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About The Dalles
The Dalles is the county seat and largest city of Wasco County, on the Columbia River about 75 miles east of Portland, inside the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. According to Wikipedia, the U.S. Army founded a post on the site of the old Wascopam Mission in 1850, a post office followed in 1851, and the city was incorporated in 1857. The name probably comes from a French word for the rapids and flat rock along the river.
The Dalles in numbers
| Measure | The Dalles |
|---|---|
| Population, 2020 Census | 16,010 |
| Population, ACS 2020-2024 | 15,917 |
| Population, Portland State University certified estimate, July 1, 2025 | 16,223 (+1.3% since 2020) |
| Households | 6,525 |
| Owner-occupied share of households | 63.2% |
| Median household income | $62,614 (margin of error about $5,500) |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $360,800 (margin of error about $22,400) |
| Median age | 38.5 (margin of error 1.2) |
| Residents aged 65 and over | 20.1% |
| Owner-occupied homes valued at $300,000 or more | 2,649 of 4,123 (64.2%) |
| Business establishments, ZIP 97058 | 624 |
| Paid employees at those establishments | 7,145 |
A plain reading
The Dalles is about twice the size of Hood River and a good deal more affordable. The median home value is about $360,000, roughly half of Hood River's, and about two in three owner-occupied homes are valued at $300,000 or more. Median household income is about $62,600. Nearly two in three households own their home, and one resident in five is 65 or older.
The business count covers ZIP code 97058, which reaches beyond the city limit. It shows 624 establishments with paid employees. The Census marks the employee total as an estimate with some added noise. The home-value and income figures are estimates with the margins of error shown above.
How we got these numbers
- Households, tenure, income, home value, age and home-value brackets come from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates for 2020-2024, tables B01003, B11001, B25003, B19013, B25077, B01002, B01001 and B25075, read through Census Reporter. Dollars are 2024 inflation-adjusted ACS dollars. The city is Census place 4172950.
- The 2020 population of 16,010 is the Census count as reported by Wikipedia. The Census Bureau's own data service would not answer an anonymous request, so we did not pull it directly.
- The 2025 figure of 16,223 is the certified estimate from Portland State University's Population Research Center, as published in the League of Oregon Cities population list.
- Business counts are from Census ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023 for ZIP code 97058. They are by ZIP code, not by city limit, and they leave out businesses with no paid employees.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year data (2020-2024)
- Census Reporter
- Census ZIP Code Business Patterns
- Portland State University Population Research Center
- League of Oregon Cities, 2026 population list (PSU certified estimates)
- The Dalles, Oregon (Wikipedia), for history and the 2020 count
Also from Oregon Living: Oregon Living in Hood River, Oregon.