Kittitas County, WA

County

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    2024 Population
    47,172
    US Senator
    Patty Murray
    Democratic Party
    US Senator
    Maria Cantwell
    Democratic Party
    2024 Median Age
    35.8
    5.54% 1-year decrease
    2024 Poverty Rate
    14.4%
    0.45% 1-year increase
    2024 Median Household Income
    $73,804
    5.54% 1-year growth
    2024 Median Property Value
    $497,400
    8.15% 1-year growth
    2024 Employed Population
    23,022
    5.09% 1-year growth

    About

    None of the households in Kittitas County, 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.

    97.4% of the residents in Kittitas County, WA are U.S. citizens.

    The largest universities in Kittitas County, WA are Central Washington University (2,669 degrees awarded in 2024).

    In 2024, the median property value in Kittitas County, WA was $497,400, and the homeownership rate was 61.5%.

    Most people in Kittitas County, WA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.3 minutes. The average car ownership in Kittitas County, WA was 2 cars per household.

    About the photo: Lake Easton
    Photo by Scott Smithson
    United StatesWashingtonEllensburg, WA

    Population & Diversity

    Kittitas County, WA is home to a population of 47.2k people, from which 97.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 4.76% of Kittitas County, WA residents were born outside of the country (2.25k people).

    In 2024, there were 19 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (37.4k people) in Kittitas County, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.96k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 1.87k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    Population & Diversity

    Citizenship

    97.4%
    2024 Citizenship
    98%
    2023 Citizenship

    As of 2024, 97.4% of Kittitas County, WA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Kittitas County, WA was 98%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

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    Diversity

    Race and Ethnicity

    The 3 largest ethnic groups in Kittitas County, WA
    1. White (Non-Hispanic)
      37.4k ± 511
    2. Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
      1.96k ± 246
    3. Other (Hispanic)
      1.87k ± 386
    10.5%
    Hispanic Population
    4.97k people

    In 2024, there were 19 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (37.4k people) in Kittitas County, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 1.96k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 1.87k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

    10.5% of the people in Kittitas County, WA are hispanic (4.97k people).

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

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    Global Diversity

    The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for Washington.
    Most Common Origin
    1. Mexico
      247,954 ± 12,030 people
    2. India
      116,227 ± 8,308 people
    3. 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.

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    Foreign-Born Population

    4.76%
    2024 Foreign-Born Population
    2.25k people
    3.88%
    2023 Foreign-Born Population
    1.74k people

    As of 2024, 4.76% of Kittitas County, WA residents (2.25k 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 Kittitas County, WA was 3.88%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

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    Military

    Veterans

    Most Common Service Period
    1. Vietnam
      937 ± 180
    2. Gulf War (2001-)
      742 ± 233
    3. Gulf War (1990s)
      381 ± 151

    Kittitas County, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.26 times greater than any other conflict.

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

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    Health

    94.2% of the population of Kittitas County, WA has health coverage, with 47.7% on employee plans, 14.7% on Medicaid, 13.5% on Medicare, 16.3% on non-group plans, and 1.95% on military or VA plans.

    Primary care physicians in Kittitas County, WA see 1,978 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,978 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1808 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 446 patients per year.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.2% were men and 49.8% were women.

    Coverage

    Patient to Clinician Ratios

    1,978 to 1
    Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Kittitas County, WA

    Primary care physicians in Kittitas County, WA see an average of 1,978 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,978 patients).

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

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    Health Care Diversity

    In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19% under 18 years, 30% between 18 and 34 years, 34.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 17% over 64 years.

    By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.2% were men and 49.8% were women.

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

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    Uninsured People

    5.82%
    Uninsured
    47.7%
    Employer Coverage
    14.7%
    Medicaid
    13.5%
    Medicare
    16.3%
    Non-Group
    1.95%
    Military or VA

    Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Kittitas County, WA grew by 8.22% from 5.38% to 5.82%.

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

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    Health Indicators

    Health Outcomes

    Indicator

    In 2025, the average number of mentally unhealthy days reported in past 30 days (age-adjusted) was 5.7 in Kittitas County, WA.

    The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Kittitas County, WA.

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    Health Behaviors

    Indicator

    In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 31% in Kittitas County, WA.

    The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Kittitas County, WA.

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    Clinical Care

    Indicator

    In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 8.37% in Kittitas County, WA.

    The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Kittitas County, WA.

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    Economy

    The economy of Kittitas County, WA employs 23k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Kittitas County, WA were Accommodation & Food Services (3,312 people), Educational Services (3,041 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (2,743 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($102,266), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($85,815), and Information ($73,438).

    Employment

    Occupations

    23k
    2024 Value
    ± 1,206
    5.09%
    1 Year growth
    ± 6.89%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Kittitas County, WA grew at a rate of 5.09%, from 21.9k employees to 23k employees.

    The most common job groups, by number of people living in Kittitas County, WA, are Management Occupations (2,857 people), Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (2,605 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (2,292 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Kittitas County, WA.

