Is Milton-Freewater, OR a Good Place to Live?
Milton-Freewater is a small town of 7,137 in Oregon, with a median household income of $46,372 and a 7.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 96 (US average = 100), which is 4% below the national average.
Strengths: Milton-Freewater stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, short average commutes.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Milton-Freewater is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Milton-Freewater 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: 95.5Milton-Freewater's overall cost of living index is 95.5, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Milton-Freewater costs roughly 4% less than the average American city.
| Metric | Milton-Freewater, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $186,200 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $725 | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 47.6% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $46,372 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageMilton-Freewater's violent crime rate is 216.8 per 100,000 residents — 43% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
Milton-Freewater is served primarily by Milton-Freewater Unified SD 7. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15.6:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).
| Metric | Milton-Freewater, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | Milton-Freewater Unified SD 7 | — |
| Elementary Schools | 2 | — |
| Middle Schools | 1 | — |
| High Schools | 1 | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | 15.6:1 | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 10.1% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 76.0% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Milton-Freewater sees average highs of 44.2°F in January and 90.4°F in July, with 16.1 inches of annual precipitation and 7.2 inches of snow per year.
| Metric | Milton-Freewater, OR |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 44.2°F |
| Average High — July | 90.4°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 16.1" |
| Annual Snowfall | 7.2" |
Demographics
| Metric | Milton-Freewater, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 7,137 | — |
| Median Age | 33.1 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 7.7% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 17.3 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 70.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 25.3% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 30.8% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 14.7% | 16.8% |