Is La Grande, OR a Good Place to Live?
La Grande is a small city of 13,097 in Oregon, with a median household income of $52,039 and a 7.8% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 98 (US average = 100), which is 2% below the national average.
Strengths: La Grande stands out for below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, solid school ratings (B-), short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether La Grande is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All La Grande 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: 98.3La Grande's overall cost of living index is 98.3, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in La Grande costs roughly 2% less than the average American city.
| Metric | La Grande, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $228,800 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $910 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 53.2% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $52,039 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageLa Grande's violent crime rate is 254.6 per 100,000 residents — 33% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
La Grande 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 | La Grande, 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 | 22.9% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 94.1% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
La Grande 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 | La Grande, OR |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 39.3°F |
| Average High — July | 86.2°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 17.4" |
| Annual Snowfall | 9.4" |
Demographics
| Metric | La Grande, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,097 | — |
| Median Age | 33.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 7.8% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 12.6 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 88.6% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 1.2% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.4% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 1.7% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 22.9% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 17.6% | 16.8% |
Nearby Cities
ZIP Codes in La Grande
La Grande, OR is covered by 1 ZIP code: