City profile · Washington · Census ACS 2023

Longview, WA

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

37,836
Residents
$60,844
Median income
$339,000
Median home
$1,451
Median rent (state)

Longview - the verdict

Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Longview lands in the 37th percentile for household income and the 12th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

37th
percentile, household income
70th
percentile, home value
57th
percentile, median rent
12th
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: Longview, WA

37,836 people live in Longview, Washington - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $60,844 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 10.2%. Longview's housing stock carries a median value of $339,000, and the median resident age is 39.1 years. Educational attainment runs 16.7% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 53.0% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

Housing supply pressure shows in Census Building Permit Survey data: 93 residential units were authorized in 2024 (Building Boom), up 90% from five years earlier. Longview's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 3391.8 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 53.2°F with 48.1 inches of precipitation per year.

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. Statewide, HUD pegs Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit at $1,451 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $188 across Washington, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. The average commute for Longview workers runs 23.7 minutes, with 81.0% driving alone and 5.9% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 90.3 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

37,836 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Washington

Median Household Income

$60,844 /yr

Poverty 10.2%

Cost of Living Index (state)

107.0 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Washington average

How does Longview compare to other US cities?

Longview measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 37% higher than other cities
Home value 70% pricier than other cities
Median rent 57% pricier than other cities
Safety 12% safer than other cities

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

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to Washington alone, Longview ranks #125 of 156 Washington cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Longview against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Washington only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

Washington-relative analysis

Bachelor's Degree or Higher places Longview toward the bottom of Washington's cities

Among the 599 Washington cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, Longview ranks #457 - the 23rd percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Longview only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#438 of 565
22nd percentile in Washington
Median Gross Rent
#415 of 599
29th percentile in Washington
Median Home Value
#355 of 565
37th percentile in Washington
Poverty Rate
#150 of 598
74th percentile in Washington
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#457 of 599
23rd percentile in Washington

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.

37thIncome percentile
12thSafety percentile

37th percentile nationally for median household income · 12th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Longview's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Longview'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 29 Avg. percentile National median
Longview'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 Longview's home value compares nationally

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

$339,000 30th percentile more affordable than 30% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $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. Longview $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 - Longview, WA Longview, WA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Longview, 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 Longview, WA median $60,844/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%
Longview, 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 Longview, WA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 16.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 10.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 53.0%

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

Population
37,836
Median Income
$60,844
Median Home Value
$339,000
Median Age
39.1
Poverty Rate
10.2%
Labor force participation
53.0%
Bachelor's Degree+
16.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
3391.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
216.1
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3175.7
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
53.2°F
Annual Precipitation
48.1"
Annual Snowfall
N/A

Schools

Total Schools
20
Public schools in this city

Population Change

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

See the fastest-growing cities →
37,800 residents38,000 residents38,200 residents38,400 residents38,600 residents 202020212022202320242025 37,867 residents 38,362 residents ▲ +1.3%
Longview's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

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

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
93
housing units authorized
Single-Family
53
detached homes
Multifamily
40
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.5
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 49
2020 17
2021 68
2022 141
2023 30
2024 93

Permit volume increased 90% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
23.7 minutes
Drive Alone
81.0%
Carpool
9.0%
Public Transit
1.0%
Walk
1.4%
Work from Home
5.9%
Other
1.7%

Based on 15,735 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 Longview sits in

Cost of Living Index
107.0
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,451/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
90.3 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Washington

Parkland
39,174 people
Issaquah
39,472 people
Lake Stevens
39,500 people
Wenatchee
35,502 people
Mount Vernon
35,312 people
Graham
35,090 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Longview's 37,836 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Tupelo, MS
37,825 people
Montclair, CA
37,809 people
Hilton Head Island, SC
37,805 people
Lewiston, ME
37,886 people
Winchester, NV
37,774 people
Rome, GA
37,754 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Longview's $60,844 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Margate, FL
$60,852 median income
Bon Secour, AL
$60,833 median income
Hialeah Gardens, FL
$60,855 median income
Franklin Grove, IL
$60,833 median income
Foster, IN
$60,833 median income
Winchester, IN
$60,833 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Longview, 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 Longview, WA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 82.4% 10.7% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 11.4% White 82.4% Black or African American 0.9% Asian 1.9% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 2.9% Two or more races 10.7% 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 Longview 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
Longview (this city) 37,836 $60,844
Parkland 39,174 $71,829
Issaquah 39,472 $153,786
Lake Stevens 39,500 $118,290
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WA FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Longview, WA?

What is the population of Longview, WA? +

37,836 people live in Longview, WA according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

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

The median household income in Longview is $60,844 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Longview? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Longview; 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 Longview, WA safe? +

Longview has a total crime rate of 3391.8 per 100,000 residents, which is above 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 Longview, WA? +

A typical home in Longview is worth $339,000, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Longview? +

Longview has an average annual temperature of 53.2°F, 48.1 inches of precipitation. 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

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

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.