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Place dossier plate
SheetWA-OTHELLO-WA · Othello, WA 8,699 pop · income 44th 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 Othello
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Othello on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Anthony · lowest
33,141
Anthony · lowest
33,141 median HH income
25.2% of the leader · rank #1
Carrollton · near
65,755
Carrollton · near
65,755 median HH income
50.0% of the leader · rank #2
Temple Terrace · near
65,756
Temple Terrace · near
65,756 median HH income
50.0% of the leader · rank #3
Othello · this city
65,757
Othello · this city
65,757 median HH income
50.0% of the leader · rank #4
Ignacio · near
65,759
Ignacio · near
65,759 median HH income
50.0% of the leader · rank #5
Tangelo Park · near
65,761
Tangelo Park · near
65,761 median HH income
50.0% of the leader · rank #6
Stevensville · highest
131,618
Stevensville · highest
131,618 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 Othello 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: 8,699.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Othello - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Othello lands in the 44th percentile for household income and the 21st percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
44th
percentile, household income
61st
percentile, home value
70th
percentile, median rent
21st
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: Othello, WA
Washington's Othello is a small town, with 8,699 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Households in Othello report a median income of $65,757 per year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 19.4%. Othello's housing stock carries a median value of $278,600, and the median resident age is 24.6 years. Educational attainment runs 14.4% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 59.8% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 84 residential building permits were authorized in Othello (Building Boom), up 79% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 2592.1 incidents per 100,000 residents, near the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).
Washington carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 107.0 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $1,472 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Washington run around $188, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. The average commute for Othello workers runs 17.5 minutes, with 72.8% driving alone and 5.3% working from home. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 70.0 out of 100 (High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Othello'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 housing and income to work and mobility to schools and households to comparison shortlist to population change to reported crime; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Othello, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, commute-mode shares, annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count.
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
How far does income reach against housing in Othello?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 4.2 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 19.4%, 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 Othello?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. No single mode completely explains the work trip here. The mix is more useful than a one-number commute grade, especially when comparing places where transit, walking, and remote work divide the non-driving share differently.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 72.8%. The reported mean trip to work is 17.5 minutes.
The NCES join finds 9 public schools within the city match. 14.4% 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.
Which cities make useful reference points for Othello?
Within Washington, the closest population matches are Midland (8,676 residents, $77,619 income); Toppenish (8,746 residents, $67,766 income); Milton (8,747 residents, $89,804 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Audubon, NJ (8,699 residents); Anthony, NM (8,701 residents); York, SC (8,697 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.
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.
Population change
Is Othello 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 +686 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +8.0% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 84 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
+8.0%
2025 estimate
9,237
2020 estimate
8,551
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Othello?
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 2592.1 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 14% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
2213.8
Violent rate
378.2
Total reported rate
2592.1
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Below median income · poverty 19.4% (High poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
107.0 (US=100)
High cost · BEA RPP 2024, Washington average
F
City profile score · Othello, WA
24/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
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 D
$65,757
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Violent crime F
378 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Bachelor's+ share F
14.4%
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.
Poverty rate F
19.4%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Othello profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Household income: 43/100 (D) · $65,757
Violent crime: 24/100 (F) · 378 /100k
Bachelor's+ share: 18/100 (F) · 14.4%
Cost of living: 15/100 (F) · 107.0 index
Poverty rate: 14/100 (F) · 19.4%
Where Othello sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Othello'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 - Othello highlighted among 9 peers.Read the chart values
Othello, WA (this city): home $278,600, crime 2,592/100k
Audubon, NJ : home $288,500, crime 3,703/100k
Anthony, NM : home $110,800, crime 321/100k
York, SC : home $161,000, crime 3,790/100k
Milliken, CO : home $398,200, crime 538/100k
Toppenish, WA : home $214,200, crime 4,562/100k
Milton, WA : home $511,000, crime 3,015/100k
Hoquiam, WA : home $196,400, crime 1,877/100k
Ephrata, WA : home $240,000, crime 3,107/100k
How does Othello compare to other US cities?
Where Othello sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income44% higher than other cities
Home value61% pricier than other cities
Median rent70% pricier than other cities
Safety21% 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: Othello ranks #102 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 Othello 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 Othello near the bottom of Washington's cities
Among the 599 Washington cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Othello ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Othello only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#412 of 565
27th percentile in Washington
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 599
0th percentile in Washington
Median Home Value
#421 of 565
25th percentile in Washington
Poverty Rate
#47 of 598
92nd percentile in Washington
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#492 of 599
18th 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
44th percentile nationally for median household income · 21st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Othello's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Othello'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 Othello's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$278,60039th percentilemore affordable than 39% 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
Othello's home-value-to-income ratio: 4.2×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
moderate
3.0–5.0×
National rank
#11,345 of 15,516
More affordable than 27% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#8,777 of 11,323
Micro cities (under 10,000)
At 4.2×, Othello sits in the moderate band:
national rank #11,345 of 15,516 and #8,777 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
$65,757Othello, WA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Othello, 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 Othello, WA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)14.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)19.4%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)59.8%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
8,699
Median Income
$65,757
Median Home Value
$278,600
Median Age
24.6
Poverty Rate
19.4%
Labor force participation
59.8%
Bachelor's Degree+
14.4%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
2592.1
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
378.2
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2213.8
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
9
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Othello's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
8,551 residents
2021
8,675 residents
2022
8,852 residents
2023
8,911 residents
2024
9,117 residents
2025
9,237 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
84
housing units authorized
Single-Family
32
detached homes
Multifamily
52
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
9.7
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
47
45
2
$8.8M
2020
85
85
0
$14.5M
2021
64
55
9
$10.9M
2022
37
35
2
$8.3M
2023
49
43
6
$8.8M
2024
84
32
52
$12.8M
Permit volume increased 79% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Average Commute Time
17.5 minutes
Drive Alone
72.8%
Carpool
16.7%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
3.4%
Work from Home
5.3%
Other
1.8%
Based on 3,215 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 Othello. 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 Othello 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 Othello sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Othello 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.