City · Adams County, Washington

Othello, Washington

Othello is a city in Adams County, Washington, part of the Othello, WA metro area. It has 8,795 residents. Othello, Washington has a quality-of-life score of 31 out of 100 (low), ranking #10,820 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Washington it ranks #342 of 395 cities and towns. It ranks best on median Air Quality Index (low), grocery stores (high) and public EV charging ports (high). It ranks worst on reading scores (low), math scores (low) and job growth (low).

31Low

Quality-of-life score: #10,820 of 15,651 cities and towns
Washington: #342 of 395 in WA
Population: 8,795 (2020-2024)
Land area: 5 mi²
Density: 1,834.1 /mi²
FIPS code: 5352215

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 73 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety49#8,042/15,637
Economy12#13,756/15,631
Housing31#10,341/14,977
Health36#10,063/15,609
Healthcare21#12,315/15,650
Environment63#5,670/15,453
Education2#15,364/15,649
Infrastructure79#3,322/15,650
Community25#11,777/15,651
Leisure & amenities88#1,921/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Othello, Washington ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Adams County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Median Air Quality Index · low21
98/100Washington 382025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAdams County value
Grocery stores · high3.7 /10k
98/100Washington 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAdams County value
Public EV charging ports · high23.3 /10k
97/100Washington 11.3 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyAdams County value
Dentists · high120 /100k
97/100Washington 88 /100kUnited States 75 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAdams County value
Preventable hospital stays · low1,661 /100k
94/100Washington 1,865 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAdams County value
Homicide rate · low0.0 /100k
94/100Washington 3.6 /100kUnited States 4.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataAdams County value

Weaknesses

Reading scores · low2.29
0/100Washington 2.98United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAdams County value
Math scores · low2.47
3/100Washington 2.91United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAdams County value
Job growth · low-4.3%
3/100Washington -0.2%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataAdams County value
Flu vaccinations · low25.0%
3/100Washington 43.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAdams County value
Food environment index · low5.9
3/100Washington 8.3United States 7.62019 & 2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAdams County value
Pharmacies · low0.5 /10k
3/100Washington 1.0 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAdams County value

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

PopulationRising
8,100 (2015-2019) → 8,795 (2020-2024)
+8.6%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
73.6% (2015-2019) → 94.4% (2020-2024)
+21 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
New homes permittedWorsening
7.6 /1k (2021) → 0.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−100%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Child poverty rateImproving
38.6% (2015-2019) → 30.0% (2020-2024)
−8.6 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
High school diploma or higherImproving
60.0% (2015-2019) → 68.5% (2020-2024)
+8.5 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 88.0% → 89.6%
Median household incomeImproving
$47,243 (2015-2019) → $65,849 (2020-2024)
+39%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Othello, Washington improved on 4 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 9 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved4

Broadband+21 points73.6% → 94.4%
Property tax−0.5 points1.25% → 0.77%
Uninsured−6.1 points22.0% → 15.9%
Household income+39%$47,243 → $65,849

Declined1

Price / income+0.9×3.5× → 4.4×

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Othello, Washington between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	15.5 min2015-2019	16.9 min2020-2024	+1.4 min	Within the margin of error	32%
Bachelor's degree or higher	11.3%2015-2019	11.8%2020-2024	+0.5 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Broadband subscriptions	73.6%2015-2019	94.4%2020-2024	+21 points	Improved	91%
Child poverty rate	38.6%2015-2019	30.0%2020-2024	−8.6 points	Within the margin of error	79%
Effective property tax rate	1.25%2015-2019	0.77%2020-2024	−0.5 points	Improved	89%
High school diploma or higher	60.0%2015-2019	68.5%2020-2024	+8.5 points	Within the margin of error	93%
Home price to income ratio	3.5×2015-2019	4.4×2020-2024	+0.9×	Declined	25%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4812015-2019	0.4672020-2024	−0.014	Within the margin of error	63%
Median household income	$47,2432015-2019	$65,8492020-2024	+39%	Improved	73%
Poverty rate	28.2%2015-2019	24.1%2020-2024	−4.1 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Rent as share of income	28.6%2015-2019	31.9%2020-2024	+3.3 points	Within the margin of error	31%
Rent-burdened households	46.5%2015-2019	52.9%2020-2024	+6.4 points	Within the margin of error	33%
Unemployment rate	5.7%2015-2019	5.5%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	54%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	22.0%2015-2019	15.9%2020-2024	−6.1 points	Improved	90%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Othello, Washington five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Othello, Washington in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Othello, Washington itself moved +4.1 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

8,795 residents (±25)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

2,484 households (±184)

Othello, Washington
Washington share

Under $25k22%†536
$25k–50k18%†441
$50k–75k

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

2,484 households (±184)

Othello, Washington
Washington share

Own55%1,362
Rent45%1,122

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

3,174 workers (±294)

Othello, Washington
Washington share

Drive alone70%2,229
Carpool16%†510
Public transit0.2%†

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Othello, WA

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Adams County, the county holding most of Othello's residents.

Adams County has 401 employer establishments, 192 for every 10,000 residents (0.77× the US rate of 248; 0.74× Washington's), with 4,759 paid employees at an average annual pay of $56,416. The Census Bureau also counts 863 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 401; 863 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 192; US 248 · Washington 258
Paid employees: 4,759
Average annual pay: $56,416; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Adams County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Truck transportation	61	29.2	5.77×More than typical	299	$52,438	122
Restaurants and other eating places	32	15.3	0.83×About typical	339	$23,599	11
Gasoline stations	17	8.1	2.51×More than typical	205	$42,420	—
Religious organizations	16	7.7	1.38×More than typical	50	$28,220	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	15	7.2	1.43×More than typical	40	$46,675	32
Full-service restaurants	14	6.7	0.87×About typical	68	$22,074	—
Lessors of real estate	14	6.7	0.54×Fewer than typical	27	$27,000	126
Specialty trade contractors	14	6.7	0.43×Fewer than typical	67	$65,060	40
Limited-service restaurants	12	5.7	0.72×Fewer than typical	217	$24,880	6
Food manufacturing	11	5.3	5.69×More than typical	1,118	$61,755	3
Ambulatory health care services	9	4.3	0.21×Too few to compare	404	$72,050	16
Construction of buildings	9	4.3	0.57×Too few to compare	18	$26,889	30

Rank places for an industry Open Adams County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 20,903 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $20.66 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Othello, Washington: $0.00 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $20.66; −92% vs FY2025
Per resident: $0.00; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 0.0%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$43.13100%

Top recipients

GGN SOLUTIONS LLC$43.13100%
C.J. CUBERS, INC.-$22.470.0%

Spending by fiscal year

774.8FY2017
13.6KFY2018
27.4KFY2019
363.6FY2020
133.9FY2021
684FY2022
4.7KFY2023
2KFY2024

Top industries (NAICS)

Support activities for forestry · 1153$43.13100%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Othello, Washington, so they do not add up across cities.

Othello, Washington's figures are part of those of Adams County, WA ($149.8K in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Othello is mostly in Adams County.

See federal money in Adams County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Othello, Washington is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Adams County37100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Othello, WA34

Other cities and towns in Adams County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/5352215

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends