Kelso, WA

Census Place

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2023 Population

12,697

0.284% 1-year growth

US Senator

Patty Murray

Democratic Party

US Senator

Maria Cantwell

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

38.4

2.95% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

19.5%

2.71% 1-year decrease

2023 Median Household Income

$59,462

0.096% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$302,300

16.3% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

5,534

1.35% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Kelso, WA had a population of 12.7k people with a median age of 38.4 and a median household income of $59,462. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Kelso, WA grew from 12,661 to 12,697, a 0.284% increase and its median household income grew from $59,405 to $59,462, a 0.096% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Kelso, WA are White (Non-Hispanic) (80%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (6.4%), White (Hispanic) (6.36%), Two+ (Hispanic) (3.35%), and Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (1.64%).

None of the households in Kelso, WA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

96.4% of the residents in Kelso, WA are U.S. citizens.

In 2023, the median property value in Kelso, WA was $302,300, and the homeownership rate was 54.8%.

Most people in Kelso, WA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Kelso, WA was 2 cars per household.

United States Washington Cowlitz County, WA Longview, WA Cowlitz, Pacific, & Wahkiakum Counties PUMA, WA

Population & Diversity

Kelso, WA is home to a population of 12.7k people, from which 96.4% are citizens. As of 2023, 4.71% of Kelso, WA residents were born outside of the country (598 people).

In 2023, there were 12.5 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (10.2k people) in Kelso, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 812 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) and 807 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.4%

2023 Citizenship

94.7%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 96.4% of Kelso, WA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Kelso, WA was 94.7%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Kelso, WA

White (Non-Hispanic)
10.2k ± 449
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
812 ± 254
White (Hispanic)
807 ± 300

10.7%

Hispanic Population

1.36k people

10.7% of the people in Kelso, WA are hispanic (1.36k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Kelso, 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
244,390 ± 11,943 people
India
101,527 ± 7,771 people
China
86,360 ± 7,174 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Washington was Mexico, the natal country of 244,390 Washington residents, followed by India with 101,527 and China with 86,360.

Foreign-Born Population

4.71%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

598 people

6.09%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

771 people

As of 2023, 4.71% of Kelso, WA residents (598 people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Kelso, WA was 6.09%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
237 ± 128
Gulf War (2001-)
191 ± 107
Gulf War (1990s)
77 ± 62

Kelso, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.24 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Kelso, WA employs 5.53k people. The largest industries in Kelso, WA are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,010 people), Manufacturing (812 people), and Retail Trade (577 people), and the highest paying industries are Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($95,117), Public Administration ($69,167), and Transportation & Warehousing ($55,441).

Males in Washington have an average income that is 1.34 times higher than the average income of females, which is $73,054. The income inequality in Washington (measured using the Gini index) is 0.47, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

5.53k

2023 Value

± 628

−1.35%

1 Year decline

± 16%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Kelso, WA declined at a rate of −1.35%, from 5.61k employees to 5.53k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Kelso, WA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (871 people), Management Occupations (461 people), and Production Occupations (438 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Kelso, WA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

5.53k

2023 Value

± 628

−1.35%

1 Year decline

± 16%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Kelso, WA declined at a rate of −1.35%, from 5.61k employees to 5.53k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Kelso, WA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (1,010 people), Manufacturing (812 people), and Retail Trade (577 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Kelso, WA, though some of these residents may live in Kelso, WA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$39,662

Median earning men ± $13,070

$35,763

Median earning women ± $1,041

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Public Administration ($68,472), Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($60,536), and Construction ($55,357).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($73,750), Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($51,250), and Manufacturing ($50,481).

Employment by Industry Sector

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

Y-Axis

3.62%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 3.58M people employed in Washington. This represents a 3.62% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 10.3%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in Washington.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Kamala Harris with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (39%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.4%).

Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are the senators currently representing the state of Washington. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

Washington is currently represented by 10 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Kelso, WA. Showing the available data for Washington.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (57.2%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (39%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.4%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in Washington went to Kamala Harris with 57.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (39%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.4%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in Washington for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from Washington

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.

Patty Murray

Senator from Washington

Assumed office on January 3, 1993

Maria Cantwell

Senator from Washington

Assumed office on January 3, 2001

Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell are the senators currently representing Washington.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in Washington over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from Washington

Washington is currently represented by 10 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for Washington have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

Completions

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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.975% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.954% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.41M), Some college (1.4M), and Bachelors Degree (1.33M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Kelso, WA was $302,300 in 2023, which is 0.996 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $260,000 to $302,300, a 16.3% increase. The homeownership rate in Kelso, WA is 54.8%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Kelso, WA have an average commute time of 21.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Kelso, WA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Kelso, WA is $59,462. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Kelso, WA was Census Tract 12 with a value of $81,302, followed by Census Tract 17 and Census Tract 13, with respective values of $79,929 and $69,046.

Housing

Property

$302,300

Median Property Value 2023

±$31,316

$2,899

Median Property Taxes

±$437

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

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

Rent vs Own

54.8%

Homeownership

2023

67.5%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 54.8% of the housing units in Kelso, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 57%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 12
Census Tract 17
Census Tract 13

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Kelso, WA was Census Tract 12 with a value of $81,302, followed by Census Tract 17 and Census Tract 13, with respective values of $79,929 and $69,046.

The following map shows all of the places in Kelso, WA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$59,462

Median Household Income

± $6,425

5.29k

Number of Households

± 612

In 2023, the median household income of the 5.29k households in Kelso, WA grew to $59,462 from the previous year's value of $59,405.

The following chart displays the households in Kelso, 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 $60k - $75k range.

Wage Distribution

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

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in Washington

0.468

2021 Wage GINI in Washington

In 2022, the income inequality in Washington was 0.47 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.285% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for Washington was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (87.1%)
Worked At Home (6.09%)
Carpooled (4.64%)

In 2023, 87.1% of workers in Kelso, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (6.09%) and those who carpooled to work (4.64%).

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

21.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Kelso, WA have a shorter commute time (21.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.22% of the workforce in Kelso, WA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

19.5% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Kelso, WA (2.45k out of 12.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Males 55 - 64 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Kelso, 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
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

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

Health

90.8% of the population of Kelso, WA has health coverage, with 32.1% on employee plans, 30.8% on Medicaid, 11.6% on Medicare, 14.4% on non-group plans, and 1.98% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Cowlitz County, WA see 1713 patients per year on average, which represents a 5.35% increase from the previous year (1626 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1690 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 196 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Cowlitz County, WA.

1,713 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Cowlitz County, WA

Primary care physicians in Cowlitz County, WA see an average of 1,713 patients per year. This represents a 5.35% increase from the previous year (1,626 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Cowlitz County, WA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.4% under 18 years, 25.8% between 18 and 34 years, 39.2% between 35 and 64 years, and 14.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.8% were men and 49.2% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

9.21%

Uninsured

32.1%

Employer Coverage

30.8%

Medicaid

11.6%

Medicare

14.4%

Non-Group

1.98%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Kelso, WA declined by 8.07% from 10% to 9.21%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Kelso, WA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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