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Place dossier plate
SheetWA-VANCOUVER-WA · Vancouver, WA 192,696 pop · income 60th pct · 115 tracts
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 Vancouver
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Vancouver on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Akron · lowest
48,544
Akron · lowest
48,544 median HH income
30.1% of the leader · rank #1
La Vista · near
78,145
La Vista · near
78,145 median HH income
48.4% of the leader · rank #2
Aldan · near
78,147
Aldan · near
78,147 median HH income
48.4% of the leader · rank #3
Battle Mounta… · near
78,149
Battle Mounta… · near
78,149 median HH income
48.4% of the leader · rank #4
Vancouver · this city
78,156
Vancouver · this city
78,156 median HH income
48.5% of the leader · rank #5
South Barre · near
78,162
South Barre · near
78,162 median HH income
48.5% of the leader · rank #6
Bellevue · highest
161,300
Bellevue · highest
161,300 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 Vancouver 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: 192,696.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Vancouver - the verdict
Measured against every US city with at least 1,000 residents, Vancouver lands in the 60th percentile for household income and the 7th percentile for safety. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
60th
percentile, household income
81st
percentile, home value
70th
percentile, median rent
7th
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: Vancouver, WA
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 192,696 residents in Vancouver, a mid-sized U.S. city within Washington. Households in Vancouver report a median income of $78,156 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 7.5%. Typical homes in Vancouver are valued around $440,300, and the median resident age is 37.5 years. 31.5% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 61.4% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 1,205 residential building permits were authorized in Vancouver (Slowing), down 12% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Vancouver's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 3989.5 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 51.0°F with 42.3 inches of precipitation per year and 0.8 inches of snowfall.
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 $1,472 monthly. Monthly utility costs average around $188 across Washington, per EIA 2023 residential energy estimates. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 70.0 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Vancouver'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 work and mobility to housing and income to within-city variation to schools and households to climate and hazard context to population change to comparison shortlist to reported crime; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Vancouver, city-specific coverage includes annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates, matched public-school count, local building permits, commute-mode shares, within-city Census tract profiles.
All six city-specific enrichment layers used by this profile are present.
1. Work and mobility
What does the journey to work look like in Vancouver?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 69.7%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
How far does income reach against housing in Vancouver?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 5.6 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 7.5%, 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 can 115 Census tracts reveal inside Vancouver?
That layer breaks the citywide income, rent, and home-value medians into smaller Census geographies, which can reveal differences that one municipal median necessarily hides. A tract is a statistical area, not a locally defined neighborhood or a promise about conditions on a particular block. Start with the city profile for the broad comparison, then use the tract layer to test whether the same housing and income pattern is consistent across the city. Large within-city spreads are a reason to avoid treating any citywide median as a universal resident experience.
PlainCities matches 115 Census tracts to this city.
Which cities make useful reference points for Vancouver?
Within Washington, the closest population matches are Tacoma (220,482 residents, $83,857 income); Spokane (229,228 residents, $65,745 income); Bellevue (151,199 residents, $161,300 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Glendale, CA (192,270 residents); Knoxville, TN (193,721 residents); Peoria, AZ (194,338 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.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Vancouver?
The NCES join finds 44 public schools within the city match. 31.5% 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.
Matched public schools
44
Bachelor's degree+
31.5%
Poverty estimate
7.5%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 51.0°F, with 42.3 inches of precipitation and 0.8 inches of annual snowfall. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for Washington is 70.0 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Mean temperature
51.0°F
Annual precipitation
42.3 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
70.0
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
Is Vancouver 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 +8,431 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +4.4% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 1,205 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
+4.4%
2025 estimate
199,698
2020 estimate
191,267
Census Population Estimates Program, 2020–2025; permit context uses Census BPS.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Vancouver?
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 3989.5 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 75% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
3407.3
Violent rate
582.3
Total reported rate
3989.5
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Above median income · poverty 7.5% (Above-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
107.0 (US=100)
High cost · BEA RPP 2024, Washington average
F
City profile score · Vancouver, WA
39/100
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.
