ZIP Code 97835 — Helix city, OR Demographics & Data

ZIP code 97835 covers Helix, OR in Umatilla County with a population of about 545.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 41.7 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

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

Helix, OR reads as a military / base-oriented community on US5’s intent model (elevated veteran share (24.0%) and/or base-related place names). Service members and families often look up Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates, on-base mail (PSC / P.O. Box) addresses, and nearby ZIP demographics when relocating.

US5 shows 2026 DoD BAH locality rates for this ZIP’s Military Housing Area on this page (pay grade × with/without dependents). Treat the table as a planning reference and confirm entitlement with your finance office or the official DTMO BAH lookup.

Median household income in ZIP 97835 is about $126,667 — about 69% above the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 8.8%; unemployment rate near 0.0%; 19.8% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 13.9 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Retail trade, and Public administration; about 33.2% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 18.0 points above the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $236,100 — about 32% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $544 (about 53% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 88.9% (about 23.5 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 97835 in Helix, OR, a household would need roughly $65,000 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 $1,517. That sits below the local median household income ($126,667), suggesting the typical household income is closer to a workable buy-in level under these assumptions. 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 Helix city, OR as Relatively Moderate (composite score 82.3), which is elevated versus much of the country. The strongest component scores on US5 are wildfire (96.2) and flood (81.5). 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 Helix city, OR show little to no average snow and around 17.2 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 28 for ZIP 97835 (Helix 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.