Is Waterloo, OR a Good Place to Live?
Waterloo is a small town of 238 in Oregon, with a median household income of $76,250 and a 7.5% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 105 (US average = 100), which is 5% above the national average.
Strengths: Waterloo stands out for below-average home prices.
Trade-offs: Potential downsides include longer commutes, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether Waterloo is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.
All Waterloo 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: 104.6Waterloo's overall cost of living index is 104.6, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Waterloo costs roughly 5% more than the average American city.
| Metric | Waterloo, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $216,700 | $244,900 |
| Median Monthly Rent | N/A | $1,163 |
| Homeownership Rate | 87.7% | 65.9% |
| Median Household Income | $76,250 | $74,755 |
Crime & Safety
Safer than AverageWaterloo's violent crime rate is 183.4 per 100,000 residents — 52% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.
Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.
Schools & Education
| Metric | Waterloo, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| School District | N/A | — |
| Elementary Schools | N/A | — |
| Middle Schools | N/A | — |
| High Schools | N/A | — |
| Student/Teacher Ratio | N/A | 16:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 10.2% | 35.4% |
| High School Diploma or Higher | 92.9% | 91.1% |
Weather & Climate
Waterloo sees average highs of 48.8°F in January and 85.0°F in July, with 49.5 inches of annual precipitation .
| Metric | Waterloo, OR |
|---|---|
| Average High — January | 48.8°F |
| Average High — July | 85.0°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 49.5" |
| Annual Snowfall | Trace / None |
Demographics
| Metric | Waterloo, OR | National Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 238 | — |
| Median Age | 45.2 | 38.9 |
| Unemployment Rate | 7.5% | 3.7% |
| Avg Commute Time | 31.2 min | 26 min |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 95.0% | 59.3% |
| Black or African American | 0.0% | 13.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 2.1% | 18.9% |
| Asian | 0.0% | 6.3% |
| Under 18 | 12.6% | 22.2% |
| 65 and over | 24.8% | 16.8% |