97862 ZIP Code — Milton Freewater, OR

Umatilla County, Oregon

ZIP code 97862 is located in Milton Freewater, Oregon, within Umatilla County. It covers approximately 292.91 square miles and serves a population of 12,460 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Pacific (PT) timezone, served by area code 541/458.

About ZIP code 97862

The housing stock consists of a higher-than-average concentration of mobile homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $209,500. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 63%.

Median household income is $52,699. SNAP benefit usage at 26% of households reflects economic stress in the area. 45% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is service, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 20 minutes is near the national average.

College attainment at 13% is below the national average, consistent with a trades and production-oriented local economy.

Overall, ZIP code 97862 reflects a community defined by a trades-oriented workforce, a significant Social Security-dependent population, and elevated reliance on food assistance.

12,460

population

292.91

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Pacific (PT)

timezone

97862 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 97862

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 97862. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Milton Freewater	Acceptable
Milton Freewater	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

97886 Weston (6.1 mi) 97813 Athena (11.7 mi) 99324 College Place (11.8 mi) 97810 Adams (14 mi) 99329 Dixie (18 mi) 99362 Walla Walla (18.3 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	12,460
Population density	43 / sq mi
State FIPS	41
County FIPS	059

Geography
Land area	292.91 sq mi
Water area	0.02 sq mi
Latitude	45.8853
Longitude	-118.3098
Timezone	Pacific (PT)
Area code	541/458

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	51.3%	43.4%	38.1%
$50k – $100k	34.2%	34.5%	31.4%
$100k – $200k	11.4%	18.8%	23.2%
Over $200k	3.0%	3.2%	7.2%

Demographics & statistics

12,460

Population

People per sq mi

38.3

Median age

$52,699

Median household income

$25,084

Per capita income

$209,500

Median home value

$752

Median monthly rent

62.7%

Home ownership

12.9%

Poverty rate

5.9%

Unemployment

3,439

Housing units

12.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

529

Under 5

536

360

5–9

364

491

10–14

498

331

15–19

336

321

20–24

325

956

25–34

968

586

35–44

594

643

45–54

651

334

55–59

339

438

60–64

443

574

65–74

582

436

75–84

442

190

85+

193

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	3,294	26.4%
18 and over	9,166	73.6%
65 and over	2,417	19.4%
Median age	38.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 66.2%

Hispanic or Latino 13.2%

Other race 11.2%

Two or more races 6.3%

American Indian / Alaska Native 2.6%

Asian 0.3%

Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	9,503	66.2%
Hispanic or Latino	1,899	13.2%
Other race	1,602	11.2%
Two or more races	907	6.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	378	2.6%
Asian	49	0.3%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	21	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	51.3%	43.4%	38.1%
$50k – $100k	34.2%	34.5%	31.4%
$100k – $200k	11.4%	18.8%	23.2%
Over $200k	3.0%	3.2%	7.2%

Under $10k 2.8%

$10k–$15k 4.7%

$15k–$25k 20.7%

$25k–$35k 6.9%

$35k–$50k 12.5%

$50k–$75k 15.1%

$75k–$100k 15.8%

$100k–$150k 13.0%

$150k–$200k 3.7%

$200k+ 4.8%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	2.8%
$10k–$15k	4.7%
$15k–$25k	20.7%
$25k–$35k	6.9%
$35k–$50k	12.5%
$50k–$75k	15.1%
$75k–$100k	15.8%
$100k–$150k	13.0%
$150k–$200k	3.7%
$200k+	4.8%
Median income	$52,699

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 13.5%

$50k–$100k 9.9%

$100k–$150k 14.5%

$150k–$200k 10.4%

$200k–$300k 17.9%

$300k–$500k 23.3%

$500k–$1M 8.4%

$1M+ 2.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$209,500
Median rent / month	$752
Owner occupied	62.7%
Renter occupied	37.3%
Vacant	13.3%
Single-family detached	54.9%
Large apartment buildings	7.7%
Mobile homes	19.8%
Median rooms	5.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.76