Bachelor's+ share C+
31.5%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income C
$78,156
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate C-
7.5%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
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.
Violent crime F
582 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Vancouver profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 61/100 (C+) · 31.5%
Household income: 58/100 (C) · $78,156
Poverty rate: 50/100 (C-) · 7.5%
Cost of living: 15/100 (F) · 107.0 index
Violent crime: 11/100 (F) · 582 /100k
Where Vancouver sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Vancouver'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 - Vancouver highlighted among 13 peers.Read the chart values
Vancouver, WA (this city): home $440,300, crime 3,990/100k
Glendale, CA : home $1,043,900, crime 2,314/100k
Knoxville, TN : home $214,000, crime 3,462/100k
Peoria, AZ : home $429,400, crime 1,460/100k
Providence, RI : home $322,800, crime 1,935/100k
Akron, OH : home $111,200, crime 3,775/100k
Huntington Beach, CA : home $1,047,300, crime 2,196/100k
Tacoma, WA : home $454,600, crime 6,667/100k
Spokane, WA : home $326,200, crime 5,516/100k
Bellevue, WA : home $1,203,100, crime 3,478/100k
Kent, WA : home $537,500, crime 4,261/100k
Everett, WA : home $532,300, crime 3,484/100k
Spokane Valley, WA : home $344,300, crime 3,758/100k
How does Vancouver compare to other US cities?
Where Vancouver sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income60% higher than other cities
Home value81% pricier than other cities
Median rent70% pricier than other cities
Safety7% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
National percentiles can mask local variation. Looking only at Washington, Vancouver ranks #134 of 156 Washington cities by lowest crime rate - a narrower, more locally useful cut than the national comparison above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares Vancouver 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 Vancouver near the bottom of Washington's cities
Among the 599 Washington cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Vancouver ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Vancouver only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#318 of 565
44th percentile in Washington
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 599
0th percentile in Washington
Median Home Value
#256 of 565
55th percentile in Washington
Poverty Rate
#236 of 598
60th percentile in Washington
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#215 of 599
64th 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
60th percentile nationally for median household income · 7th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
Vancouver's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
Vancouver'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 Vancouver's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$440,30019th percentilemore affordable than 19% 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
Vancouver's home-value-to-income ratio: 5.6×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#13,740 of 15,516
More affordable than 11% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#538 of 750
Mid-size cities (50,000–199,999)
At 5.6×, Vancouver sits in the pressured band:
national rank #13,740 of 15,516 and #538 of 750mid-size cities (50,000–199,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
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
$78,156Vancouver, WA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Vancouver, 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 Vancouver, WA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)31.5%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)7.5%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)61.4%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
192,696
Median Income
$78,156
Median Home Value
$440,300
Median Age
37.5
Poverty Rate
7.5%
Labor force participation
61.4%
Bachelor's Degree+
31.5%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
3989.5
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
582.3
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
3407.3
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.
Climate
Avg Temperature
51.0°F
Annual Precipitation
42.3"
Annual Snowfall
0.8"
Schools
Total Schools
44
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Vancouver's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
191,267 residents
2021
193,467 residents
2022
194,899 residents
2023
197,517 residents
2024
198,595 residents
2025
199,698 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
1,205
housing units authorized
Single-Family
152
detached homes
Multifamily
1,053
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
6.3
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
1,372
300
1,072
$162.3M
2020
1,573
517
1,056
$249.8M
2021
2,403
572
1,831
$662.5M
2022
1,882
262
1,620
$299.5M
2023
1,359
129
1,230
$174.0M
2024
1,205
152
1,053
$182.1M
Permit volume decreased 12% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
69.7%
Carpool
9.5%
Public Transit
1.8%
Walk
2.0%
Work from Home
15.2%
Other
1.8%
Based on 94,165 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 Vancouver. 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 Vancouver 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 Vancouver sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Vancouver 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, 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.