Head Out on the Highway: Wallowa County Commuter Data - 2022
October 07, 2025The thought of commuting to work may conjure images of the Westside’s urban sprawl and life in the big city, however, living in one town and working in another is common among Oregon’s rural workforce as well. The U.S. Census Bureau provides data on workforce commute patterns with its On-The-Map tool. The most recent data reveals that 31% of Wallowa County’s workforce came from outside the county in 2022 while 34% of workers living in Wallowa commuted to jobs in a different county.
As might be expected, it’s common for workers to commute to or from neighboring counties. Roughly 36% of Wallowa County’s inbound commuters came from Union, Umatilla, and Baker counties in 2022. Union County held the top spot among the three, shipping 17.2% of inbound commuters. Union County supplied 5.3% of Wallowa’s total workforce (mostly from La Grande and Elgin). Umatilla County supplied 3.2% of Wallowa’s workforce (mostly from Pendleton and Milton-Freewater). Baker County supplied 2.6% of the workforce (mostly from Baker City).
Union, Umatilla, and Baker counties served as the destination for 29.6% of Wallowa’s outbound commuters. Union held the top spot here as well, receiving 14.4% of outbound commuters. For workers who reside in Wallowa County, Union County supplied 4.9% of jobs, Umatilla County supplied 4.0% of jobs, and Baker County supplied 1.1% of jobs. Most of these jobs were in La Grande, Pendleton, and Baker City.
Most Wallowa County commuters lived or worked beyond Baker, Umatilla, and Union counties in 2022. More than 71% of all commuters, however, lived or worked in Oregon. Multnomah, Clackamas, Jackson, Lane, and Washington counties were high on the list of where Wallowa commuters lived. Multnomah and Marion counties were high on the list of where commuters worked. Benton County, Washington, home to Richland and Kennewick, was also high on the list of where commuters work, while Walla Walla, Washington was high on the list of where commuters live. Washington shipped 11.8% of Wallowa County commuters while receiving 19.7%. Idaho shipped 12.3% of Wallowa County commuters while receiving 7.3%.
It may be difficult to imagine commuting more than one or two hours for work. For perspective, a Baker City to Joseph commute or a Pendleton to Joseph commute takes more than two hours. However, commuting is not limited to the arduous daily drive. While On-The-Map commute data doesn’t tell us how commutes occurred or how long commuters stayed for work, several scenarios are possible and likely. Commuters can be full or partial telecommuters, working for a firm outside their county of residence and infrequently making a physical commute. Home based call center employees and outside sales representatives are examples of occupations that fit this scenario. Commuters can commute for extended shifts, short stays, or even seasons, traveling to where the job demand is and returning home when the work is complete. Nurses and physicians are examples of extended shift or short stay occupations. Commuters with either of these occupations could work for a two or three day shift and then return home for three or four days. Forest fire fighters along with leisure and hospitality workers are examples of seasonal positions that require extended stays but might not encourage year round residence.
The accompanying table provides some additional points of interest. Wallowa County exports more workers than the county imports. The largest share of commuters leaving the county earned more than $3,333 a month. The largest share of commuters entering the county also earned more than $3,333 a month. The largest share of commuters in either direction were 30 to 54 years old. On-The-Map can provide details not contained in this report or the table, so check out the data tool or drop me a line if you have any questions.