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    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.

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    Industries

    Employment by Industries

    23k
    2024 Value
    ± 1,206
    5.09%
    1 Year growth
    ± 6.89%

    From 2023 to 2024, employment in Kittitas County, WA grew at a rate of 5.09%, from 21.9k employees to 23k employees.

    The most common employment sectors for those who live in Kittitas County, WA, are Accommodation & Food Services (3,312 people), Educational Services (3,041 people), and Health Care & Social Assistance (2,743 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Kittitas County, WA, though some of these residents may live in Kittitas County, WA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

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    Median Earnings by Industry

    $52,507
    Median earning men ± $4,913
    $40,063
    Median earning women ± $3,211

    The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($81,583), Information ($81,250), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($79,741).

    The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($62,759), Construction ($54,427), and Public Administration ($53,913).

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    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.

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    Establishments by Size

    The industries with the most establishments
    1. 205
      Construction
    2. 88
      Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
    3. 81
      Other Services (except Public Administration)

    The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

    The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

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    Payroll by Industry Sector

    The industries with the highest total annual payroll
    1. $97.2k
      Health Care and Social Assistance
    2. $92.8k
      Construction
    3. $73.1k
      Retail Trade

    The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

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    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

    Voting results are not available for Kittitas County, WA. Showing the available data for Washington.
    2024 Election Results
    1. Kamala Harris (57.2%)
      Democratic Party
    2. Donald J. Trump (39%)
      Republican Party
    3. 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.

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    Senator Elections

    US Senators from Washington

    Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for Washington.
    Patty Murray
    Senator from Washington3
    Assumed office on January 3, 1993
    Maria Cantwell
    Senator from Washington1
    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.

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    Education

    In 2024, universities in Kittitas County, WA awarded 2,669 degrees. The student population of Kittitas County, WA in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 4,795 male students and 6,016 female students.

    Most students graduating from Universities in Kittitas County, 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 Kittitas County, WA by number of degrees awarded are Central Washington University (2,669 and 100%).

    The most popular majors in Kittitas County, 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 Kittitas County, 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.

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    Enrollments by Gender and Races

    Universities

    In 2024 there were 10,811 students enrolled in Kittitas County, 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.

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    Completions

    Concentrations

    Most Common
    1. General Business Administration & Management
      276 degrees awarded
    2. General Psychology
      260 degrees awarded
    3. Elementary Education & Teaching
      161 degrees awarded

    In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Kittitas County, 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 Kittitas County, WA according to their major.

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    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.

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    Student Diversity

    University

    In 2024, 1,155 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Kittitas County, 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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    Housing & Living

    The median property value in Kittitas County, WA was $497,400 in 2024, which is 1.5 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $459,900 to $497,400, a 8.15% increase. The homeownership rate in Kittitas County, WA is 61.5%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

    People in Kittitas County, WA have an average commute time of 23.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Kittitas County, WA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

    In 2025, 21.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Kittitas County, WA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.02%.

    Housing

    Property

    $497,400
    Median Property Value 2024
    ±$18,977
    $12,294
    Median Property Taxes
    ±$763

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

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

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    Rent vs Own

    61.5%
    Homeownership
    2024
    65.4%
    Homeowners with Mortgage
    2024

    In 2024, 61.5% of the housing units in Kittitas County, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 62.3%.

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

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    Equity

    Household Income

    Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.
    $73,804
    Median Household Income
    ± $4,984
    20k
    Number of Households
    ± 1,107

    In 2024, the median household income of the 20k households in Kittitas County, WA grew to $73,804 from the previous year's value of $69,928.

    The following chart displays the households in Kittitas County, 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 $200k+ range.

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    Wage Distribution

    The closest comparable wage GINI for Kittitas County, 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.

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    Transportation

    Commuter Transportation

    Most Common Commute in 2024
    1. Drove Alone (70.5%)
    2. Worked At Home (13.8%)
    3. Carpooled (7.43%)

    In 2024, 70.5% of workers in Kittitas County, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (13.8%) and those who carpooled to work (7.43%).

    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.

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    Commute Time

    23.3 minutes
    Average Travel Time

    Using averages, employees in Kittitas County, WA have a shorter commute time (23.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 6.54% of the workforce in Kittitas County, WA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

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    Car Ownership

    2 cars
    Average Number

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

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    Poverty

    Severe Housing Problems

    In 2025, 21.7% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Kittitas County, WA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.02%.

    The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

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    Poverty & Diversity

    14.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Kittitas County, WA (6.53k out of 45.4k 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 Kittitas County, WA is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

    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.

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    Children in Poverty

    In 2025, 12.6% of the children was living in poverty in Kittitas County, WA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 7.7%.

    The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

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    Security

    Crimes & Accidents

    Indicator

    In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 110 in Kittitas County, WA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 45.8% per 100,000 population.

    The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

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