Wasco is a city in Sherman County, Oregon, United States. The population was 417 at the 2020 census.

Geography

thumb|upright|left|The [[Agriculture|agricultural and wind power industries are prominent around Wasco.]]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Wascoite or Biggs jasper, a type of white clay-based mineral found near Biggs Junction, is locally named for Wasco.

Climate

This region experiences warm (but not hot) and dry summers, with no average monthly temperatures above 71.6 °F. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Wasco has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate, abbreviated "Csb" on climate maps.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Wasco had a population of 417. The median age was 51.1 years. 16.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 32.9% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 102.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 102.3 males age 18 and over.

0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 100.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 182 households in Wasco, of which 23.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 42.3% were married-couple households, 28.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 32.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

|-

| White || 355 || 85.1%

|-

| Black or African American || 0 || 0%

|-

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 7 || 1.7%

|-

| Asian || 3 || 0.7%

|-

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 2 || 0.5%

|-

| Some other race || 10 || 2.4%

|-

| Two or more races || 40 || 9.6%

|-

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 32 || 7.7%

|}

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 410 people, 182 households, and 111 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 208 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.6% White, 0.5% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 1.5% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.0% of the population.

There were 182 households, of which 20.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.0% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.80.

The median age in the city was 50.2 years. 18% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.3% were from 25 to 44; 31.9% were from 45 to 64; and 23.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.5% male and 48.5% female.

2000 census

As of the census

Notable people

  • Gladys Stone Wright (1925–2025), American band director, was born in Wasco.

References

  • Entry for Wasco in the Oregon Blue Book