Abel E. Eaton House · National Register of Historic Places
Union’s story
148 years in pictures
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1878Union is settled
UnionOR
A town of 2,290, settled in 1878. A typical home worth about $306K.
Photo: A.Davey from Portland, Oregon, EE UU · CC BY 2.0
Population
2,290
+1.5% since 2010
Typical home
$306K
+6% in a year
Household income
$65K
median
Median age
39.5
years
Jobs based here
211
A commuter town
What makes Union stand out
The 3 things Union does most differently from other towns.
$306Ktypical home
Housing
$306K typical home
38% below the OR typical home
Up 6% in a year.
100 U.S. towns● Union
Health
76% of U.S. towns are healthier
on CDC estimates
Better than OR on 1 measures, worse on 11.
Abel E. Eaton HouseHistory
Settled in 1878
4 places on the National Register
Archive photos and papers going back 148 years.
A commuter town
92% of working residents leave Union for work
Where Union’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
211jobs based in Union
8%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Union’s report card
Now in Union
Be the first to start the conversation.
Residents weigh in
Live in Union? Is a C− for health right?
Your answer becomes a post in Union’s Town Square.
Start a conversation
Weather
Forecast →61°
Cloudy
H 67° · L 39°
Local news
All →- Union vs Imbler - Girls Varsity Volleyball 10/06/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 27
- Union vs Cove - Girls Middle School Volleyball 10/15/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 27
- Union vs Imbler - Girls Junior Varsity Volleyball 10/06/2026 | Watch Live & On DemandNFHS Network · Sep 27
Upcoming events
Nothing on the calendar.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Union. Another town gets a different order.
Housing
A typical Union home is worth about $306K
The typical Union home is worth about $306,000, up 6% in a year, 38% below the Oregon typical home.
$306KZillow home value
Typical home value
Union$306K
Oregon$496K
+6%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Health
Healthier than 24% of U.S. towns
Union beats the Oregon average on 1 of 26 CDC measures and trails it on 11.
C−Health Grade
26 measures vs. Oregon
1 better14 too close to call11 worse
| What stands out | Union | OR |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 75.5% | 71.4% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.8% | 12.5% |
Grande Ronde Hospital
13.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
14th
percentile among OR towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Union
Most working residents leave Union for work: only 8% work in town. The top destinations are La Grande (27%), Baker City (5%) and Portland (4%). Half commute less than 14 miles.
8%work in town
Where working residents work
In Union8%
La Grande27%
Baker City5%
Portland4%
Island City3%
14 mi
median commute distance
211
jobs based in Union
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Union has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
16″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–41°
Spring34–60°
Summer48–83°
Fall34–63°
Sep 26
typical first frost
May 11
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Natural hazards
Low risk, with avalanches at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 37% of U.S. communities.
37risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesInland floodingCold waves
8
paid flood claims since 1984
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Outdoors
0.4% of Union is conserved land
0.2 miles of trails across 1 parks and preserves.
0.4%conserved
0.4%
conserved · 7 of 1,578 acres
0.2 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Union City Park | 0.2 mi | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Schools
Union’s public schools outperform 50% of Oregon districts
The public schools Union’s kids attend outperform 50% of Oregon’s districts on state tests. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
B−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Union Elementary School | K–6 | 212 | B− |
| Union High School | 7–12 | 166 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OR on state testsAll 2 schools →
Landmarks
4 places in Union on the National Register of Historic Places.
About Union
City in Oregon, United States
Union is a city in Union County, Oregon, United States, originally platted in 1864, and located 15 miles (24 km) southeast of La Grande. It is the namesake of Union County, which references the Union states, or Northern States, of the American Civil War. The population was 2,152 at the 2020 census. The city is known for the numerous historic Victorian homes that line its Main Street, some of which are registered on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also home to Oregon State University's Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center, founded in 1888, which is contemporarily housed in the former Union train station.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1878
- Population
- 2,152
- Area
- 2.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,792 ft
- ZIP code
- 97883
- Area code
- 541
More about Union
Still missing for Union:archive photosupcoming events