Per Capita Personal Income in the Columbia Gorge

November 5, 2024

Using the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) estimates of per capita personal income (PCPI) by county, we can compare Columbia Gorge counties to each other, the state, and the nation. Personal income data is not among the most current economic indicators; the “new” county estimates are for 2022. Despite the time lag in producing personal income data, they are still valuable for evaluating a county’s economic health.

Personal income data includes wage and salary income, but it also includes other sources of income. One other source of income is transfer payments from the government. Transfer payments include social security income, food stamps, Medicare and Medicaid, welfare income, and student grants and loans received from the government. Personal income also includes interest, dividends, and capital gains that people receive. Farm income is another component captured in personal income data.

Gilliam and Sherman counties had the highest per capita income level of the Columbia Gorge counties in 2022 at $69,112 and $67,452, respectively, outpacing the state and the nation. Hood River County ($64,748) has a higher per capita income than the state ($62,303) but not the nation ($65,470). Wasco and Wheeler counties lag behind the state and nation significantly, with PCPI at $52,093 and $43,062, respectively.

Gilliam and Sherman counties experienced substantial growth in PCPI of 9.4% and 8.1%, respectively, from 2021 to 2022. Wheeler County experienced a 4.6% gain. All three counties outpaced the state (1.1%) and the nation (1.6%). Two counties in the Columbia Gorge suffered a loss: Hood River County at 1.4%, Wasco County at 0.7%. 

The long-term trend in PCPI is captured by looking at the annual average percent change from 2001 to 2022. Over that time, Sherman (6.7%), Gilliam (6.5%), Hood River (4.9%), and Wheeler (4.1) counties grew faster than Oregon’s growth of 3.8% and the nation (3.6%). Wasco County grew at 3.7% during this time, outgrowing the nation but not the state.