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-LA-CENTER-WA · La Center, WA 3,885 pop · income 87th 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 La Center
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest La Center on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Springfield · lowest
44,375
Springfield · lowest
44,375 median HH income
17.7% of the leader · rank #1
Summerville · near
118,611
Summerville · near
118,611 median HH income
47.4% of the leader · rank #2
Ocean Bluff-B… · near
118,625
Ocean Bluff-B… · near
118,625 median HH income
47.4% of the leader · rank #3
La Center · this city
118,629
La Center · this city
118,629 median HH income
47.5% of the leader · rank #4
Copake Lake · near
118,632
Copake Lake · near
118,632 median HH income
47.5% of the leader · rank #5
Antioch · near
118,635
Antioch · near
118,635 median HH income
47.5% of the leader · rank #6
Loyola · highest
250,001
Loyola · highest
250,001 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 La Center 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: 3,885.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
La Center - the verdict
Nationally, La Center sits in the 87th percentile for household income and the 81st percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
87th
percentile, household income
87th
percentile, home value
70th
percentile, median rent
81st
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: La Center, WA
La Center is a small town in Washington, home to 3,885 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $118,629 per year, placing it in the top quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 2.8%. Typical homes in La Center are valued around $549,900, and the median resident age is 38.3 years. About 30.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 63.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 79 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Stable), down 1% from five years earlier. La Center reports a comparatively low crime rate: FBI UCR figures show 616.1 crimes per 100,000 residents, below the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score).
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). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,472 per month. Monthly utility costs average around $188 across Washington, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 70.0 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of La Center'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 comparison shortlist to reported crime to housing and income to work and mobility to schools and households to population change; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For La Center, city-specific coverage includes matched public-school count, commute-mode shares, annual population history, local building permits, FBI reported-crime rates.
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.
Question 1
Which cities make useful reference points for La Center?
Within Washington, the closest population matches are Cascade Valley (3,824 residents, $48,862 income); Esperance (3,988 residents, $134,866 income); Larch Way (4,046 residents, $141,429 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Woodlawn, OH (3,885 residents); Weston, WV (3,884 residents); Loyola, CA (3,883 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.
What can the FBI record say about safety in La Center?
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 616.1 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 73% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
How far does income reach against housing in La Center?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.6 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 2.8%, 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.
What does the journey to work look like in La Center?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 77.7%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
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 La Center?
The NCES join finds 4 public schools within the city match. 30.3% 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 city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
Matched public schools
4
Bachelor's degree+
30.3%
Poverty estimate
2.8%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
Is La Center growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
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 +960 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +27.6% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 79 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
+27.6%
2025 estimate
4,433
2020 estimate
3,473
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
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 A
$118,629
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate A-
2.8%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime A-
64 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share C
30.3%
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.
La Center profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Household income: 85/100 (A) · $118,629
Poverty rate: 80/100 (A-) · 2.8%
Violent crime: 80/100 (A-) · 64 /100k
Bachelor's+ share: 58/100 (C) · 30.3%
Cost of living: 15/100 (F) · 107.0 index
Where La Center sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
La Center'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 - La Center highlighted among 26 peers.Read the chart values
La Center, WA (this city): home $549,900, crime 616/100k
Woodlawn, OH : home $177,600, crime 3,089/100k
Weston, WV : home $88,000, crime 1,048/100k
Swansboro, NC : home $356,900, crime 1,919/100k
Springfield, VT : home $138,400, crime 1,290/100k
Raymond, NH : home $292,200, crime 362/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
How does La Center compare to other US cities?
Where La Center sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income87% higher than other cities
Home value87% pricier than other cities
Median rent70% pricier than other cities
Safety81% 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: La Center ranks #12 of 156 Washington cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares La Center 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 La Center near the bottom of Washington's cities
Among the 599 Washington cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, La Center ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares La Center only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#110 of 565
81st percentile in Washington
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 599
0th percentile in Washington
Median Home Value
#165 of 565
71st percentile in Washington
Poverty Rate
#411 of 598
31st percentile in Washington
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#235 of 599
61st 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
87th percentile nationally for median household income · 81st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
La Center's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
La Center'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 La Center's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$549,90013th percentilemore affordable than 13% 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
La Center's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.6×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#12,254 of 15,516
More affordable than 21% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#9,352 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 4.6×, La Center sits in the moderate band:
national rank #12,254 of 15,516 and #9,352 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
$118,629La Center, WA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context La Center, 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 La Center, WA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)30.3%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)2.8%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)63.5%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
3,885
Median Income
$118,629
Median Home Value
$549,900
Median Age
38.3
Poverty Rate
2.8%
Labor force participation
63.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
30.3%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
616.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
63.7
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
552.4
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
4
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
La Center's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
3,473 residents
2021
3,733 residents
2022
3,923 residents
2023
4,005 residents
2024
4,240 residents
2025
4,433 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Stable
Total Permits (2024)
79
housing units authorized
Single-Family
79
detached homes
Multifamily
0
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
20.3
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
80
80
0
$21.1M
2020
136
136
0
$29.1M
2021
242
94
148
$37.9M
2022
17
13
4
$5.6M
2023
122
122
0
$40.8M
2024
79
79
0
$21.8M
Permit volume decreased 1% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
77.7%
Carpool
3.3%
Public Transit
1.2%
Walk
0.6%
Work from Home
17.2%
Based on 1,975 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 La Center. 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 La Center 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 La Center sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How La Center 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.