Baker City and Pendleton receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Baker City
Pendleton
Opportunity
53 · Bottom 44%
vs45 · Bottom 26%
Growth
52 · Top 47%
vs43 · Bottom 38%
Climate
59 · Bottom 12%
vs67 · Bottom 39%
Physical resilience
47 · Bottom 39%
vs55 · Bottom 47%
Housing affordability
84 · Top 44%
vs85 · Top 42%
Access
3 · Bottom 1%
vs7 · Bottom 1%
Economic stability
43 · Bottom 21%
vs36 · Bottom 12%
Measured values
| Metric | Baker City | Pendleton | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 10,210 | 16,950 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $61,580 | $66,563 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $34,134 | $31,052 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,415/sq mi | 1,464/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $271,400 | $287,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $896 | $956 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 69.9% | 56.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | 5.4% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 1.8% | -0.3% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.9% | 24.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 14.0% | 15.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 41 | 19 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.0 | 1.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -4.7% | 72.7% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 88°F | 89°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 20°F | 28°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 9.1" | 12.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 116 mi | 109 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 15.6 min | 15.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 42.6 | 36.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Baker City
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Pendleton
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake, heat wave.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Baker City
49
Your Score
54
Area Score
Pendleton
48
Your Score
53
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Baker City, OR · Pendleton, OR · How this is calculated: methodology