City profile · Washington · Census ACS 2023

Wenatchee, WA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Wenatchee - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

35,502
Residents
$70,000
Median income
$391,200
Median home
$1,454
Median rent (state)

Wenatchee - the verdict

Wenatchee ranks in the 49th percentile for household income and the 16th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

49th
percentile, household income
77th
percentile, home value
57th
percentile, median rent
16th
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: Wenatchee, WA

35,502 people live in Wenatchee, Washington - a small city by U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. The typical household in Wenatchee brings in $70,000 a year, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 8.2%. Typical homes in Wenatchee are valued around $391,200, and the median resident age is 36.0 years. About 28.7% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while 60.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 73 residential building permits were authorized in Wenatchee (Rapid Growth), up 26% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Wenatchee's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: FBI UCR reporting places total crime at 3023.4 incidents per 100,000 residents, above the national average (voluntary agency reporting, reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 52.5°F with 9.0 inches of precipitation per year and 16.5 inches of snowfall.

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 $1,454 per month. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in Washington run around $188, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 15.2 minutes, with 76.7% driving alone and 6.0% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 89.1 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

35,502 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Washington

Median Household Income

$70,000 /yr

Poverty 8.2%

Cost of Living Index (state)

107.0 (US=100)

Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, Washington average

How does Wenatchee compare to other US cities?

Here's how Wenatchee stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 49% higher than other cities
Home value 77% pricier than other cities
Median rent 57% pricier than other cities
Safety 16% 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: Wenatchee ranks #112 of 156 Washington cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Wenatchee's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Washington, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

49thIncome percentile
16thSafety percentile

49th percentile nationally for median household income · 16th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Wenatchee's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Wenatchee'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. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 33 Avg. percentile National median
Wenatchee'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 Wenatchee's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$391,200 23rd percentile more affordable than 23% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). This entry sits in this band. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Wenatchee $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

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

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Wenatchee, WA Wenatchee, WA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Wenatchee, WA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Wenatchee, WA median $70,000/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Wenatchee, WA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Wenatchee, WA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 28.7%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 8.2%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 60.3%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
35,502
Median Income
$70,000
Median Home Value
$391,200
Median Age
36.0
Poverty Rate
8.2%
Labor force participation
60.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
28.7%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
3023.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
236.5
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2786.9
per 100,000 residents

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
52.5°F
Annual Precipitation
9.0"
Annual Snowfall
16.5"

Schools

Total Schools
20
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
35,200 residents35,300 residents35,400 residents35,500 residents35,600 residents35,700 residents 202020212022202320242025 35,607 residents 35,547 residents ▼ -0.2%
Wenatchee's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Rapid Growth
Total Permits (2024)
73
housing units authorized
Single-Family
21
detached homes
Multifamily
52
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.1
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 58
2020 193
2021 149
2022 278
2023 24
2024 73

Permit volume increased 26% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
15.2 minutes
Drive Alone
76.7%
Carpool
8.3%
Public Transit
2.2%
Walk
3.6%
Work from Home
6.0%
Other
3.2%

Based on 16,183 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 Wenatchee sits in

Cost of Living Index
107.0
Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,454/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
89.1 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Washington

Mount Vernon
35,312 people
Graham
35,090 people
University Place
34,850 people
Spanaway
34,322 people
Walla Walla
33,766 people
Longview
37,836 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Wenatchee's 35,502 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Richmond, KY
35,498 people
Kendall West, FL
35,492 people
Torrington, CT
35,481 people
Stockbridge, GA
35,475 people
Springville, UT
35,474 people
Amherst, MA
35,472 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Wenatchee's $70,000 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Steele, AL
$70,000 median income
Kasigluk, AK
$70,000 median income
Crawfordsville, AR
$70,000 median income
Norman, AR
$70,000 median income
Bethlehem, GA
$70,000 median income
Kaneohe Base, HI
$70,000 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Wenatchee, WA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Wenatchee, WA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 61.7% 20.3% 14.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 35.0% White 61.7% Black or African American 1.1% Asian 0.8% American Indian 1.7% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 20.3% Two or more races 14.3% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Wenatchee 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
Wenatchee (this city) 35,502 $70,000
Mount Vernon 35,312 $73,277
Graham 35,090 $115,501
University Place 34,850 $94,952
Census ACS 5-year FIPS WA FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Wenatchee, WA?

What is the population of Wenatchee, WA? +

Wenatchee, WA counts 35,502 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Wenatchee, WA? +

The median household income in Wenatchee is $70,000 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Wenatchee? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Wenatchee; 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.

Is Wenatchee, WA safe? +

Wenatchee has a total crime rate of 3023.4 per 100,000 residents, which is above the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Wenatchee, WA? +

The median home value in Wenatchee is $391,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in Wenatchee? +

The average annual temperature in Wenatchee runs 52.5°F, 9.0 inches of precipitation, and 16.5 inches of snowfall per year. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

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.

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 PlainCities Editorial

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Every 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.