College Place, WA

Census place 5313855 · pop 9,854

D58/ 100
😐 Meh
A
in WA
📍 Washington ranks #24 of 50 states →
🏆 Commute13 min · top 2%
🚽 Inequality0.48 · bottom 17%
Taxes
0.88% property · US 0.99%9.51% sales · US 7.00%None income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide. No wage income tax (a capital-gains excise applies).

The breakdown — worst first

Income inequality0.4817

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.48 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Median household income$61,91431

U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities

$61,914 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Unemployment rateCounty-level4.1%32

U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities

4.1% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Housing cost$366,60035

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$366,600 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Poor mental health17.6%43

U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities

17.6% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Uninsured adults10.0%46

U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities

10.0% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Homeownership63.7%50

U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities

63.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Poverty rate11.3%51

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

11.3% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Property-tax burden0.88%56

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.88% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Bachelor's degree or higher35.4%61

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

35.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Adult obesity32.4%65

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

32.4% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Rent$1,473/mo71

U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities

$1,473/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Population growth (5yr)+7.3%73

U.S. median +2.4% · better than most cities

+7.3% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Natural disaster riskCounty-level71/10075

U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities

71/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Broadband access95.0%78

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

95.0% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Adult smoking10.0%80

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

10.0% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level0 days85

U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities

0 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Physical inactivity18.4%86

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

18.4% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Air quality (AQI)County-level24 AQI97

U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities

24 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Commute time13 min98

U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities

13 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Not measured for College Place: Crime, Property crime. Not every public source covers every city — EPA air monitors and Zillow rent only reach some places, and national crime data is still being added.

Frequently asked

Is College Place, WA a good place to live?
By the numbers, College Place scores 58/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 20 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is commute time and its weakest is income inequality. Washington overall ranks #24 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
Is College Place, WA expensive to live in?
College Place has a median home value of $366,600 and typical rent around $1,473/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in College Place, WA?
Its weakest measured area is income inequality (0.48) — 17/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is College Place, WA best at?
Its strongest measured area is commute time (13 min) — 98/100, better than most U.S. cities.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.