Elma, WA

Census Place

2024 Population

3,483

US Senator

Patty Murray

Democratic Party

US Senator

Maria Cantwell

Democratic Party

2024 Poverty Rate

24.9%

16.7% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$78,086

18% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$409,600

8.02% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

1,550

Population & Diversity

Elma, WA is home to a population of 3.48k people, from which 95% are citizens.

As of 2024, 6% of Elma, WA residents were born outside of the country (209 people).

In 2024, there were 10.2 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (2.77k people) in Elma, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 271 Other (Hispanic) and 201 American Indian & Alaska Native (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95%

2024 Citizenship

95%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 95% of Elma, WA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Elma, WA was 95%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Elma, WA

White (Non-Hispanic)
2.77k ± 369
Other (Hispanic)
271 ± 308
American Indian & Alaska Native (Hispanic)
201 ± 243

16.3%

Hispanic Population

569 people

16.3% of the people in Elma, WA are hispanic (569 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Elma, 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

2024 Foreign-Born Population

209 people

6.2%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

214 people

As of 2024, 6% of Elma, WA residents (209 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 Elma, WA was 6.2%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
82 ± 88
Vietnam
63 ± 70
Gulf War (1990s)
30 ± 40

Elma, 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 Elma, WA.

Economy

The economy of Elma, WA employs 1.55k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Elma, WA were Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (322 people), Public Administration (215 people), and Manufacturing (171 people), and the highest paying industries were Educational Services ($84,542), Public Administration ($66,050), and Construction ($64,500).

Employment

Occupations

1.55k

2024 Value

± 412

6.75%

1 Year growth

± 34.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Elma, WA grew at a rate of 6.75%, from 1.45k employees to 1.55k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Elma, WA, are Farming, Fishing, & Forestry Occupations (287 people), Management Occupations (185 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (176 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Elma, 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

1.55k

2024 Value

± 412

6.75%

1 Year growth

± 34.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Elma, WA grew at a rate of 6.75%, from 1.45k employees to 1.55k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Elma, WA, are Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting (322 people), Public Administration (215 people), and Manufacturing (171 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Elma, WA, though some of these residents may live in Elma, WA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$45,306

Median earning men ± $6,321

$47,037

Median earning women ± $12,809

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($122,755), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($83,250), and Construction ($64,500).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Public Administration ($65,617), Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($46,587), and Retail Trade ($41,563).

Housing & Living

The median property value in Elma, WA was $409,600 in 2024, which is 1.23 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $379,200 to $409,600, a 8.02% increase. The homeownership rate in Elma, WA is 66.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Elma, WA have an average commute time of 30.9 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Elma, WA is lower than the national average, with an average of 1 car per household.

Housing

Property

$409,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$55,629

$830

Median Property Taxes

±$235

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 Elma, WA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

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

Rent vs Own

66.7%

Homeownership

2024

65.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 66.7% of the housing units in Elma, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 62.8%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Elma, 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.

$78,086

Median Household Income

± $20,609

1.25k

Number of Households

± 279

In 2024, the median household income of the 1.25k households in Elma, WA grew to $78,086 from the previous year's value of $66,194.

The following chart displays the households in Elma, 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 Elma, 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 (70%)
Carpooled (13.5%)
Worked At Home (7.64%)

In 2024, 70% of workers in Elma, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (13.5%) and those who worked at home (7.64%).

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

30.9 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Elma, WA have a longer commute time (30.9 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 2.43% of the workforce in Elma, WA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

1 car

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Elma, WA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Elma, WA have 1 car.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

24.9% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Elma, WA (868 out of 3.48k 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 25 - 34, followed by Males 45 - 54 and then Males < 5.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Elma, WA is White, followed by Hispanic and Other.

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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