Population
2,895 residents
Census ACS 2023 - Washington
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
- $1,971
- Median rent (state)
McChord AFB - the verdict
Nationally, McChord AFB sits in the 28th percentile for household income among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS.
- 28th
- percentile, household income
- 82nd
- 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: McChord AFB, WA
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 2,895 residents in McChord AFB, a small town within Washington. McChord AFB households earn a median of $55,662 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 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.
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 $1,971 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Washington run around $188, per 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 98.5 out of 100 (Very High).
Median Household Income
$55,662 /yr
Poverty 8.9%
Cost of Living Index (state)
107.0 (US=100)
Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Washington average
How does McChord AFB compare to other US cities?
McChord AFB measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.
Household income 28% higher than other cities
Median rent 82% 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 McChord AFB against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to Washington only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
Washington-relative analysis
Poverty Rate sits close to the middle of Washington's city distribution
Among the 598 Washington cities PlainCities tracks with reported poverty rate data, McChord AFB ranks #188 - the 68th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares McChord AFB only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#473 of 565
16th percentile in Washington
Median Gross Rent
#153 of 599
66th percentile in Washington
Poverty Rate
#188 of 598
68th percentile in Washington
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#205 of 599
66th 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.
28th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Income distribution context
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
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 McChord AFB sits in
Cost of Living Index
107.0
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,971/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
98.5 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)
Similar Cities in Washington
Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide
Population-matched peers from other states, closest to McChord AFB's 2,895 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).
Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide
Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to McChord AFB's $55,662 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).
Race & Ethnicity Composition
City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.
How McChord AFB 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 |
|---|---|---|
| McChord AFB (this city) | 2,895 | $55,662 |
| Medina | 2,889 | $249,688 |
| Alderton | 2,857 | $95,802 |
| Sisco Heights | 2,942 | $119,871 |
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? +
2,895 people live in McChord AFB, WA according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in McChord AFB, WA? +
Median annual household income in McChord AFB runs $55,662, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the cost of living in McChord AFB? +
BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for McChord AFB; 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.
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.
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 PlainCitiesEvery 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.