Housing data for Fossil, OR
Fossil, OR has an estimated 535 residents and 256 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Wheeler County.
20.2% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $754 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 535 (±120)
- Housing units
- 256 (±62)
- Households that rent
- 20.2%
- Median gross rent
- $754
- Residents since 2015–2019
- +36.1%
What stands out in Fossil
Average commute: 10.4 minutes (±4.7) in Fossil, lower than in Wheeler County (24.0 minutes).
Housing in Fossil at a glance
- Median rent: $754 median gross rent a month (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Rent burden: 48.6% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 20.2% of households rent (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Income and affordability: $54,167 median household income
- Home values: $210,500 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,447 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $1,528 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 0.0% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 56.3% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 64.0% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 53.2% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 10.4 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: +36.1% residents since 2015–2019 (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- How long people stay: 31.8% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Fossil against Wheeler County, its state and the nation
| Fossil | Wheeler County | Oregon | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 535 (±120) | 1,485 (±152) | 4,254,293 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 256 (±62) | 908 (±66) | 1,857,992 (±637) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 20.2% (±10.6 points) | 28.2% (±7.6 points) | 36.7% (±0.4 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $754 (±$102) | $870 (±$182) | $1,525 (±$10) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $54,167 (±$12,662) | $55,284 (±$4,440) | $83,011 (±$573) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $210,500 (±$62,337) | $272,400 (±$19,117) | $477,600 (±$1,400) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $1,528 (±$268) | $1,893 (±$273) | $3,876 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 64.0% (±23.5 points) | 55.3% (±8.6 points) | 49.1% (±0.4 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 10.4 minutes (±4.7) | 24.0 minutes (±6.1) | 23.0 minutes (±0.2) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 73.0% (±13.8 points) | 81.5% (±6.6 points) | 92.4% (±0.2 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 48.4 years (±9.1) | 59.3 years (±3.7) | 40.4 years (±0.2) | 38.9 years |
Fossil covers 0.8 square miles of land, about 683 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Fossil has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 393 (±109) | 535 (±120) | +36.1% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 244 (±55) | 256 (±62) | +4.9% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $696 (±$153) | $754 (±$102) | +8.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $104,600 (±$13,197) | $210,500 (±$62,337) | +101.2% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $30,938 (±$7,275) | $54,167 (±$12,662) | +75.1% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $950 (±$63) | $1,447 (±$180) | +52.3% | Up after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,244 (±$203) | $1,528 (±$268) | +22.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 25.0% (±11.3 points) | 20.2% (±10.6 points) | −4.8 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% (±43.5 points) | 0.0% (±46.5 points) | 0.0 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Wheeler County
Fossil has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for Wheeler County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for Wheeler County recorded 0 violent and 551 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
Places near Fossil
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Condon | 17 mi | $850 | $146,600 | 15.9% |
| Lonerock | 17 mi | — | $112,500 | 0.0% |
| Spray | 24 mi | — | $269,400 | 14.0% |
| Antelope | 26 mi | — | $184,400 | 23.1% |
| Shaniko | 26 mi | — | — | 30.0% |
| Mitchell | 29 mi | $920 | $225,000 | 52.8% |
| Grass Valley | 37 mi | $337 | $109,400 | 37.4% |
| Ione | 40 mi | $1,217 | $159,800 | 23.0% |
Places in Oregon most like Fossil
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie City | $916 | $205,900 | $47,311 | 15.3% |
| Chenoweth | $857 | $228,600 | $63,425 | 23.4% |
| Stanfield | $1,000 | $207,600 | $60,074 | 22.6% |
| Canyon City | $804 | $200,700 | $73,750 | 21.4% |
| Island City | $950 | $295,100 | $66,563 | 18.9% |
| Altamont | $1,015 | $249,200 | $58,629 | 29.5% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Oregon.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Fossil, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $719 | $775 | $1,014 | $1,404 | $1,695 |
HUD income limits for Fossil, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $17,600 | $29,300 | $46,850 |
| 2 people | $21,640 | $33,450 | $53,550 |
| 3 people | $27,320 | $37,650 | $60,250 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $41,800 | $66,900 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $45,150 | $72,300 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $48,500 | $77,650 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $51,850 | $83,000 |
| 8 people | $55,200 | $55,200 | $88,350 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Wheeler County, OR, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $68,300.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Fossil
What is the median household income in Fossil?
The median household income in Fossil is $54,167 (±$12,662) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Fossil, OR?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $210,500 (±$62,337) for owner-occupied homes in Fossil (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Fossil?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Fossil, OR is $1,447 (±$180) a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Fossil?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Fossil, OR is $1,528 (±$268) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many homes are in Fossil?
Fossil, OR has an estimated 256 (±62) housing units, occupied and vacant (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the most common home size in Fossil?
The most common size is 2 bedrooms, 39.8% of homes in Fossil, OR.
Is Fossil growing?
In Fossil, the number of residents went from 393 in 2015–2019 to 535 in 2020–2024 (+36.1%), not a measurable change.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fossil city, Oregon
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fossil city, Oregon
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fossil city, Oregon
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fossil city, Oregon
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Fossil city, Oregon
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Fossil city, Oregon
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Fossil city, Oregon
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Wheeler County, OR
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Wheeler County, OR
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Fossil city, Oregon (place:26650, in state:41).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .