Saint Helens, OR · standard

ZIP Code 97051

Columbia County, Oregon — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

Reviewed by PlainZIP Editorial Team, ZIP Code Data Editors · June 15, 2026

15,957
128/sq mi: $85,869
Median income: $412,100
Median home value: 18.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Saint Helens pairs an above-median household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 31%
household income, US ZIPs: Top 19%
home value, US ZIPs: 128
people per sq mi: 65%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 97051 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 97051 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 125.0 square miles in Saint Helens, Columbia County, Oregon. The area is home to 15,957 residents, producing a population density of 128 people per square mile, and falls within the Los Angeles time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 97051 against Oregon and the nation.

On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 97051 sits at $85,869 (10% above the Oregon average), while per-capita income is $37,847. The poverty rate stands at 9.6% and the unemployment rate at 3.0%. On housing, the median home value is $412,100 (5% below the state average) with median rent at $1,410 per month, and 64.5% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 97051 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.

Education and household profile round out the picture: 18.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 41.8, and the average commute is 30 minutes. We also surface 4 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Columbia County, so you can benchmark 97051 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →

Top industries in ZIP 97051

Health care and social assistance

72
Retail trade

44
Accommodation and food services

44
Construction

43
Other services (except public administration)

29

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 97051, Saint Helens, OR · 2023 Accessed 2026-06-15 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

15,957

Population

125.0

Area (sq mi)

128

People / sq mi

Los Angeles

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard

Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.

View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 97051?

41.8

Median Age

51.6%

Male

48.4%

Female

4.1%

Foreign-Born

White 83.1%

African American 0.5%

Asian 0.7%

American Indian or Alaska Native 0.4%

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%

Two or More Ethnicities 14.1%

Hispanic or Latino 8.2%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$85,869

Median Household Income

+10% vs state

$37,847

Per Capita Income

9.6%

Poverty Rate

3.0%

Unemployment Rate

30.0 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 97051 ranks nationally

Household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$85,869 Top 31% higher than 69% of 30,318 US ZIPs

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 57.1%

Bachelor's Degree or Higher 18.5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

6,884

Total Housing Units

6,592

Occupied Units

292

Vacant Units

2.58

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 64.5%

Renter 35.5%

$412,100

Median Home Value

-5% vs state

$1,410

Median Rent

1981

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+7.5%

YoY Change (2024)

290

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+190%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 97051 have increased 7.5% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +190% cumulative appreciation.

Year	Annual Change	HPI Index
2020	+4.5%	208
2021	+14.7%	238
2022	+11.4%	266
2023	+1.6%	270
2024	+7.5%	290

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 355 business establishments in ZIP 97051, employing approximately 3,920 people with a combined annual payroll of $176,919,000.

355

Businesses

3,920

Employees

$176.9M

Annual Payroll

Industry Sectors

Industry	Establishments	% of Total
Health care and social assistance	72	20.3%
Retail trade	44	12.4%
Accommodation and food services	44	12.4%
Construction	43	12.1%
Other services (except public administration)	29	8.2%
Professional, scientific, and technical services	27	7.6%
Finance and insurance	17	4.8%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services	17	4.8%
Real estate and rental and leasing	13	3.7%
Manufacturing	10	2.8%
Wholesale trade	9	2.5%
Transportation and warehousing	8	2.3%
Educational services	6	1.7%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	6	1.7%
Information	3	0.8%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 97051 vs 97053 →

97051

15,957
97056

11,497
97053

3,247
97018

1,952
97054

1,579

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 97051 ranks the most populous — useful context the national average alone can't give.

97053

$142,538
97018

$96,750
97056

$94,209
97054

$87,327
97051

$85,869

What this shows By household income, ZIP 97051 ranks #5 of 5 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

ZIP Code	City	Population	Distance
97053	Warren, OR	3,247	4.2 mi
97054	Deer Island, OR	1,579	4.5 mi
97018	Columbia City, OR	1,952	4.9 mi
97056	Scappoose, OR	11,497	7.4 mi

More ZIP Codes in Columbia County

Columbia County Saint Helens, OR Oregon

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 97051 in? ▼

ZIP code 97051 (Saint Helens) is located in Columbia County, Oregon. Columbia County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/columbia-or.

What is the population of ZIP code 97051? ▼

ZIP code 97051 in Saint Helens, OR has a population of 15,957 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in ZIP 97051? ▼

The median household income in ZIP 97051 is $85,869, which is 13% above the national average of $76,288.

What is the average home value in ZIP 97051? ▼

The median home value in ZIP 97051 is $412,100, which is 48% above the national average of $278,155.

What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 97051? ▼

The largest racial group in ZIP 97051 is White at 83.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 8.2% of the population.

How many businesses are in ZIP code 97051? ▼

ZIP code 97051 has 355 business establishments employing approximately 3,920 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.

What are the main industries in ZIP code 97051? ▼

The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 97051 are: Health care and social assistance (72), Retail trade (44), Accommodation and food services (44). There are 15 industry sectors represented in total.

How have home values changed in ZIP code 97051? ▼

According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 97051 increased by 7.5% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 190%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

What is the education level in ZIP code 97051? ▼

In ZIP code 97051, 57.1% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 18.5% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).

What is the average commute time in ZIP 97051? ▼

The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 97051 is 30.0 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.

What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 97051? ▼

In ZIP code 97051, approximately 64.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 35.5% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 97051? ▼

The poverty rate in ZIP code 97051 is 9.6% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.