Grass Valley, Oregon Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 261, Grass Valley's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Grass Valley is a small community located in Oregon, within Sherman County. The total population is 261. It ranks as the 334th most populous out of 420 Census-designated places in Oregon.

Age Demographics

The median age in Grass Valley is 40.6 years. This is about the same as the state median of 40.4 years. 14.9% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Grass Valley is $62,366. This is 25% lower than the state median of $83,011. It is also 23% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 26.8%. This is 125% higher than the state poverty rate of 11.9%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 2.6%. This is 51% lower than the state rate of 5.4%. The median home value is $109,400. Housing costs are 77% lower than the state median of $477,600. With a home-value-to-income ratio of just 1.8x, Grass Valley is one of the most affordable housing markets in the area. 62.6% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 1% lower than the state average of 63.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Grass Valley is White (non-Hispanic), making up 80.1% of the population. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 3.5%. The Hispanic or Latino population (3.5%) is well below the state average of 14.7%.

Education

24.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 34% lower than the state rate of 36.8%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 96.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Grass Valley, Oregon is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Oregon state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 420 Census-designated places in Oregon. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.