Side-by-side metrics and state or size-class ranks use the same Census and FBI fields shown on this profile. Results stay in the URL so you can bookmark or share them.
Place dossier plate
SheetWA-EPHRATA-WA · Ephrata, WA 8,493 pop · income 50th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Ephrata
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Ephrata on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Liberty · lowest
52,341
Liberty · lowest
52,341 median HH income
29.3% of the leader · rank #1
Bryceland · near
70,313
Bryceland · near
70,313 median HH income
39.3% of the leader · rank #2
Venango · near
70,313
Venango · near
70,313 median HH income
39.3% of the leader · rank #3
Park City · near
70,317
Park City · near
70,317 median HH income
39.3% of the leader · rank #4
Wawona · near
70,320
Wawona · near
70,320 median HH income
39.3% of the leader · rank #5
Ephrata · this city
70,321
Ephrata · this city
70,321 median HH income
39.3% of the leader · rank #6
Duvall · highest
178,821
Duvall · highest
178,821 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Ephrata on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 8,493.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Ephrata - the verdict
Ephrata ranks in the 50th percentile for household income and the 15th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
50th
percentile, household income
53rd
percentile, home value
70th
percentile, median rent
15th
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: Ephrata, WA
8,493 people live in Ephrata, Washington - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Households in Ephrata report a median income of $70,321 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 14.9%. Home values in Ephrata run a median of $240,000, and the median resident age is 31.7 years. 15.5% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 58.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 89 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Building Boom), up 107% from five years earlier. Ephrata's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 3107.1 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Washington carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 107.0 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,472 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $188 across Washington, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. Natural-hazard exposure scores 70.0 out of 100 on FEMA's National Risk Index (High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Ephrata's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from work and mobility to housing and income to reported crime to schools and households to population change to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Ephrata, city-specific coverage includes FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count, annual population history, local building permits.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Ephrata?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. The profile is strongly car-oriented, so a relocation comparison should put trip distance, vehicle access, and household fuel costs ahead of a citywide commute average. The same-state peer links offer a more relevant benchmark than a national label.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 85.8%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
How far does income reach against housing in Ephrata?
The home-value-to-income reference sits in a middle range: the ACS median home value is 3.4 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 14.9%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Income and home value move within the same broad scale here. The useful next check is not a generic affordability label, but whether similar-size cities offer a materially different income, housing, or commute trade-off.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Ephrata?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 3107.1 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 36% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Which cities make useful reference points for Ephrata?
Within Washington, the closest population matches are Stanwood (8,351 residents, $87,477 income); Midland (8,676 residents, $77,619 income); Selah (8,301 residents, $74,757 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Fort Lupton, CO (8,494 residents); Hampton, GA (8,491 residents); Temperance, MI (8,495 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Ephrata?
The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 15.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
Matched public schools
2
Bachelor's degree+
15.5%
Poverty estimate
14.9%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +344 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +4.1% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 89 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Period change
+4.1%
2025 estimate
8,834
2020 estimate
8,490
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
Below median income · poverty 14.9% (High poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
107.0 (US=100)
High cost · BEA RPP 2024, Washington average
F
City profile score · Ephrata, WA
33/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Household income C-
$70,321
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Violent crime C-
183 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Poverty rate F
14.9%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share F
15.5%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Cost of living F
107.0 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Ephrata profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Household income: 50/100 (C-) · $70,321
Violent crime: 50/100 (C-) · 183 /100k
Poverty rate: 23/100 (F) · 14.9%
Bachelor's+ share: 21/100 (F) · 15.5%
Cost of living: 15/100 (F) · 107.0 index
Where Ephrata sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Ephrata's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Ephrata highlighted among 8 peers.Read the chart values
Ephrata, WA (this city): home $240,000, crime 3,107/100k
Fort Lupton, CO : home $372,400, crime 1,773/100k
Hampton, GA : home $265,100, crime 593/100k
Liberty, TX : home $127,200, crime 2,395/100k
Stanwood, WA : home $547,400, crime 1,088/100k
Selah, WA : home $366,100, crime 1,182/100k
Othello, WA : home $278,600, crime 2,592/100k
Toppenish, WA : home $214,200, crime 4,562/100k
How does Ephrata compare to other US cities?
Ephrata measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income50% higher than other cities
Home value53% pricier than other cities
Median rent70% pricier than other cities
Safety15% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Washington, Ephrata ranks #115 of 156 Washington cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Ephrata against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Washington only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Washington-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places Ephrata near the bottom of Washington's cities
Among the 599 Washington cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Ephrata ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Ephrata only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#388 of 565
31st percentile in Washington
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 599
0th percentile in Washington
Median Home Value
#459 of 565
19th percentile in Washington
Poverty Rate
#81 of 598
86th percentile in Washington
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#475 of 599
20th percentile in Washington
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within Washington only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
50th percentile nationally for median household income · 15th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Ephrata's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Ephrata'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 Ephrata's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$240,00047th percentilemore affordable than 47% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Ephrata's home-value-to-income ratio: 3.4×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#8,629 of 15,516
More affordable than 44% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#6,999 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 3.4×, Ephrata sits in the moderate band:
national rank #8,629 of 15,516 and #6,999 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000).
Income and home value move in the same broad scale; check same-state peers before treating the multiple as an advantage or a warning.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$70,321Ephrata, WA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Ephrata, WA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Ephrata, WA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)15.5%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)14.9%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)58.1%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
8,493
Median Income
$70,321
Median Home Value
$240,000
Median Age
31.7
Poverty Rate
14.9%
Labor force participation
58.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
15.5%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
3107.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
183.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2923.6
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
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.
Schools
Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Ephrata's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
8,490 residents
2021
8,488 residents
2022
8,474 residents
2023
8,623 residents
2024
8,726 residents
2025
8,834 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
89
housing units authorized
Single-Family
42
detached homes
Multifamily
47
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
10.5
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
43
27
16
$6.6M
2020
20
20
0
$4.1M
2021
34
34
0
$9.6M
2022
94
58
36
$18.8M
2023
28
18
10
$7.3M
2024
89
42
47
$15.9M
Permit volume increased 107% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
85.8%
Carpool
7.0%
Public Transit
0.3%
Walk
0.6%
Work from Home
4.2%
Other
2.1%
Based on 3,321 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
Washington statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $188
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across Washington at $188 (electricity about $85 , water and sewer about $55 ).
These are Washington statewide averages, not a meter reading for Ephrata. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
Washington's BEA cost-of-living index is 107.0 (Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Ephrata is $1,472/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to Washington statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 70.0 / 100 (High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a Washington statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Ephrata sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Ephrata compares to similar-size Washington cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, 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.