City · Washington

Waitsburg, Washington

Waitsburg, city, in Walla Walla County, Washington. Waitsburg had 1,184 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.1% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 1,166 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 1,083 (±360). GEOID 5375565.

Residents, July 2025 estimate

1,184

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 1,166 · ACS 2020-2024: 1,083 ±360

Median household income

$67,917

±$18,152 (90% margin)
Washington: $98,141

Median home value

$266,400

±$23,339 (90% margin)
Washington: $564,600

Median gross rent

$811

±$90 (90% margin)
Washington: $1,760

Where is Waitsburg and what county is it in?

Waitsburg is a city in Walla Walla County, Washington. It covers 1.2 square miles of land, 1,003 residents per square mile in 2020.

Waitsburg is in the Walla Walla, WA metropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).

Waitsburg (marked with a dot) in Walla Walla County, Washington. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files

How many people live in Waitsburg, and is it growing?

The Census Bureau estimates that 1,184 people lived in Waitsburg on July 1, 2025, up 2.1% since 2020, slower than Washington (+3.8%). The 2020 Census counted 1,166 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 1,083 (±360).

  • July 2020→2021 +4 (1,169)
  • 2021→2022 −10 (1,159)
  • 2022→2023 +5 (1,164)
  • 2023→2024 +7 (1,171)
  • 2024→2025 +13 (1,184)
ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (counts) with the change from 2015-2019
Measure WaitsburgWalla Walla CountyWashington Change since 2015-2019
Total population 1,083 ±360 62,161 7,816,116 no clear change
Households 441 ±121 23,447 3,064,820 no clear change
Average household size 2.46 ±0.37 2.44 2.50 no clear change
Housing units 493 ±123 25,422 3,306,620 no clear change

Waitsburg's population since 2000

From 1,212 in 2000 to 1,184 in 2025: down 2.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Waitsburg as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.

  • 2000 Census 1,212
  • 2005 (estimate) 1,220
  • 2010 Census 1,217
  • 2015 (estimate) 1,189
  • 2020 Census 1,166
  • 2025 (estimate) 1,184

Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates

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 Waitsburg?

The median resident of Waitsburg is 46.2 years old; 24.7% are under 18 and 19.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 69.4%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 19.9%.

Age, origin, education and moves, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure WaitsburgWalla Walla CountyWashington Change since 2015-2019
Median age 46.2 ±9.0 38.5 38.3 no clear change
Under 18 years 24.7% ±8.9 pts 20.6% 21.4% –
65 years and over 19.2% ±7.4 pts 20.0% 16.6% –
Male 51.5% ±5.1 pts 50.7% 50.4% –
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 19.9% ±13.1 pts 23.8% 14.4% –
White alone, not Hispanic 69.4% ±12.2 pts 67.7% 63.1% −22.7 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic 0.5% ±0.9 pts 1.6% 3.8% –
Asian alone, not Hispanic 0.5% ±0.7 pts 1.8% 9.7% –
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic 1.8% ±3.2 pts 0.3% 0.8% –
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic 0.6% ±1.4 pts 0.2% 0.7% –
Two or more races, not Hispanic 7.0% ±4.4 pts 4.1% 6.8% –
Some other race alone, not Hispanic 0.2% ±0.4 pts 0.4% 0.6% –
Born outside the United States 3.6% ±4.7 pts 9.5% 15.4% –
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) 13.4% ±12.1 pts 19.9% 21.4% –
Civilian veterans (age 18+) 11.1% ±5.1 pts 7.8% 7.8% –
With a disability 27.1% ±6.9 pts 14.3% 13.6% –
No health insurance coverage 8.1% ±7.3 pts 6.9% 6.3% –
High school graduate or higher (age 25+) 88.9% ±8.5 pts 89.5% 92.3% –
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) 16.0% ±5.8 pts 29.8% 39.6% no clear change
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) 5.0% ±3.7 pts 13.5% 15.6% –
Lived in the same house a year earlier 93.4% ±4.4 pts 86.7% 85.5% –
Moved from another state in the past year 0.7% ±0.7 pts 2.6% 2.9% –

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 Waitsburg earn?

