Morrow County’s 2020 Per Capita Personal Income Ranked Eighth Highest in Oregon
April 11, 2022Morrow County’s per capita personal income ranked eighth among Oregon counties in 2020 at $58,541. Morrow County exceeded the state’s per capita personal income by more than $2,200. Gilliam County’s per capita income led the state, at $67,754, while Columbia Basin neighbor Umatilla County ranked 29th at $46,209. Morrow County’s total personal income reached $684.9 million in 2020 with 11,700 residents, while Oregon’s totaled $238.8 billion and its population reached over 4.2 million.
Morrow County’s total personal income rose by $121.6 million in 2020, an over-the-year gain of 21.6%. Morrow County’s net earnings by place of residence grew by $94.5 million; dividends, interest, and rent fell by $0.3 million; and transfer payments increased by $27.4 million. Morrow County’s per capita personal income rose by about $10,000 in 2020, a one-year increase of 20.6%.
Net earnings by place of residence represented 70% of Morrow County’s total personal income in 2020, at $479.6 million. On a per capita basis, Morrow County’s net earnings ranked third in Oregon at $40,995, producing a gap of nearly $8,500 compared with the state. Eight counties held a per capita net earnings advantage over Oregon, including these (in ranked order): Gilliam; Washington; Morrow; Clackamas; Sherman; Multnomah; Hood River; and Deschutes. Umatilla County’s net earnings ranked 13th among Oregon counties at $26,765 per capita, lagging the state by about $5,800.
Dividends, interest, and rent brought in $62.3 million or just 9.1% of Morrow County’s 2020 personal income. On a per capita basis, Morrow County ranked second to last among Oregon counties (35th) at $5,321, lagging Oregon by nearly $5,100. Eight Oregon counties held a per capita advantage over the state, with more than two-thirds lagging. Deschutes County led the state, with $14,795 per capita coming from dividends, interest, and rent. In Umatilla County, dividends, interest, and rent ranked 34th at $5,780 per capita, more than $4,600 below Oregon’s $10,398.
Transfer receipts represented about 21% of Morrow County’s personal income total at $143 million. On a per capita basis, Morrow County placed near the bottom, ranking 31st in 2020 at $12,224. Morrow County lagged Oregon’s transfer receipts per capita by about $1,200. All but eight Oregon’s counties held a per capita advantage over the state, with transfer receipts in six metro counties (Benton, Clackamas, Multnomah, Polk, Washington, and Yamhill) and two rural (Hood River and Morrow) lagging. Umatilla County held an advantage of about $300 per capita over Oregon, ranking 28th.
Farm earnings represented a significant share of Morrow County’s earnings by place of work, reaching $217.2 million in 2020, a one-year increase of $80.8 million or 59.3%. Farm earnings held a 31% share of Morrow County’s earnings by place of work, compared with Oregon’s 1.5% or $2.4 billion. Oregon’s farm earnings brought in $577 per capita in 2020, while Morrow County’s farm earnings per capita reached $18,567. Gilliam County’s farm earnings per capita also impressed, at $14,994, followed by Sherman County’s $14,241. Umatilla County’s 2020 farm earnings represented 8.5% of its earnings by place of work, while producing $2,429 per capita.
Over 2010 to 2020, Morrow County’s per capita income rose by 88.5% or $27,279 while its population increased by 4.4% or close to 500 residents. Morrow County’s total personal income grew by $336.8 million or about 97%, well above Oregon’s 73% increase ($100.6 billion).
Adjustments to earnings for residence increased considerably over the decade. In 2010, Morrow County’s net earnings included a residency adjustment or outflow of $14.6 million. In 2020, the outflow of earnings from Morrow County rose to $153.7 million. On a per capita basis, Morrow County’s outflow reached $13,139 in 2020, well above Oregon’s $1,298 outflow. Other Oregon counties with high earnings outflow per capita included Sherman ($11,452) and Multnomah ($11,244). At the other end of the spectrum, Columbia County’s inflow of earnings per capita reached $15,099 in 2020, followed by Polk County’s $11,674 and Clackamas County at $10,477.