Waterloo, Oregon Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 229, Waterloo'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

Waterloo is a small community located in Oregon, within Linn County. The total population is 229. It ranks as the 345th most populous out of 420 Census-designated places in Oregon.

Age Demographics

The median age in Waterloo is 49.5 years. This is 23% higher than the state median of 40.4 years. Only 5.7% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 14.8% 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 Waterloo is $88,750. This is 7% higher than the state median of $83,011. It is also 10% higher than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 3.5%. This is 71% lower than the state poverty rate of 11.9%. This exceptionally low poverty rate indicates strong economic prosperity across the community. The unemployment rate is 4.3%. This is 20% lower than the state rate of 5.4%. The median home value is $293,800. Housing costs are 38% lower than the state median of $477,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.3x. 95.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 51% higher than the state average of 63.3%.

Race & Ethnicity

Waterloo has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 88.6% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 3.9%. The Hispanic or Latino population (3.9%) is well below the state average of 14.7%.

Education

11.0% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 70% 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 92.8%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Waterloo, 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.