La Center, WA

Census Place

2024 Population

3,883

US Senator

Patty Murray

Democratic Party

US Senator

Maria Cantwell

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

37.2

2.87% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

5.74%

73% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$101,708

14.3% 1-year decline

2024 Median Property Value

$584,600

Population & Diversity

La Center, WA is home to a population of 3.88k people, from which 98% are citizens.

As of 2024, 5.77% of La Center, WA residents were born outside of the country (224 people).

In 2024, there were 7.68 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (3.01k people) in La Center, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 392 Asian (Non-Hispanic) and 192 White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98%

2024 Citizenship

98.4%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98% of La Center, WA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in La Center, WA was 98.4%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in La Center, WA

White (Non-Hispanic)
3.01k ± 348
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
392 ± 321
White (Hispanic)
192 ± 145

8.88%

Hispanic Population

345 people

8.88% of the people in La Center, WA are hispanic (345 people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in La Center, 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

5.77%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

224 people

6.56%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

255 people

As of 2024, 5.77% of La Center, WA residents (224 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 La Center, WA was 6.56%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Gulf War (2001-)
116 ± 85
Vietnam
71 ± 80
Gulf War (1990s)
22 ± 35

La Center, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Gulf War (2001-), 1.63 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of La Center, WA employs 1.92k people. In 2024, the largest industries in La Center, WA were Health Care & Social Assistance (306 people), Construction (291 people), and Retail Trade (243 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($116,750), Accommodation & Food Services ($92,563), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($91,827).

Employment

Occupations

1.92k

2024 Value

± 349

−2.54%

1 Year decline

± 26.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in La Center, WA declined at a rate of −2.54%, from 1.97k employees to 1.92k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in La Center, WA, are Sales & Related Occupations (238 people), Management Occupations (235 people), and Construction & Extraction Occupations (231 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of La Center, 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

1.92k

2024 Value

± 349

−2.54%

1 Year decline

± 26.1%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in La Center, WA declined at a rate of −2.54%, from 1.97k employees to 1.92k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in La Center, WA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (306 people), Construction (291 people), and Retail Trade (243 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of La Center, WA, though some of these residents may live in La Center, WA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$84,055

Median earning men ± $12,606

$35,417

Median earning women ± $12,006

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($112,986), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($94,926), and Public Administration ($91,892).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Educational Services, & Health Care & Social Assistance ($66,776), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($41,250), and Arts, Entertainment, & Recreation, & Accommodations & Food Services ($32,961).

Housing & Living

The median property value in La Center, WA was $584,600 in 2024, which is 1.76 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $549,900 to $584,600, a 6.31% increase. The homeownership rate in La Center, WA is 75.1%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in La Center, WA have an average commute time of 32.3 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in La Center, WA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$584,600

Median Property Value 2024

±$34,650

$1,080

Median Property Taxes

±$248

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

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

Rent vs Own

75.1%

Homeownership

2024

69.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 75.1% of the housing units in La Center, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 84%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in La Center, 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.

$101,708

Median Household Income

± $24,561

1.44k

Number of Households

± 309

In 2024, the median household income of the 1.44k households in La Center, WA declined from $101,708 from the previous year's value of $118,629.

The following chart displays the households in La Center, 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.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for La Center, 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 (77.5%)
Worked At Home (18.9%)
Carpooled (3.1%)

In 2024, 77.5% of workers in La Center, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (18.9%) and those who carpooled to work (3.1%).

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

32.3 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in La Center, WA have a longer commute time (32.3 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 4.21% of the workforce in La Center, WA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

5.74% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in La Center, WA (223 out of 3.88k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 35 - 44, followed by Females 25 - 34 and then Males 25 - 34.

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

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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