Half of Waitsburg's 441 households earn less than $67,917 a year (±$18,152), against $74,202 in Walla Walla County and $98,141 in Washington. In 2015-2019 it was $77,739 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 12.4% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; 2015-2019 dollars adjusted with the R-CPI-U-RS
Measure WaitsburgWalla Walla CountyWashington Change since 2015-2019
Median household income $67,917 ±$18,152 $74,202 $98,141 no clear change
Mean household income $81,202 ±$12,595 $98,236 $134,588 –
Per capita income $33,732 ±$6,299 $38,208 $53,744 no clear change
People below the poverty line 12.4% ±6.9 pts 12.1% 9.9% no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line 8.6% ±11.5 pts 14.7% 11.6% –
Households receiving SNAP 25.6% ±12.2 pts 13.5% 11.5% –
Households with a computer 98.2% ±2.2 pts 94.8% 97.1% –
Households with a broadband subscription 81.4% ±8.5 pts 89.1% 93.6% –

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 Waitsburg?

Owners occupy 73.2% of Waitsburg's occupied homes and renters 26.8%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $266,400 by its owner (±$23,339). The median renter pays $811 a month including utilities, and 55.7% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Home values are owners' own estimates.
Measure WaitsburgWalla Walla CountyWashington Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied) $266,400 ±$23,339 $408,900 $564,600 +$47,583
Median gross rent $811 ±$90 $1,218 $1,760 no clear change
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent 55.7% ±25.3 pts 46.9% 40.1% no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage $1,699 ±$112 $1,897 $2,445 –
Owner-occupied homes 73.2% ±11.8 pts 65.0% 63.8% no clear change
Renter-occupied homes 26.8% ±11.8 pts 35.0% 36.2% –
Housing units 493 ±123 25,422 3,306,620 no clear change
Homeowner vacancy rate 0.0% ±11.6 pts 0.2% 0.7% –
Rental vacancy rate 5.6% ±8.4 pts 8.1% 4.5% –
Single-family detached homes 66.3% ±11.9 pts 66.2% 61.9% –
Mobile homes 18.7% ±8.3 pts 7.4% 5.5% –
Built 2020 or later 0.6% ±0.9 pts 2.2% 2.3% –
Built 2010 to 2019 0.4% ±0.8 pts 8.1% 12.1% –
Built 1939 or earlier 22.7% ±7.5 pts 20.6% 9.6% –
Households with no vehicle 7.9% ±6.6 pts 6.2% 7.1% –

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 many new homes is Waitsburg building?

Builders took permits for 5 new housing units in Waitsburg in 2025 (5 in single-family houses), 4.2 per 1,000 residents against 4.4 across Washington.

  • 2019 10 units
  • 2020 11 units
  • 2021 12 units
  • 2022 10 units
  • 2023 7 units
  • 2024 7 units
  • 2025 5 units

Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Waitsburg work and get to work?

74.2% of Waitsburg's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 29.5 minutes.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (workers 16 and over)
Measure WaitsburgWalla Walla CountyWashington Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+) 49.4% ±6.3 pts 58.5% 64.5% –
Unemployment rate 5.5% ±7.4 pts 6.2% 5.1% –
Drove alone to work 74.2% ±12.1 pts 70.1% 63.4% –
Carpooled 12.9% ±9.9 pts 8.1% 8.5% –
Public transportation 0.0% ±9.6 pts 0.6% 3.4% –
Walked 2.0% ±2.3 pts 7.1% 3.0% –
Worked from home 10.9% ±9.5 pts 11.5% 19.8% –
Mean travel time to work 29.5 min ±4.4 15.1 min 26.6 min no clear change

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 Waitsburg?

No census tract lies mostly in Waitsburg; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).

Census tracts in Waitsburg, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
TractResidents, 2020-2024Median household incomeMedian home valueShare of tract in Waitsburg
Tract 9201Walla Walla County5,403 $93,729 $477,20010%

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 Waitsburg) · Census block assignment files

How does Waitsburg compare with other places in Washington?

By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Waitsburg is the 9,647th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 194th-most populous of 281 in Washington.

Waitsburg ranks 317th of 387 places in Washington with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.

Waitsburg's rank in Washington (1 = highest): by population among the state's incorporated places with a 2025 estimate; by the other measures among places of 1,000+ residents with a reliable estimate
MeasureRankOf
Population, July 2025 estimate194th281
Growth 2020-2025 (PEP)124th203
Residents per square mile261st394
Median household income317th387
Per capita income320th393
Median home value348th384
Median gross rent342nd351
Poverty rate108th281
Bachelor's degree or higher343rd382
Median age84th394
Owner-occupied share200th388
Travel time to work143rd394

Waitsburg's figures with every place in Washington (CSV)

Every place in Washington, sortable · Compare Waitsburg 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 Waitsburg?

22 of the 57 figures for Waitsburg 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 Waitsburg 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' public schools in Waitsburg.