City profile · Washington · Census ACS 2023

Buckley, WA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Buckley - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

5,306
Residents
$121,719
Median income
$506,400
Median home
$1,971
Median rent (state)

Buckley - the verdict

Nationally, Buckley sits in the 88th percentile for household income and the 61st percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

88th
percentile, household income
85th
percentile, home value
82nd
percentile, median rent
61st
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Buckley, WA

5,306 people live in Buckley, Washington - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Buckley brings in $121,719 a year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 1.4%. Buckley's housing stock carries a median value of $506,400, and the median resident age is 44.0 years. Educational attainment runs 20.0% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 55.6% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 34 residential building permits were authorized in Buckley (Construction Slowdown), down 64% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Buckley reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 1058.3 incidents per 100,000 residents, below the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 50.9°F with 48.3 inches of precipitation per year and 4.3 inches of snowfall.

Washington carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, Washington scores 107.0 (Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,971 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Washington run around $188, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 98.5 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

5,306 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Washington

Median Household Income

$121,719 /yr

Poverty 1.4%

Cost of Living Index (state)

107.0 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Washington average

How does Buckley compare to other US cities?

Here's how Buckley stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 88% higher than other cities
Home value 85% pricier than other cities
Median rent 82% pricier than other cities
Safety 61% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Washington and the picture shifts: Buckley ranks #35 of 156 Washington cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Buckley's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Washington, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

88thIncome percentile
61stSafety percentile

88th percentile nationally for median household income · 61st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Buckley's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Buckley's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 55 Avg. percentile National median
Buckley's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Buckley's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$506,400 15th percentile more affordable than 15% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). This entry sits in this band. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Buckley $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. 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 · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Buckley, WA Buckley, WA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Buckley, WA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Buckley, WA median $121,719/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Buckley, WA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Buckley, WA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 20.0%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 1.4%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 55.6%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
5,306
Median Income
$121,719
Median Home Value
$506,400
Median Age
44.0
Poverty Rate
1.4%
Labor force participation
55.6%
Bachelor's Degree+
20.0%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1058.3
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
240.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
817.8
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
50.9°F
Annual Precipitation
48.3"
Annual Snowfall
4.3"

Schools

Total Schools
8
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
5,000 residents5,200 residents5,400 residents5,600 residents5,800 residents 202020212022202320242025 5,166 residents 5,688 residents ▲ +10.1%
Buckley's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
34
housing units authorized
Single-Family
34
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
6.4
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 95
2020 92
2021 11
2022 152
2023 42
2024 34

Permit volume decreased 64% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
67.7%
Carpool
9.6%
Public Transit
1.5%
Walk
3.0%
Work from Home
14.4%
Other
3.8%

Based on 2,305 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Washington - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$85
avg/month
Natural Gas
$48
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$55
avg/month
Total Utilities
$188
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Washington state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Washington state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Buckley sits in

Cost of Living Index
107.0
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,971/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
98.5 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Washington

Town and Country
5,398 people
Otis Orchards-East Farms
5,486 people
Connell
5,080 people
East Port Orchard
5,581 people
Suncrest
5,590 people
Chain Lake
4,989 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Buckley's 5,306 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Ione, CA
5,306 people
Mayflower, CA
5,303 people
Shaw Heights, CO
5,309 people
Montevideo, MN
5,303 people
Edinboro, PA
5,303 people
Blythewood, SC
5,309 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Buckley's $121,719 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Sea Ranch, CA
$121,731 median income
La Plata, MD
$121,707 median income
Point Venture, TX
$121,750 median income
Pike Road, AL
$121,687 median income
Byron, MN
$121,681 median income
Windsor, CO
$121,758 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Buckley, WA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Buckley, WA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 94.5% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.0% White 94.5% Black or African American 0.6% Asian 0.8% American Indian 1.0% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 0.2% Two or more races 2.9% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Buckley compares to nearby Washington cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Buckley (this city) 5,306 $121,719
Town and Country 5,398 $87,561
Otis Orchards-East Farms 5,486 $90,750
Connell 5,080 $63,810
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WA FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Buckley, WA?

What is the population of Buckley, WA? +

Buckley, WA counts 5,306 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Buckley, WA? +

Median annual household income in Buckley runs $121,719, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Buckley? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Buckley; the closest available measure is the Washington state average, a cost of living index of 107.0 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Washington vary by metro area.

Is Buckley, WA safe? +

Buckley has a total crime rate of 1058.3 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Buckley, WA? +

Homes in Buckley carry a median value of $506,400, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Buckley? +

The average annual temperature in Buckley runs 50.9°F, 48.3 inches of precipitation, and 4.3 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.