97850 ZIP Code — La Grande, OR

Union County, Oregon

ZIP code 97850 is located in La Grande, Oregon, within Union County. It covers approximately 320.24 square miles and serves a population of 16,646 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 541.

About ZIP code 97850

The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $243,600. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 60%.

Median household income is $58,821. SNAP benefit usage at 23% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 39% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 13 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 25% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 97850 reflects a community defined by a significant Social Security-dependent population and elevated reliance on food assistance.

16,646

population

320.24

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

97850 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 97850

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 97850. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
La Grande	Acceptable
La Grande	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

97867 North Powder (16.2 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	16,646
Population density	52 / sq mi
State FIPS	41
County FIPS	061

Geography
Land area	320.24 sq mi
Water area	0.41 sq mi
Latitude	45.2211
Longitude	-118.2634
Timezone	Pacific (PT)
Area code	541

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.1%	47.5%	38.1%
$50k – $100k	31.7%	33.5%	31.4%
$100k – $200k	16.1%	16.2%	23.2%
Over $200k	3.1%	2.8%	7.2%

Demographics & statistics

16,646

Population

People per sq mi

37.0

Median age

$58,821

Median household income

$30,624

Per capita income

$243,600

Median home value

$916

Median monthly rent

60.1%

Home ownership

17.2%

Poverty rate

6.7%

Unemployment

4,675

Housing units

25.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

407

Under 5

424

592

5–9

615

477

10–14

495

569

15–19

592

834

20–24

867

1,017

25–34

1,057

978

35–44

1,016

675

45–54

702

436

55–59

454

577

60–64

599

944

65–74

982

478

75–84

496

178

85+

185

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,628	21.8%
18 and over	13,018	78.2%
65 and over	3,263	19.6%
Median age	37.0 years

Race & ethnicity

White 87.1%

Two or more races 3.4%

Hispanic or Latino 2.4%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 2%

Other race 1.5%

Asian 1.5%

American Indian / Alaska Native 1.1%

Black or African American 1%

Group	Count	%
White	14,862	87.1%
Two or more races	574	3.4%
Hispanic or Latino	416	2.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	334	2%
Other race	264	1.5%
Asian	251	1.5%
American Indian / Alaska Native	190	1.1%
Black or African American	171	1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	49.1%	47.5%	38.1%
$50k – $100k	31.7%	33.5%	31.4%
$100k – $200k	16.1%	16.2%	23.2%
Over $200k	3.1%	2.8%	7.2%

Under $10k 4.7%

$10k–$15k 6.2%

$15k–$25k 9.2%

$25k–$35k 9.7%

$35k–$50k 14.5%

$50k–$75k 16.4%

$75k–$100k 13.9%

$100k–$150k 15.7%

$150k–$200k 5.9%

$200k+ 3.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.7%
$10k–$15k	6.2%
$15k–$25k	9.2%
$25k–$35k	9.7%
$35k–$50k	14.5%
$50k–$75k	16.4%
$75k–$100k	13.9%
$100k–$150k	15.7%
$150k–$200k	5.9%
$200k+	3.9%
Median income	$58,821

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 10.0%

$50k–$100k 2.5%

$100k–$150k 7.3%

$150k–$200k 16.0%

$200k–$300k 28.7%

$300k–$500k 25.1%

$500k–$1M 9.9%

$1M+ 0.5%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$243,600
Median rent / month	$916
Owner occupied	60.1%
Renter occupied	39.9%
Vacant	7.6%
Single-family detached	64.3%
Large apartment buildings	8.2%
Mobile homes	11.2%
Median rooms	5.5
Avg household size (owned)	2.43

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	5.9%
2000–2009	6.7%
1990–1999	11.4%
1980–1989	12.3%
1970–1979	14.9%
1960–1969	7.9%
1950–1959	7.0%
1940–1949	5.0%
1939 or earlier	28.9%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.7%
1 bedroom	12.1%
2 bedrooms	28.4%
3 bedrooms	37.3%
4 bedrooms	14.7%
5+ bedrooms	3.8%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	10.0%
1 vehicle	26.9%
2 vehicles	37.0%
3 or more	26.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	49.8%
Electricity	35.6%
Propane / LP gas	3.6%
Fuel oil	0.8%
Wood	7.4%
Solar	0.6%
No fuel used	1.0%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	3,000	43.8%
Cohabiting couple	608	8.9%
Male householder, no spouse	1,296	18.9%
Female householder, no spouse	1,940	28.3%
Households with children under 18	1,818	26.6%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,399	35.1%
Average household size	2.35

