City profile · Washington · Census ACS 2023

Fords Prairie, WA

Fords Prairie's Census ACS profile: residents, income, housing, and the joined public-record layers available for this place.

1,762
Residents
$55,556
Median income
$297,400
Median home
$1,472
Median rent (state)
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Starting with Fords Prairie, WA - add up to three more cities on the compare page.

See how it ranks

State rank, size-class rank, and four peer cities for Fords Prairie.

Place dossier plate

Sheet WA-FORDS-PRAIRIE-WA · Fords Prairie, WA 1,762 pop · income 28th pct

POP-VILLAGE · INC-MID · COL-ABOVE · SAFE-UNK · RANK-LOWER · PHOTO-FINISH · HOME-MID · BOOK-UNK

  • POP-VILLAGE 1,762
  • INC-MID $55,556
  • COL-ABOVE 107.0
  • SAFE-UNK Safety pending
  • RANK-LOWER 28th
  • PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Dixon Lane-Mead…
  • HOME-MID $297,400
  • BOOK-UNK Tracts pending

Nearest income peer: Dixon Lane-MeadowCreek, CA (+ $0 income $)

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 Fords Prairie

Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Fords Prairie on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.

median HH income

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.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2026-08-08

Compare beyond this state

Nationwide peers by population, income

Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Fords Prairie on ACS population and median household income . 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: 1,762.

4 peers

Similar household income

Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS median household income. This city: $55,556. Population peers are excluded.

4 peers

Fords Prairie - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Fords Prairie lands in the 28th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

28th
percentile, household income
65th
percentile, home value
70th
percentile, median rent
📝 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: Fords Prairie, WA

1,762 people live in Fords Prairie, Washington - a small town by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Fords Prairie households earn a median of $55,556 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.8%. Home values in Fords Prairie run a median of $297,400, and the median resident age is 52.9 years. 22.5% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 49.1% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Washington carries a cost-of-living premium: BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 puts Washington at 107.0 on a 100-equals-national-average scale (Above Average). A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,472 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Washington's average monthly utility costs around $188 (state average). FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 70.0 out of 100 (High).

A decision-led reading path

Useful questions to ask of Fords Prairie'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 housing and income to comparison shortlist to work and mobility; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.

For Fords Prairie, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares. No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, annual population history, local building permits; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.

Question 1

How far does income reach against housing in Fords Prairie?

The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 5.4 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 7.8%, 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. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.

Compare the housing trade-off →

Question 2

Which cities make useful reference points for Fords Prairie?

Within Washington, the closest population matches are Wilderness Rim (1,770 residents, $115,625 income); Ocean Park (1,777 residents, $53,889 income); Fall (1,743 residents, $144,625 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Walden, TN (1,762 residents); Aberdeen, IN (1,761 residents); Oberlin, KS (1,763 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.

Open a side-by-side comparison →

3. Work and mobility

What does the journey to work look like in Fords Prairie?

Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.

Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 83.5%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.

Compare commute patterns →

Population

1,762 residents

Micro place (under 10k)

Median Household Income

$55,556 /yr

Below median income · poverty 7.8% (Above-median poverty)

Cost of Living Index (state)

107.0 (US=100)

High cost · BEA RPP 2024, Washington average

City profile score · Fords Prairie, WA

32/100

4 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.

Poverty rate D
7.8%

Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.

Bachelor's+ share D
22.5%

Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.

Household income F
$55,556

Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); 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.

Violent crime N/A
N/A

No FBI UCR violent-crime rate for this place (coverage is incomplete).

Fords Prairie profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions) 4-axis radar comparing 1 series across Poverty rate, Bachelor's+ share, Household income, Cost of living. Poverty rateBachelor's+ shareHousehold incomeCost of living 32 F
Fords Prairie profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)
Read the chart values
  • Poverty rate: 48/100 (D) · 7.8%
  • Bachelor's+ share: 42/100 (D) · 22.5%
  • Household income: 28/100 (F) · $55,556
  • Cost of living: 15/100 (F) · 107.0 index

How does Fords Prairie compare to other US cities?

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

Household income 28% higher than other cities
Home value 65% pricier than other cities
Median rent 70% pricier than other cities

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

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Fords Prairie 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 Fords Prairie near the bottom of Washington's cities

Among the 599 Washington cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Fords Prairie ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Fords Prairie only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#475 of 565
16th percentile in Washington
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 599
0th percentile in Washington
Median Home Value
#400 of 565
29th percentile in Washington
Poverty Rate
#225 of 598
62nd percentile in Washington
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#352 of 599
41st 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.

28thIncome percentile
Gauge source note

28th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Fords Prairie's home value compares nationally

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

$297,400 35th percentile more affordable than 35% of 15,600 US cities

Show national distribution $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%). This entry sits in this band. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $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. Fords Prairie $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

Fords Prairie's home-value-to-income ratio: 5.4×

ACS median home value divided by median household income.

Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#13,387 of 15,516
More affordable than 14% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#10,044 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)

At 5.4×, Fords Prairie sits in the pressured band: national rank #13,387 of 15,516 and #10,044 of 11,323micro cities (under 10,000). Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.

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

$55,556 Fords Prairie, WA median household income (Census ACS)

Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Household income distribution - Fords Prairie, WA Fords Prairie, WA's median household income ($55,556) against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern. The Lorenz curve and quintile bars are national context, not Fords Prairie, WA-specific shares. $ Household Income Distribution Fords Prairie, WA median $55,556/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%
Fords Prairie, 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 Fords Prairie, WA.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 22.5%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 7.8%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 49.1%

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

Population
1,762
Median Income
$55,556
Median Home Value
$297,400
Median Age
52.9
Poverty Rate
7.8%
Labor force participation
49.1%
Bachelor's Degree+
22.5%

Commute Patterns

Commute source

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
83.5%
Carpool
6.5%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
6.9%
Work from Home
3.1%

Based on 806 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 Fords Prairie. 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 Fords Prairie 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 Fords Prairie sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.

How Fords Prairie 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.

City Population Median Household Income
Fords Prairie (this city) 1,762 $55,556
Wilderness Rim 1,770 $115,625
Ocean Park 1,777 $53,889
Fall 1,743 $144,625
Primary sources on this page

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

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

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES. Joins use OMB Bulletin 23-01 / FIPS keys.

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Estimate caveats

ACS and UCR figures are citywide estimates with vintage lags; they do not replace a local visit, school visit, or insurance quote.

Editorial standards, provenance, and how to cite this page

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.

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