Growth and jobs in Hermiston
Hermiston is the largest city in Eastern Oregon, according to Wikipedia, and it is still growing. This page reports what public sources say and makes no promises about jobs.
Population
The 2020 Census counted 19,354 residents. The December 2025 certified estimate, published by the League of Oregon Cities from Portland State University, is 20,296, which is 4.9 percent higher. The median age is 30.9 in the 2020-2024 American Community Survey, with a margin of error of about two years.
What the economy is built on
Umatilla County's economic development page lists its key industries as data centers, agriculture, food processing, renewable energy, freight distribution and manufacturing. Wikipedia adds that Hermiston is the retail and services center for much of western Umatilla County and that center-pivot irrigation in the 1970s expanded potato production.
The City of Hermiston's economic development page says Greater Hermiston accounted for 91 percent of Umatilla County's job gains since 2012, citing the Oregon Employment Department and the Census Bureau. It also reports that information-sector jobs rose from 170 in 2018 to 880 by June 2025, driven largely by data center operations in western Umatilla County. The same page says countywide job numbers have leveled off in the past year, which it links to national slowdowns in agriculture, food processing and hospitality. For current labor-market figures, see the Oregon Employment Department's QualityInfo.
Business counts
The Census ZIP Code Business Patterns for ZIP 97838 show 659 establishments and 10,898 paid employees in 2023. These are by ZIP code, not city limit, and Census adds small noise to protect privacy.