ZIP Code 97830 — Fossil city, OR Demographics & Data

ZIP code 97830 covers Fossil, OR in Wheeler County with a population of about 621.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 61.1 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 458, 541; U.S. House district OR-2; the PORTLAND, OR media market.

Fossil, OR fits a retirement-oriented profile (high share of residents 65+ (36.9%)). Residents and relocators commonly research healthcare access, everyday amenities (dining, personal services), and housing costs rather than tech or campus life.

Median household income in ZIP 97830 is about $43,750 — about 42% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 11.1%; unemployment rate near 2.4%; 23.4% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 10.3 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Public administration, and Agriculture; about 14.0% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 1.2 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 178.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $189,200 — about 46% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $480 (about 59% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 76.9% (about 11.5 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 97830 in Fossil, OR, a household would need roughly $52,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $1,215. That is about 19% above the local median household income ($43,750), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Fossil city, OR as Very Low (composite score 7.2), which is relatively lower than many U.S. communities. The strongest component scores on US5 are wildfire (88.7) and flood (12.3). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Fossil city, OR show little to no average snow and around 15.1 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 32 for ZIP 97830 (Fossil city, OR) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.