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	36.7%	28.9%
Married	48.7%	43.0%
Separated	1.3%	2.4%
Widowed	4.3%	10.5%
Divorced	9.0%	15.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 1.7%

Some HS, no diploma 4.4%

HS graduate 33.9%

Some college, no degree 27.4%

Associate's degree 7.5%

Bachelor's degree 18.0%

Graduate / professional 7.0%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	93.9%
Bachelor's or higher	25.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	285	7.1%
Kindergarten	215	5.3%
Elementary school	1,709	42.5%
High school	732	18.2%
College / grad school	1,080	26.9%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 25.3%

Retail trade 13.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 11.5%

Manufacturing 10.0%

Transportation & utilities 7.4%

Professional & management 6.1%

Construction 5.9%

Public administration 5.8%

Agriculture & mining 4.8%

Finance & real estate 3.8%

Other services 3.8%

Wholesale trade 1.2%

Information 1.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	31.5%
Service	23.8%
Sales & office	19.1%
Natural resources & construction	9.3%
Production & transportation	16.3%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	73.5%
Government	20.3%
Self-employed	6.0%
Unpaid family workers	0.2%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	72.3%
Carpool	10.7%
Public transit	0.3%
Walk	6.9%
Work from home	7.4%
Other means	2.4%
Avg commute (minutes)	13.3

Poverty

All people 17.2%

Under 18 years 19.2%

18 and over 16.6%

Married-couple families 5.8%

Female-led households 30.5%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	38.5%
Retirement income	28.3%
Supplemental Security	6.5%
Cash public assistance	5.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	23.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	30.6%
High blood pressure	30.6%
High cholesterol	30.1%
Diabetes	9.7%
Heart disease	6.7%
Stroke	3.3%
Asthma	11.2%
Arthritis	24.8%
Kidney disease	3.1%
Pulmonary disease	7.3%
Cancer	6.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	16.7%
Binge drinking	17.8%
No physical activity	19.9%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	30.6%
Depression	23.2%
Fair or poor health	14.8%
Poor mental health	15.9%
Poor physical health	10.8%
No health insurance	11.1%
Visited doctor (checkup)	72.6%
Visited dentist	64.2%
Cholesterol screening	87.0%
Teeth loss	16.1%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	1,012	7.8%

Disability	%
Any disability	16.9%
Under 18	4.0%
18–64 years	15.0%
65 and over	37.6%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	62.7%
Public insurance	47.4%
No insurance	6.2%
Uninsured under 19	3.7%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	15,815	95.0%
Spanish	235	1.5%
Other Indo-European	81	0.5%
Asian & Pacific Islander	28	0.2%
Other languages	126	0.8%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	16,090	96.7%
Born in same state	15,966	95.9%
Born in different state	9,517	57.2%
Foreign born	124	0.7%
Naturalized citizen	556	3.3%
Not a US citizen	178	32.0%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	2,302	13.8%
Italian	1,567	9.4%
Arab	970	5.8%
Polish	434	2.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	200	1.2%
Dutch	123	0.7%
German	50	0.3%
Irish	29	0.2%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	41.1%
Internet access	93.4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 97850

What city is ZIP code 97850 in?

ZIP code 97850 is primarily assigned to La Grande, Oregon.

What county is ZIP code 97850 in?

ZIP code 97850 falls within Union County, Oregon.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 97850?

17% of residents in ZIP code 97850 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

Does ZIP code 97850 have a large retiree population?

39% of households in ZIP code 97850 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 97850?

ZIP code 97850 has an estimated population of 16,646 residents, with a density of 52 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 97850?

The median household income in ZIP code 97850 is $58,821, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 97850 in?

ZIP code 97850 observes the PST timezone.