Median Income
$48,309
household / year
Median Home Value
$302,500
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$834
gross / month
Cost of Living
99
national avg = 100

Is Joseph, OR a Good Place to Live?

Joseph is a small town of 1,048 in Oregon, with a median household income of $48,309 and a 5.3% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 99 (US average = 100), which is 1% below the national average.

Strengths: Joseph stands out for solid school ratings (B), short average commutes.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Joseph is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Joseph 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: 99.0

Joseph's overall cost of living index is 99.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Joseph costs roughly 1% less than the average American city.

Metric Joseph, OR National Avg
Median Home Value $302,500 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $834 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 70.4% 65.9%
Median Household Income $48,309 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Very Safe

Crime data for Joseph is not currently available from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program. Not all local agencies report to the UCR each year.

Schools & Education

Joseph is served primarily by Joseph SD 6. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.4:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Joseph, OR National Avg
School District Joseph SD 6 —
Elementary Schools 1 —
Middle Schools N/A —
High Schools N/A —
Student/Teacher Ratio 12.4:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 28.3% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 92.8% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Joseph sees average highs of 34.9°F in January and 79.3°F in July, with 16.9 inches of annual precipitation and 54.2 inches of snow per year.

MetricJoseph, OR
Average High — January34.9°F
Average High — July79.3°F
Annual Precipitation16.9"
Annual Snowfall54.2"

Demographics

MetricJoseph, ORNational Avg
Population1,048—
Median Age59.638.9
Unemployment Rate5.3%3.7%
Avg Commute Time15.9 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)95.0%59.3%
Black or African American0.1%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino2.7%18.9%
Asian0.9%6.3%
Under 1814.1%22.2%
65 and over37.1%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Wallowa Lake, OR 4 mi Enterprise, OR 6 mi Lostine, OR 13 mi Wallowa, OR 21 mi Cove, OR 28 mi

Joseph vs Other Cities

Joseph, OR vs Wallowa Lake, OR Joseph, OR vs Enterprise, OR Joseph, OR vs Lostine, OR Joseph, OR vs Wallowa, OR Joseph, OR vs Cove, OR

Frequently Asked Questions

Joseph's cost of living index is 99, where 100 is the national average. That makes Joseph roughly 1% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $302,500 and median rent is $834/month.
Crime data for Joseph is not available in the current FBI UCR reporting year. Not all jurisdictions submit data annually.
Public schools in Joseph are operated by Joseph SD 6. The district has 1 elementary, several middle, and several high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 12.4:1. 28.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Joseph, OR has a population of 1,048, a median household income of $48,309, and an unemployment rate of 5.3%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Joseph averages 34.9°F in January and 79.3°F in July. Annual rainfall is 16.9 inches with about 54.2 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
The population of Joseph, Oregon is 1,048 with a median age of 59.6. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Joseph: cost of living index 99 (100 = US average), median home $302,500, median household income $48,309, crime index 8 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated B. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Joseph side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.