Census-designated place · Washington
Onalaska, Washington
Onalaska, census-designated place, in Lewis County, Washington. Onalaska had 657 residents in the 2020 Census, a full count; the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 848 (±414). GEOID 5351410.
Residents, 2020 Census
657
Census count or controlled total
ACS 2020-2024 estimate: 848 ±414
Median household income
not published
Washington: $98,141
Median home value
$423,700
±$155,414 (90% margin)
Washington: $564,600
Median gross rent
$844
±$635 (90% margin)
Washington: $1,760
Where is Onalaska and what county is it in?
Onalaska is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for counting, with no city government of its own, in Lewis County, Washington. It covers 1.6 square miles of land, 410 residents per square mile in 2020.
Onalaska is in the Centralia, WA micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Onalaska, and is it growing?
The 2020 Census counted 657 residents in Onalaska, a full count rather than a sample. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a sample, estimates 848 (±414).
The Census Bureau publishes yearly population estimates for incorporated places only; Onalaska is a census-designated place, so its figures come from the ACS and the 2020 Census.
| Measure | Onalaska | Lewis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 848 ±414 | 85,154 | – |
| Households | 333 ±162 | 32,916 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.55 ±0.47 | 2.56 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 365 ±166 | 36,512 | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Onalaska?
The median resident of Onalaska is 38.4 years old; 17.5% are under 18 and 32.8% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 90.8%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 5.8%.
| Measure | Onalaska | Lewis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.4 ±20.5 | 42.2 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 17.5% ±10.1 pts | 21.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 32.8% ±16.1 pts | 21.4% | – |
| Male | 58.1% ±8.1 pts | 50.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 5.8% ±8.4 pts | 11.5% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 90.8% ±8.9 pts | 79.9% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.6 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.6 pts | 1.1% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 2.4% ±3.2 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.6 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.1% ±1.7 pts | 4.9% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±4.6 pts | 0.7% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 8.1% ±8.7 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 7.6% ±9.7 pts | 8.7% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 0.0% ±5.6 pts | 9.4% | – |
| With a disability | 31.6% ±13.5 pts | 19.7% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.4% ±3.2 pts | 6.3% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 90.7% ±7.3 pts | 91.3% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 19.0% ±14.9 pts | 21.5% | – |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 3.8% ±5.0 pts | 7.3% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 66.7% ±26.2 pts | 89.8% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.0% ±4.8 pts | 1.5% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Onalaska earn?
The Census Bureau does not publish a median household income for Onalaska: too few households were sampled.
| Measure | Onalaska | Lewis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mean household income | $72,323 ±$26,336 | $92,194 | – |
| Per capita income | $27,449 ±$6,402 | $36,049 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 11.9% ±18.6 pts | 12.2% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 18.9% ±44.4 pts | 14.6% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 55.3% ±29.8 pts | 16.4% | – |
| Households with a computer | 100.0% ±11.3 pts | 94.3% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.3% ±19.7 pts | 87.9% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Onalaska?
Owners occupy 57.4% of Onalaska's occupied homes and renters 42.6%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $423,700 by its owner (±$155,414).
| Measure | Onalaska | Lewis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $423,700 ±$155,414 | $385,800 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $844 ±$635 | $1,097 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 21.1% ±32.1 pts | 38.5% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,208 ±$1,533 | $1,886 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 57.4% ±28.4 pts | 75.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 42.6% ±28.4 pts | 24.2% | – |
| Housing units | 365 ±166 | 36,512 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±18.8 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±24.2 pts | 3.9% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 59.7% ±25.3 pts | 71.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 10.7% ±10.6 pts | 14.7% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±10.4 pts | 2.2% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.0% ±10.4 pts | 7.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 8.5% ±13.1 pts | 16.0% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 29.7% ±25.5 pts | 4.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Onalaska work and get to work?
88.6% of Onalaska's workers drive alone.
| Measure | Onalaska | Lewis County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 50.0% ±19.2 pts | 55.8% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 14.0% ±16.7 pts | 5.3% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 88.6% ±17.0 pts | 74.6% | – |
| Carpooled | 0.0% ±13.7 pts | 10.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±13.7 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Walked | 0.0% ±13.7 pts | 2.7% | – |
| Worked from home | 11.4% ±17.0 pts | 9.7% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Onalaska?
No census tract lies mostly in Onalaska; 3 tracts reach into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9711Lewis County | 4,563 | $101,810 |
| Tract 9718Lewis County | 4,882 | $76,136 |
| Tract 9712Lewis County | 4,267 | $77,760 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Onalaska) · Census block assignment files
How does Onalaska compare with other places in Washington?
Onalaska is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
Onalaska's figures with every place in Washington (CSV)
Every place in Washington, sortable · Compare Onalaska with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Onalaska?
32 of the 55 figures for Onalaska on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Onalaska are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.