Malheur County Demographics

A map of Malheur County's Population by Race

Malheur County, Oregon has an estimated population of 31,954, a slight increase from the 31,571 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 60.2% White, 34.0% Hispanic, 2.8% Multiracial, 1.2% Asian, 1.0% Black, and 0.9% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Malheur County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Malheur has become slightly less racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably more diverse than Oregon overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Malheur County, that probability was 53.0% in 2020 and 52.1% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Malheur County is ranked the 20th most populous county in Oregon, out of 36 counties. Malheur County was ranked the 20th most populous county in the 2020 Census.

Malheur County's White Population

19,232 residents of Malheur County, or 60.2% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Malheur County is considerably lower than in Oregon overall, where 71.4% of the population is White. Malheur County ranks 35th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 36 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Malheur County's White population has grown by an estimated 1.4%. White residents' share of Malheur County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 60.2%.

Malheur County is less White than neighboring Canyon County (67.1% White), Payette County (75.5% White), Harney County (84.6% White), Ada County (80.9% White), and Gem County (83.5% White).

Malheur County's Black Population

321 residents of Malheur County, or 1.0% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Malheur County is comparable to the share in Oregon overall, where 1.8% of the population is Black. Malheur County ranks 3rd statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 36 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Malheur County's Black population has declined by an estimated 28.2%. Black residents' share of Malheur County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.0%.

Malheur County is more Black than neighboring Canyon County (0.7% Black), Payette County (0.1% Black), and Gem County (0% Black). Malheur County is less Black than neighboring Harney County (1.9% Black), and Ada County (1.3% Black).

Malheur County's Asian Population

372 residents of Malheur County, or 1.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Malheur County is slightly lower than in Oregon overall, where 4.4% of the population is Asian. Malheur County ranks 14th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 36 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Malheur County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 3.4%. Asian residents' share of Malheur County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.2%.

Malheur County is more Asian than neighboring Canyon County (0.8% Asian), Payette County (0.7% Asian), Harney County (0% Asian), and Gem County (0.8% Asian). Malheur County is less Asian than neighboring Ada County (2.7% Asian).

Malheur County's Hispanic Population

10,864 residents of Malheur County, or 34.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Malheur County is significantly higher than in Oregon overall, where 14.7% of the population is Hispanic. Malheur County ranks 2nd statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 36 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Malheur County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 5.3%. Hispanic residents' share of Malheur County's population has increased from 32.7% to 34.0%.

Malheur County is more Hispanic than neighboring Canyon County (26% Hispanic), Payette County (17.9% Hispanic), Harney County (5.6% Hispanic), Ada County (9.8% Hispanic), and Gem County (9.7% Hispanic).

Malheur County's Native American/Other Population

280 residents of Malheur County, or 0.9% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Malheur County is comparable to the share in Oregon overall, where 1.6% of the population is Native American/Other. Malheur County ranks 28th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 36 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Malheur County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 37.8%. Native American/Other residents' share of Malheur County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.9%.

Malheur County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Canyon County (1.4% Native American/Other), Payette County (1.6% Native American/Other), Harney County (2.3% Native American/Other), Ada County (1% Native American/Other), and Gem County (1.5% Native American/Other).

Malheur County's Multiracial Population

885 residents of Malheur County, or 2.8% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Malheur County is slightly lower than in Oregon overall, where 6.1% of the population is Multiracial. Malheur County ranks 36th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 36 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, Malheur County's Multiracial population has declined by an estimated 11.0%. Multiracial residents' share of Malheur County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 2.8%.

Malheur County is less Multiracial than neighboring Canyon County (4% Multiracial), Payette County (4.2% Multiracial), Harney County (5.7% Multiracial), Ada County (4.3% Multiracial), and Gem County (4.5% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.