ZIP Code 97838 — Hermiston city, OR Demographics & Data

ZIP code 97838 covers Hermiston, OR in Umatilla County with a population of about 27,979.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 34.8 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.

Median household income in ZIP 97838 is about $76,032 — about even with the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 10.1%; unemployment rate near 5.5%; 15.4% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 18.3 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Retail trade, Healthcare, and Education; about 3.6% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 11.6 points below 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 $274,400 — about 21% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $908 (about 22% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 71.7% (about 6.3 points above the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 97838 in Hermiston, OR, a household would need roughly $76,000 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 $1,763. That is roughly in line with the local median household income ($76,032). 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 Hermiston 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 Hermiston city, OR show little to no average snow and around 8.8 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 1,420 for ZIP 97838 (Hermiston 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.