Lewis County, WA

County

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2024 Population

85,154

US Senator

Patty Murray

Democratic Party

US Senator

Maria Cantwell

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

42.2

0.472% 1-year decrease

2024 Poverty Rate

12.2%

5.91% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$74,796

7.33% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$385,800

13% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

36,294

2.88% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Lewis 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.

97.1% of the residents in Lewis County, WA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Lewis County, WA are Centralia College (511 degrees awarded in 2023) and Centralia Beauty College (36 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Lewis County, WA was $385,800, and the homeownership rate was 75.8%.

Most people in Lewis County, WA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 28.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Lewis County, WA was 2 cars per household.

Lewis County, WA borders Cowlitz County, WA, Grays Harbor County, WA, Pacific County, WA, Pierce County, WA, Skamania County, WA, Thurston County, WA, Wahkiakum County, WA, and Yakima County, WA.

United States Washington Centralia, WA

Population & Diversity

Lewis County, WA is home to a population of 85.2k people, from which 97.1% are citizens. As of 2024, 5.32% of Lewis County, WA residents were born outside of the country (4.53k people).

In 2024, there were 14.6 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (68k people) in Lewis County, WA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 4.67k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 3.32k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

97.1%

2024 Citizenship

97%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 97.1% of Lewis County, WA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Lewis County, WA was 97%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Lewis County, WA

White (Non-Hispanic)
68k ± 413
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
4.67k ± 687
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
3.32k ± 281

11.5%

Hispanic Population

9.81k people

11.5% of the people in Lewis County, WA are hispanic (9.81k people).

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

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
248,556 ± 12,042 people
India
107,324 ± 7,987 people
China
89,838 ± 7,316 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of Washington was Mexico, the natal country of 248,556 Washington residents, followed by India with 107,324 and China with 89,838.

Foreign-Born Population

5.32%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

4.53k people

5.25%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

4.41k people

As of 2024, 5.32% of Lewis County, WA residents (4.53k 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 Lewis County, WA was 5.25%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
2,289 ± 285
Gulf War (2001-)
1,412 ± 251
Gulf War (1990s)
639 ± 158

Lewis County, WA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.62 times greater than any other conflict.

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

Economy

The economy of Lewis County, WA employs 36.3k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Lewis County, WA were Health Care & Social Assistance (4,784 people), Retail Trade (4,242 people), and Manufacturing (3,361 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($97,950), Finance & Insurance ($71,389), and Public Administration ($67,625).

Employment

Occupations

36.3k

2024 Value

± 1,443

2.88%

1 Year growth

± 5.52%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lewis County, WA grew at a rate of 2.88%, from 35.3k employees to 36.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Lewis County, WA, are Office & Administrative Support Occupations (3,980 people), Management Occupations (3,885 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (2,809 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Lewis County, 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

36.3k

2024 Value

± 1,443

2.88%

1 Year growth

± 5.52%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Lewis County, WA grew at a rate of 2.88%, from 35.3k employees to 36.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Lewis County, WA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (4,784 people), Retail Trade (4,242 people), and Manufacturing (3,361 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Lewis County, WA, though some of these residents may live in Lewis County, WA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$55,696

Median earning men ± $3,153

$40,442

Median earning women ± $1,820

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Public Administration ($82,381), Information ($79,865), and Wholesale Trade ($71,903).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($61,651), Construction ($52,868), and Manufacturing ($51,995).

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.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

201
Construction
128
Other Services (except Public Administration)
122
Retail Trade

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.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$217k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$187k
Manufacturing
$151k
Retail Trade

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

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 Lewis County, 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.

Education

In 2023, universities in Lewis County, WA awarded 547 degrees. The student population of Lewis County, WA in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 950 male students and 1,473 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Lewis County, WA are White (380 and 69.7%), Hispanic or Latino (88 and 16.1%), Two or More Races (37 and 6.79%), and Unknown (21 and 3.85%).

The largest universities in Lewis County, WA by number of degrees awarded are Centralia College (511 and 93.4%) and Centralia Beauty College (36 and 6.58%).

The most popular majors in Lewis County, WA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (236 and 43.1%), Nursing Assistant & Patient Care Assistant (41 and 7.5%), and General Business Administration & Management (40 and 7.31%).

The median tuition cost in Lewis County, WA for a public four year colleges is $4,623 for in-state students and $5,157 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2023 there were 2,423 students enrolled in Lewis County, WA, 39.2% men and 60.8% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 1,411 records, of which 62.2% were women and 37.8% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Liberal Arts & Sciences
236 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
27 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
13 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in Lewis County, WA was Liberal Arts & Sciences with 236 degrees awarded.

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

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Centralia College
511 degrees awarded
Centralia Beauty College
36 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Centralia College with 511 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2023, 184 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Lewis County, WA, which is 0.507 times less than the 363 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 380 degrees mean that there were 4.32 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 88 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

Public, 4-year or above ($4,623) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($486) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Public, 4-year or above ($702) 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 Lewis County, WA was $385,800 in 2024, which is 1.16 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $341,500 to $385,800, a 13% increase. The homeownership rate in Lewis County, WA is 75.8%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Lewis County, WA have an average commute time of 28.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Lewis County, WA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 15.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lewis County, WA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.34%.

Housing

Property

$385,800

Median Property Value 2024

±$7,962

$24,938

Median Property Taxes

±$1,121

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

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

Rent vs Own

75.8%

Homeownership

2024

65.2%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 75.8% of the housing units in Lewis County, WA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 74.2%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Lewis County, 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.

$74,796

Median Household Income

± $3,695

32.9k

Number of Households

± 1,337

In 2024, the median household income of the 32.9k households in Lewis County, WA grew to $74,796 from the previous year's value of $69,690.

The following chart displays the households in Lewis 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 $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

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

0.468

2023 Wage GINI in Washington

0.47

2022 Wage GINI in Washington

In 2023, the income inequality in Washington was 0.468 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.276% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for Washington was lower than than the national average of 0.476. 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 (74.6%)
Carpooled (10.7%)
Worked At Home (9.71%)

In 2024, 74.6% of workers in Lewis County, WA drove alone to work, followed by those who carpooled to work (10.7%) and those who worked at home (9.71%).

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

28.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Lewis County, WA have a longer commute time (28.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 5.81% of the workforce in Lewis County, WA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

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

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

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

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 15.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Lewis County, WA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 0.34%.

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

Poverty & Diversity

12.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Lewis County, WA (10.3k out of 84k 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 25 - 34, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Females 65 - 74.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Lewis County, 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.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 16.9% of the children was living in poverty in Lewis County, WA. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 7.4%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children 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.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 193 in Lewis County, WA. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator declined 38.4 per 100,000 population.

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

Health

93.7% of the population of Lewis County, WA has health coverage, with 40.6% on employee plans, 21.2% on Medicaid, 15.8% on Medicare, 14.1% on non-group plans, and 1.97% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Lewis County, WA see 2,164 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,164 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1447 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 154 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.1% were men and 49.9% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,164 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Lewis County, WA

Primary care physicians in Lewis County, WA see an average of 2,164 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,164 patients).

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

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23% under 18 years, 17.6% between 18 and 34 years, 38.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.2% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 50.1% were men and 49.9% were women.

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

Uninsured People

6.33%

Uninsured

40.6%

Employer Coverage

21.2%

Medicaid

15.8%

Medicare

14.1%

Non-Group

1.97%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Lewis County, WA declined by 11% from 7.12% to 6.33%.

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

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 62.8 in Lewis County, WA.

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

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 40.6% in Lewis County, WA.

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