Wallowa, Oregon
Wallowa is a city in Wallowa County, Oregon, United States. The population was 808 at the 2010 census.
History
The Wallowa Valley is within the traditional lands of the Nez Perce. In the late 19th century, the Wallowa band was one of more than a dozen groups who lived across the inland Northwest as members of the Nez Perce tribe. The U.S. government sent the army to force them out after they refused to sign a treaty that would have removed them from their land. Chief Joseph led tribal members more than 1,000 miles to western Montana. They repeatedly battled with the army as they fled.Wallowa was platted in 1889. Wallowa is a Nez Perce word describing a triangular structure of stakes that in turn supported a network of sticks called lacallas to form a fish trap. The Nez Perce put these traps in the Wallowa River below the outlet of Wallowa Lake. The author of Oregon Geographic Names, Lewis A. McArthur, said that although the origin of this name is disputed, he puts great weight in Levi Ankeny who supplied this information as he was "thoroughly familiar with the early history and tradition of the Wallowa Valley" and "on intimate terms with many Indians who knew the facts of the matter".
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, all of it land.Climate
This region experiences warm and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Wallowa has a dry-summer humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dsb" on climate maps. The hottest temperature recorded in Wallowa was on August 23, 1939, while the coldest temperature recorded was on December 13, 1919.Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, Wallowa had a population of 796. The median age was 49.8 years, with 18.6% of residents under the age of 18 and 27.0% of residents 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 86.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 88.4 males age 18 and over.There were 377 households in Wallowa, of which 26.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 44.0% were married-couple households, 18.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 28.4% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 407 housing units, of which 7.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 68.7% were owner-occupied and 31.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was <0.1% and the rental vacancy rate was <0.1%.
0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.
| Race | Number | Percent |
| White | 704 | 88.4% |
| Black or African American | 0 | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 11 | 1.4% |
| Asian | 0 | 0% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0 | 0% |
| Some other race | 15 | 1.9% |
| Two or more races | 66 | 8.3% |
| [Hispanic and Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino] | 29 | 3.6% |
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 808 people, 352 households, and 222 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 394 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 95.9% White, 0.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.0% of the population.There were 352 households, of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.9% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.82.
The median age in the city was 48.2 years. 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.4% were from 25 to 44; 34.2% were from 45 to 64; and 21% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.
2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 869 people, 350 households, and 248 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 396 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 95.51% White, 0.12% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 1.73% from other races, and 2.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.99% of the population.There were 350 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.9% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.9% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.8% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 23.1% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,603, and the median income for a family was $31,964. Males had a median income of $30,313 versus $15,417 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,203. About 19.5% of families and 22.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.1% of those under age 18 and 13.6% of those age 65 or over.