City profile · Washington · Census ACS 2023

McChord AFB, WA

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

2,895
Residents
$55,662
Median income
$1,472
Median rent

Data Snapshot: McChord AFB, WA

McChord AFB is a city in Washington with a population of 2,895 residents based on U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here reaches $55,662 per year, while the poverty rate sits at 8.9%. The median resident age is 23.4 years. About 32.4% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 21.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

On a cost-of-living index where 100 equals the national average, Washington registers 107.0 (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,472 per month. Average monthly utility bills run around $188 based on EIA 2023 residential energy data. Workers in McChord AFB report an average commute of 13.9 minutes, with 68.0% driving alone and 2.7% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 70.0 out of 100 (High).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, PlainCities renders standardized city-level demographic, income, education, employment, and housing indicators across more than 19,000 incorporated places nationwide. Population counts and median household income figures are sourced directly from Census Table B01003 and B19013 respectively, with poverty rates from B17001 and cost-of-living adjustments from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) Regional Price Parities (RPP) 2024 release. Every value displayed in this snapshot links back to the official upstream tables and is refreshed on the ACS annual release cadence (typically December of the survey year + 1).

Methodology: city boundaries follow the Census Bureau's place-level geography (incorporated places, census-designated places, and consolidated city-county governments), with FIPS codes ensuring consistent identifiers across decennial and annual surveys. Cost-of-living comparisons use BEA's Regional Price Parities (RPP) indexed to the national average (100), enabling cross-city purchasing-power comparisons. See our methodology page for full source attribution, refresh cadence, and known data quality limitations including margin-of-error disclosure and sample-size thresholds.

Population

2,895 residents

Census ACS 2023 — Washington

Median Household Income

$55,662 /yr

Poverty 8.9%

Cost of Living Index

107.0 (US=100)

Near Average — BEA RPP 2024

How does McChord AFB compare to other US cities?

Where McChord AFB sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure — computed live from Census and FBI data.

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

Percentiles compare McChord AFB against every US city with at least 1,000 residents. "Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Income distribution context

Household income distribution — McChord AFB, WA Quintile shares of aggregate household income for McChord AFB, WA. The Lorenz curve traces cumulative income share against cumulative population share — perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution McChord AFB, WA — median $55,662/yr — Census ACS quintile shares 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%
Household income distribution for McChord AFB, WA — Census ACS 5-year estimates. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 32.4%

Census ACS S1501 — educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 8.9%

Census ACS S1701 — poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 21.7%

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

Population
2,895
Median Income
$55,662
Median Home Value
N/A
Median Age
23.4
Poverty Rate
8.9%
Labor force participation
21.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
32.4%

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work — Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
13.9 minutes
Drive Alone
68.0%
Carpool
16.3%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
9.0%
Work from Home
2.7%
Other
4.0%

Based on 1,522 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

Washington state-level data from PlainCost, PlainRent, and PlainHazard

Cost of Living Index
107.0
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,472/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
State-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
70.0 / 100
High
FEMA NRI composite score

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity — McChord AFB, 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 McChord AFB, WA — Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE — sums to 100% 59.5% 12.1% 6.1% 10.6% 10.3% ETHNICITY — Hispanic or Latino (any race) 18.7% White 59.5% Black or African American 12.1% Asian 6.1% American Indian 1.2% Native Hawaiian 0.2% Some other race 10.6% Two or more races 10.3% 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.

National-average reference values shown when city-level race/ethnicity table is not loaded. Source: Census ACS 5-year, OMB Directive 15 race-and-ethnicity categories.

How McChord AFB compares to nearby Washington cities

Census ACS 2023 — population and median income benchmarks

Side-by-side population + income comparison anchored on the current city (McChord AFB) plus the nearest peer cities in Washington, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).
Selected

WA

McChord AFB

55.66% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$55,662
Brackets
3
Selected

WA

Medina

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$290
Brackets
3
Selected

WA

Alderton

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$290
Brackets
3
Selected

WA

Sisco Heights

65.00% top marginal rate
Structure
Progressive
Burden @ $100K
$290
Brackets
3
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WA OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about McChord AFB, WA?

What is the population of McChord AFB, WA? +

McChord AFB, WA has a population of 2,895 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in McChord AFB, WA? +

The median household income in McChord AFB is $55,662 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in McChord AFB? +

McChord AFB has a cost of living index of 107.0 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data.

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.

Related

Data sourced from official U.S. government datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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