 | -1% |
| Financial Managers | 5,550 | 0.85 | $164,680 | $103,590 | $292,310 | -1% |
| Physician Assistants | 1,110 | 0.88 | $163,810 | $105,180 | $216,960 | +21% |
| Sales Managers | 3,910 | 0.79 | $162,640 | $94,000 | $282,690 | +10% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 1,390 | 0.56 | $158,890 | $130,270 | $200,720 | +20% |
| Software Developers | 18,260 | 1.39 | $156,000 | $94,040 | $213,540 | +15% |
| Lawyers | 5,170 | 0.88 | $155,330 | $75,000 | $285,800 | -3% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 3,210 | 0.69 | $151,260 | $93,360 | $336,600 | +22% |
| Purchasing Managers | 740 | 1.13 | $149,030 | $97,030 | $214,510 | +1% |
| Human Resources Managers | 2,010 | 1.17 | $148,900 | $100,790 | $258,630 | -0% |
| Construction Managers | 2,690 | 0.91 | $146,740 | $88,500 | $217,570 | +28% |
These figures are for the whole Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $60,690 (US $50,980); unemployment 4.1% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 17.2% |
| Manufacturing | 16.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 12.3% |
| Construction | 10.6% |
| Retail trade | 10.5% |
| Other services | 7.3% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 6.6% |
| Public administration | 5.7% |
| Wholesale trade | 4.0% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.4% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.0% |
| Information | 1.8% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 1.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where St. Helens 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia County | 53,493 | $2,079 million | $38,874 | 11,981 | 1,445 | $54,228 | +0.7% | 4.8% | 26,694 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 1,592 | 15.9% | $36,291 | 1.33 |
| Health care and social assistance | 1,547 | 15.4% | $48,710 | 0.90 |
| Manufacturing | 1,483 | 14.8% | $68,331 | 1.51 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,335 | 13.3% | $24,783 | 1.23 |
| Administrative and waste services | 758 | 7.6% | $48,881 | 1.07 |
| Construction | 683 | 6.8% | $68,823 | 1.09 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 475 | 4.7% | $36,010 | 1.32 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 414 | 4.1% | $56,175 | 0.82 |
| Professional and technical services | 364 | 3.6% | $65,696 | 0.44 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 338 | 3.4% | $48,819 | 3.49 |
| Finance and insurance | 284 | 2.8% | $70,377 | 0.58 |
| Wholesale trade | 179 | 1.8% | $71,219 | 0.38 |
| Utilities | 117 | 1.2% | $154,053 | 2.57 |
| Real estate and rental | 116 | 1.2% | $43,161 | 0.62 |
| Educational services | 88 | 0.9% | $56,009 | 0.36 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 86 | 0.9% | $103,475 | 1.90 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 74 | 0.7% | $11,691 | 0.37 |
| Information | 70 | 0.7% | $76,273 | 0.31 |
| Management of companies | 28 | 0.3% | $76,268 | 0.14 |
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 | 63.8% |
| Public transit | 0.1% |
| Walk | 2.2% |
| Work from home | 13.2% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 30.7% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $82,865 |
| Income per person | $37,404 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,413 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 20.5% |
| Median home value | $394,200 |
| Homeowners | 62.0% |
| Poverty rate | 10.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 105.4 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $60,690 |
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 | 39.8 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 89.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 16.9% |
| Born abroad | 3.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 58.8% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.5 | 38 | 237 |
| Feb | 3.9 | 39 | 152 |
| Mar | 5.9 | 43 | 191 |
| Apr | 8.0 | 46 | 125 |
| May | 11.4 | 53 | 80 |
| Jun | 13.7 | 57 | 55 |
| Jul | 16.6 | 62 | 15 |
| Aug | 16.9 | 62 | 25 |
| Sep | 14.7 | 58 | 65 |
| Oct | 10.1 | 50 | 155 |
| Nov | 5.9 | 43 | 244 |
| Dec | 3.1 | 38 | 259 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salmon Creek | WA | 13 mi | 20,017 | $111,631 | $1,631 |
| Battle Ground | WA | 14 mi | 21,886 | $104,977 | $1,576 |
| Hazel Dell | WA | 14 mi | 23,237 | $86,305 | $1,753 |
| Five Corners | WA | 17 mi | 21,194 | $106,192 | $2,111 |
| Orchards | WA | 18 mi | 29,438 | $100,146 | $1,784 |
| Vancouver | WA | 19 mi | 195,300 | $81,338 | $1,702 |
| Bethany | OR | 20 mi | 33,106 | $167,735 | $2,245 |
| Longview | WA | 21 mi | 38,069 | $61,747 | $1,137 |
| Oak Hills | OR | 22 mi | 11,131 | $127,179 | $1,935 |
| Cedar Mill | OR | 22 mi | 19,471 | $164,079 | $1,882 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
14,258 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,413 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 20.5% of the median household income.
$82,865 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.8% (BLS county, Columbia County (latest month 2026M09)).
Oregon. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.