Ellensburg, WA

Census Place

2024 Population

20,874

US Senator

Patty Murray

Democratic Party

US Senator

Maria Cantwell

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

6.37% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

22.4%

6.91% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$55,438

11.1% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$404,100

Population & Diversity

Ellensburg, WA is home to a population of 20.9k people, from which 96.5% are citizens.

As of 2024, 5.76% of Ellensburg, WA residents were born outside of the country (1.2k people).

In 2024, there were 12.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (15.8k people) in Ellensburg, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.3k Other (Hispanic) and 1.11k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.5%

2024 Citizenship

97.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.5% of Ellensburg, WA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Ellensburg, WA was 97.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Ellensburg, WA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Ellensburg, WA

White (Non-Hispanic)
15.8k ± 488
Other (Hispanic)
1.3k ± 309
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
1.11k ± 222

12.8%

Hispanic Population

2.67k people

12.8% of the people in Ellensburg, WA are hispanic (2.67k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Ellensburg, WA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for Washington.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
247,954 ± 12,030 people
India
116,227 ± 8,308 people
China
94,449 ± 7,500 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Washington was Mexico, the natal country of 247,954 Washington residents, followed by India with 116,227 and China with 94,449.

Foreign-Born Population

5.76%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

1.2k people

4.57%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

865 people

As of 2024, 5.76% of Ellensburg, WA residents (1.2k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Ellensburg, WA was 4.57%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Ellensburg, WA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
427 ± 186
Vietnam
329 ± 150
Gulf War (1990s)
134 ± 85

Ellensburg, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.3 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Ellensburg, WA.

Economy

The economy of Ellensburg, WA employs 11.1k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Ellensburg, WA were Accommodation & Food Services (2,363 people), Educational Services (1,994 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,465 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($101,289), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($65,667), and Finance & Insurance ($60,982).

Employment

Occupations

11.1k

2024 Value

± 916

11.1%

1 Year growth

± 10.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ellensburg, WA grew at a rate of 11.1%, from 9.95k employees to 11.1k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Ellensburg, WA, are Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (1,946 people), Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (948 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (885 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Ellensburg, WA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in Washington (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

11.1k

2024 Value

± 916

11.1%

1 Year growth

± 10.3%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Ellensburg, WA grew at a rate of 11.1%, from 9.95k employees to 11.1k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Ellensburg, WA, are Accommodation & Food Services (2,363 people), Educational Services (1,994 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (1,465 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Ellensburg, WA, though some of these residents may live in Ellensburg, WA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$39,228

Median earning men ± $2,379

$33,226

Median earning women ± $4,601

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($114,479), Public Administration ($74,135), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($68,553).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($70,982), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($53,459), and Public Administration ($53,333).

Education

The student population of Ellensburg, WA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 4,795 male students and 6,016 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Ellensburg, WA are White (1,551 and 60.4%), Hispanic or Latino (493 and 19.2%), Two or More Races (182 and 7.08%), and Asian (127 and 4.94%).

The largest universities in Ellensburg, WA by number of degrees awarded are Central Washington University (2,669 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Ellensburg, WA are General Business Administration & Management (276 and 10.3%), General Psychology (260 and 9.74%), and Information Technology (180 and 6.74%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $7,231 for in-state students and $25,340 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Ellensburg, WA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 90.6%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 20%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 10,811 (44.4% men and 55.6% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 10,811 students enrolled in Ellensburg, WA, 44.4% men and 55.6% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 6,024 records, of which 55.1% were women and 44.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
276 degrees awarded
General Psychology
260 degrees awarded
Elementary Education & Teaching
161 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Ellensburg, WA was General Business Administration & Management with 276 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Ellensburg, WA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Central Washington University

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

2,669 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Central Washington University with 2,669 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 1,155 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Ellensburg, WA, which is 0.763 times less than the 1,514 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,551 degrees mean that there were 3.15 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 493 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($7,231) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($2,186) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 4-year or above ($900) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Ellensburg, WA was $404,100 in 2024, which is 1.21 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $357,800 to $404,100, a 12.9% increase. The homeownership rate in Ellensburg, WA is 32.9%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Ellensburg, WA have an average commute time of 17.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Ellensburg, WA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$404,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$19,812

$2,948

Median Property Taxes

±$434

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Ellensburg, WA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Ellensburg, WA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

32.9%

Homeownership

2024

59.9%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 32.9% of the housing units in Ellensburg, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 37.4%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Ellensburg, WA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$55,438

Median Household Income

± $11,347

8.97k

Number of Households

± 829

In 2024, the median household income of the 8.97k households in Ellensburg, WA grew to $55,438 from the previous year's value of $49,888.

The following chart displays the households in Ellensburg, WA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Ellensburg, WA is from Washington.

0.469

2024 Wage GINI in Washington

0.468

2023 Wage GINI in Washington

In 2024, the income inequality in Washington was 0.469 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.0979% growth from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Washington was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in Washington in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in Washington across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (68.7%)
Worked At Home (10.2%)
Walked (8.95%)

In 2024, 68.7% of workers in Ellensburg, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.2%) and those who walked to work (8.95%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

17.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Ellensburg, WA have a shorter commute time (17.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.37% of the workforce in Ellensburg, WA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Ellensburg, WA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Ellensburg, WA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Ellensburg, WA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

22.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Ellensburg, WA (4.3k out of 19.2k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Ellensburg, WA is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

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