Is Island City, OR a Good Place to Live?
Island City is a small town of 1,054 in Oregon, with a median household income of $63,594 and a 2.8% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 98 (US average = 100), which is 2% below the national average.
Strengths: Island City stands out for solid school ratings (B-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Island City is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Island City city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.
Cost of Living
Index: 98.5Island City's overall cost of living index is 98.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Island City costs roughly 2% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Island City, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $259,000 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $863 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 78.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $63,594 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageIsland City's violent crime rate is 190.1 per 100,000 residents — 50% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Island City is served primarily by La Grande SD 1. The student-to-teacher ratio is 16.4:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Island City, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | La Grande SD 1 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 3 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 16.4:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 28.7% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 95.7% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Island City sees average highs of 39.3°F in January and 86.2°F in July, with 17.4 inches of annual precipitation and 9.4 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Island City, OR |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 39.3°F |
| Average High — July | 86.2°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 17.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 9.4" |
Demographics
| Metric | Island City, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,054 | — |
| Median Age | 49.9 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 2.8% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 11.2 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 91.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3.2% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.4% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 15.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 31.8% | 16.8% |