Census Data for The Dalles
Population ...
The most recent Census Estimate<1> was for 2019 and it gave The Dalles a population of 15,668 people.
The last Decennial Census<2> was in 2010, which gave The Dalles a population of 13,620 people.
The community of The Dalles is located in Wasco County. The 2010 Census gave Wasco County; a population of 25,213 people. This means that The Dalles had 54% of the county's total population, making it Wasco's most populous community.
At the same time, Oregon had a population of 3,831,074 people, meaning that The Dalles had 0.36% of the total population of Oregon - making it the state's 39th most populous community.
Area ...
The 2010 Census shows that the sampling area for The Dalles has a total area of 6.61 square miles [17.1 km²]. Of this total, 6.35 square miles [16.4 km²] is land, with the balance (3.98%) being water (0.26 square miles [0.7 km²]).
Wasco County has a land area of 2,381 square miles [6,168.1 km²]. At 6.35 square miles [16.4 km²], The Dalles has 0.27% of the county's total land area.
- Continue Reading ...
- When the Census Bureau conducts a census for a community like The Dalles, they draw a boundary around the area in which they are going to conduct their count - this defines the sampling area (usually a polygon). The shape of the sampling area can be quite complex and it's important to keep in mind that the boundaries of the sampling area may or may not match the recognized boundaries of the community.
- Things like population, area and housing for The Dalles reflect the sampling area. Since the shape of the sampling area and the actual boundaries of The Dalles might be different, it's best to check with the U.S. Census Bureau to resolve any difference between the two.
- Not only does the sampling area define boundaries, it also has a GPS location (latitude & longitude) that indicates a point within the sampling area (usually the center of the polygon, known as the centroid). At the time of the 2010 Census, the sampling area was located at:
- Lat: 45° 35' 48" (or 45.6°)
- Lon: -121° 9' 7" (or -121.15°)
Housing Units ...
At the time of the 2010 Census, The Dalles had 5,903 Housing Units<3> and with its population of 13,620 people, this averages 2.31 people per Housing Unit.
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- The 2010 Census shows The Dalles had a land area of 6.35 square miles [16.4 km²]. This translates to 893 Housing Units per square mile [344.9 housing units/km²].
Wasco County ...
The Dalles is located in Wasco County<4> and is the County Seat for Wasco County.
The county had a population of 25,213 people at the 2010 Census. With it's population of 13,620 people, The Dalles represented 54% of the county's total.
In addition, where the community of The Dalles has a population density of 2,060 people per square mile [795 people/km²], Wasco County averages 10.59 people per square mile [4.09 people/km²].
For more information, please visit our Census Page for Wasco County.
Census-to-Census Observations ...
Introduction ...
When the Census Bureau takes a census count (or enumeration) for The Dalles, they start by specifying the boundaries of the area to be counted. This area (or sampling area) is a polygon and its shape can be quite complex - it may or may not match the geographical boundaries of The Dalles. It's important to note that from one Census to the next, the shape and location of the polygon can change.
- Continue Reading ...
- Although we don't have specific information about the shape of the polygon for The Dalles or how it changed has over time, there is some information that can give us some hints. For example, since the shape of the sampling area is directly related to the shape of the polygon, any change to area probably indicates a new shape for the polygon.
- If you need precision or details about the methodology of the Census, you should visit the U.S. Census Bureau for a definitive answer.
Location ...
While generally coinciding with the GPS location (latitude/longitude) of The Dalles, the latitude and longitude given by the Census Bureau actually indicates the GPS location of the polygon for The Dalles.
- Continue Reading ...
- For the 2010 Censuses, the location was given as:
Lat: 45.596789° (or 45°35'48" N)
- The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) have assigned a unique GNIS identifier (#2412059) to The Dalles. This identifier also marks a GPS point on the map, and that point lies within the boundaries of The Dalles. The GNIS point has been mapped to the latitude/longitude:
- Lat: 45.601315° (or 45°36'4" N)
- Lon: -121.175770° (or -121°10'32" W)
- The GPS location given for the 2010 Census lies 6,266 feet to the east<5> of the point given by the GNIS for The Dalles. For more information about this and the relationship of the various Federal Codes, please visit our Misc Page for The Dalles.
Lon: -121.152071° (or -121°9'7" W)
Miscellaneous Information for The Dalles ...
The Federal government has assigned various identifying codes to each community, county and state. At one time or another, the US Census Bureau has used one (or more) of the following identifiers when referring to either Wasco County or the community of The Dalles:
- The GNIS Codes ...
- The FIPS Codes ...
- An earlier (and largely obsolete) identification method was called the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS):
- State Code: 41 (Oregon)
- County Code: 065 (Wasco County)
- Place Code: 72950 (The Dalles)
- State & County Code: 41/065 (Oregon / Wasco County)
- State & Place Code: 41/72950 (Oregon / The Dalles)
- Misc. Census Codes ...
- The Dalles is located in Census Region #4 (the West Region) and Division #9 (the Pacific Division).
For more information about the various Federal identification codes, please visit our Misc Page for The Dalles.
Off-the-Road Links ...
The official website for The Dalles: www.ci.the-dalles.or.us/
The official website for Wasco County: www.co.wasco.or.us/
The official website for State of Oregon: https://www.oregon.gov/
The official website of the U.S. Census Bureau
The official website of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN)
The official website of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Footnotes ...
| <1> | Every year, the US Census Bureau creates a population estimate for the preceeding year. Keep in mind that this value is an estimate and not an actual count. The most recent Census estimate is for the year 2019. |
| <2> | Every 10 years (eg- 1990, 2000, 2010), the US Census Bureau conducts a Constitutionally-mandated count (or enumeration) of people living within the United States. This count is called a Decennial Census. The last Decennial Census was the 2010 Census, with the next one planned for 2020. |
| <3> | A Housing Unit is a broad term for those places where people live (whether occupied or temporarily vacant), such as a house, an apartment, a mobile home, or an area that is considered as a separate living quarter. Separate living quarters (consisting of one or more rooms) are considered to be those places where people live, sleep and eat separately from others and that have access to the outside (either directly or by a shared hallway). |
| <4> | If you're interested in how the shape of Oregon's counties, including Wasco, have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. |
| <5> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to the GNIS point is 254 degrees and a distance of 6,266 feet. |