The Town Files

Elgin, Oregon

City in Union County · population 1,717 (2020 Census)

Map: where Elgin is in OregonElgin
Median home
$191,300
Household income
$57,750
Jan low / Jul high
24° / 87°
Snow a year
48 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
0
Median age
36.6

Elgin is a city of 1,717 people in Union County, Oregon. The median home is worth $191,300, below the typical Oregon town ($394,200). It ranks better for cycling than 96% of Oregon towns, better for first-time buyers than 91% of Oregon towns, better for families than 75% of Oregon towns.

Elgin in our rankings:

How Elgin ranks

Percentile among Oregon towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Oregon towns.

Elgin lifestyle rankings vs other Oregon townsRetirement56th pctFamilies75th pctQuiet72nd pctWalkability23rd pctFirst-time buyers91st pctYoung professionals2nd pctVibrancy6th pctHip & trendy42nd pctCollege town34th pctUpscale15th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling96th pctTransitbottomDriving59th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Elgin is worth $191,300, below the typical Oregon town ($394,200). Homes cost about 3.3 times the median household income of $57,750, which is more affordable than 94% of Oregon towns. Median rent is $992 a month. 64.3% of households own their home.

Elgin vs Union County vs typical Oregon townElginUnion CountyTypical Oregon townHome value$191,300$294,600$394,200Household income$57,750$65,661$76,221Monthly rent$992$982$1,312
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Oregon towns with 500+ people.
HousingElginTypical Oregon town
Median home value$191,300$394,200
Median rent$992$1,312
Median household income$57,750$76,221
Home value ÷ income3.3×5.1×
Homeownership64.3%71.1%
Median year built19701981
Seasonal / vacation homes1.7%—

Who lives in Elgin

PeopleElginTypical Oregon town
Median age36.641.7
Age 65 and over17.0%20.1%
Under 1824.6%—
Bachelor's degree or higher9.9%23.2%
Below the poverty line10.4%10.8%
Veterans10.7%—
Born outside the U.S.4.5%—
Work from home1.8%12.2%
Average commute23.3 min23.2 min
Homes with broadband79.2%92.4%

Weather in Elgin

July highs average 86.5°F and January lows 24.0°F. About 25.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 47.5 inches of snow (typical Oregon town: 3.1 in). Expect about 31 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 164 nights at or below freezing.

Elgin monthly temperatures and precipitation20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing40°24°Jan45°25°Feb53°29°Mar60°32°Apr69°39°May76°44°Jun87°47°Jul87°46°Aug78°40°Sep64°32°Oct48°28°Nov39°23°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.313.32.37.32.34.72.42.32.40.21.80.20.70.71.02.20.53.15.93.813.2
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Elgin station (0.2 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 3 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Elgin since 1950.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 14 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on May 31, 2015.

Severe weather in Union County since 1996

Storm events in Union County since 1996 by typeHail85Flood9Blizzard10Wildfire41High Wind105Lightning11Heavy Rain9Heavy Snow224
NOAA Storm Events Database, Union County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 5 deaths recorded.

Union County has been included in 10 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
August 9, 2026FireFM-5664: Hagen Fire
April 7, 2026Severe StormDR-4907: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
April 3, 2020FloodDR-4519: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
March 28, 2020BiologicalDR-4499: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3429: Covid-19

Jobs and pay in Union County

Union County had 10,486 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $52,345 a year. Unemployment was 3.9% in 2023; in Elgin itself the ACS puts it at 1.5%.

Largest industries in Union CountyHealth care & social assistan…1,820 jobs · $61,367Retail1,427 jobs · $33,896Manufacturing1,220 jobs · $60,378Hotels & restaurants922 jobs · $22,872Construction595 jobs · $60,088Agriculture, forestry & fishi…393 jobs · $51,348
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Union County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023Union 3.9%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Elgin

2 public schools with 396 students, about 15.8 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Stella Mayfield Elementary SchoolPK-623014.4
Elgin High School7-1216618.4

Towns near Elgin

Elgin questions

Is Elgin, Oregon a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Elgin scores better for retirees than 56% of Oregon towns and quieter than 72%. 17.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 36.6).

How much does a house cost in Elgin?

The median owner-occupied home in Elgin is valued at $191,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $57,750, so homes cost about 3.3 times income. Median rent is $992 a month.

What is the weather like in Elgin?

July highs average 86.5°F and January lows 24.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 25.9 inches of precipitation a year and 47.5 inches of snow.

Does Elgin get tornadoes?

No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Elgin in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Elgin's Census boundary (GEOID 4122550). Comparisons use the median of Oregon towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.