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.1%
2010–2019	2.9%
2000–2009	5.5%
1990–1999	15.8%
1980–1989	16.2%
1970–1979	20.0%
1960–1969	8.5%
1950–1959	15.4%
1940–1949	7.1%
1939 or earlier	8.5%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	0.1%
1 bedroom	12.5%
2 bedrooms	35.1%
3 bedrooms	39.7%
4 bedrooms	9.6%
5+ bedrooms	3.0%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	8.9%
1 vehicle	23.8%
2 vehicles	36.3%
3 or more	31.1%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	5.3%
Electricity	82.8%
Propane / LP gas	3.7%
Fuel oil	2.7%
Wood	4.8%
No fuel used	0.5%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,771	40.1%
Cohabiting couple	400	9.1%
Male householder, no spouse	937	21.2%
Female householder, no spouse	1,303	29.5%
Households with children under 18	1,534	34.8%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,646	37.3%
Average household size	2.79

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	37.2%	29.3%
Married	41.7%	39.8%
Separated	2.5%	3.0%
Widowed	4.1%	11.7%
Divorced	14.5%	16.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 7.0%

Some HS, no diploma 12.0%

HS graduate 31.0%

Some college, no degree 26.0%

Associate's degree 11.0%

Bachelor's degree 8.9%

Graduate / professional 4.1%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	81.0%
Bachelor's or higher	12.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	171	5.9%
Kindergarten	284	9.8%
Elementary school	1,323	45.5%
High school	651	22.4%
College / grad school	477	16.4%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 30.9%

Retail trade 14.6%

Public administration 8.5%

Manufacturing 7.8%

Agriculture & mining 6.4%

Construction 6.3%

Professional & management 5.3%

Arts, food & hospitality 5.3%

Other services 4.6%

Transportation & utilities 3.6%

Wholesale trade 3.2%

Finance & real estate 3.0%

Information 0.6%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	25.2%
Service	28.8%
Sales & office	20.0%
Natural resources & construction	12.2%
Production & transportation	13.8%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	69.8%
Government	21.5%
Self-employed	7.7%
Unpaid family workers	1.1%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	74.7%
Carpool	14.3%
Public transit	0.4%
Walk	1.1%
Work from home	6.9%
Other means	2.5%
Avg commute (minutes)	19.6

Poverty

All people 12.9%

Under 18 years 17.4%

18 and over 11.3%

Married-couple families 5.9%

Female-led households 19.8%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	45.0%
Retirement income	27.2%
Supplemental Security	5.5%
Cash public assistance	7.1%
Food stamps / SNAP	26.2%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.4%
High blood pressure	31.1%
High cholesterol	29.8%
Diabetes	11.4%
Heart disease	7.4%
Stroke	3.7%
Asthma	10.7%
Arthritis	26.0%
Kidney disease	3.4%
Pulmonary disease	7.9%
Cancer	6.9%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	17.7%
Binge drinking	16.2%
No physical activity	23.8%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.4%
Depression	22.7%
Fair or poor health	17.6%
Poor mental health	15.6%
Poor physical health	12.0%
No health insurance	17.4%
Visited doctor (checkup)	71.9%
Visited dentist	57.6%
Cholesterol screening	88.0%
Teeth loss	17.3%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	518	5.7%

Disability	%
Any disability	17.5%
Under 18	2.7%
18–64 years	17.9%
65 and over	37.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	57.9%
Public insurance	56.4%
No insurance	6.6%
Uninsured under 19	2.5%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	11,395	91.5%
Spanish	819	7.2%
Other Indo-European	800	7.0%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	0	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	11,223	90.1%
Born in same state	11,198	89.9%
Born in different state	2,554	20.5%
Foreign born	25	0.2%
Naturalized citizen	1,237	9.9%
Not a US citizen	459	37.1%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	1,107	8.9%
French	1,013	8.1%
Arab	839	6.7%
Polish	357	2.9%

Ancestry	Count	%
English	96	0.8%
Dutch	59	0.5%
German	37	0.3%
Norwegian	9	0.1%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	35.4%
Internet access	91.0%

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

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 97862

What city is ZIP code 97862 in?

ZIP code 97862 is primarily assigned to Milton Freewater, Oregon.

What county is ZIP code 97862 in?

ZIP code 97862 falls within Umatilla County, Oregon.

How educated is the population of ZIP code 97862?

13% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher — below the national average of ~33%, consistent with a trades-oriented local economy.

Does ZIP code 97862 have a large retiree population?

45% of households in ZIP code 97862 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the population of ZIP code 97862?

ZIP code 97862 has an estimated population of 12,460 residents, with a density of 43 people per square mile.

What is the median household income in ZIP code 97862?

The median household income in ZIP code 97862 is $52,699, below the national median of ~$75,000.

What timezone is ZIP code 97862 in?

ZIP code 97862 observes the PST timezone.