City · Walla Walla County, Washington

Walla Walla, Washington

Walla Walla is a city in Walla Walla County, Washington, part of the Walla Walla, WA metro area. It has 33,925 residents. Walla Walla, Washington has a quality-of-life score of 37 out of 100 (low), ranking #9,819 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Washington it ranks #320 of 395 cities and towns. It ranks best on average commute time (low), median Air Quality Index (low) and public EV charging ports (high). It ranks worst on math scores (low), pharmacies (low) and drought exposure (high).

37Low

Quality-of-life score: #9,819 of 15,651 cities and towns
Washington: #320 of 395 in WA
Population: 33,925 (2020-2024)
Land area: 14 mi²
Density: 2,411.4 /mi²
FIPS code: 5375775

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 75 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.

Safety36#10,052/15,637
Economy28#11,191/15,631
Housing27#10,966/14,977
Health47#8,225/15,609
Healthcare65#5,529/15,650
Environment55#6,991/15,453
Education20#12,509/15,649
Infrastructure51#7,737/15,650
Community46#8,458/15,651
Leisure & amenities61#6,147/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Walla Walla, Washington ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Walla Walla 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

Average commute time · low12.8 min
99/100Washington 26.6 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Median Air Quality Index · low28
95/100Washington 382025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyWalla Walla County value
Public EV charging ports · high15.1 /10k
91/100Washington 11.3 /10kUnited States 7.6 /10kOct 2026U.S. Department of EnergyWalla Walla County value
Primary care physicians · high112 /100k
88/100Washington 85 /100kUnited States 76 /100k2022University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWalla Walla County value
Preventable hospital stays · low1,925 /100k
87/100Washington 1,865 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWalla Walla County value
Grocery stores · high2.4 /10k
87/100Washington 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsWalla Walla County value

Weaknesses

Math scores · low2.48
3/100Washington 2.91United States 3.032019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWalla Walla County value
Pharmacies · low0.5 /10k
3/100Washington 1.0 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsWalla Walla County value
Drought exposure · high92%
5/100Washington 54%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAAWalla Walla County value
Reading scores · low2.66
7/100Washington 2.98United States 3.052019University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteWalla Walla County value
Home price to income ratio · high5.9×
11/100Washington 5.8×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Drug overdose deaths · high27.6 /100k
13/100Washington 32.7 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataWalla Walla County value

Trends

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

Home price to income ratioWorsening
4.0× (2015-2019) → 5.9× (2020-2024)
+46%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Median household incomeImproving
$50,550 (2015-2019) → $66,748 (2020-2024)
+32%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
New homes permittedImproving
4.6 /1k (2021) → 6.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+29%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Rent-burdened householdsImproving
58.7% (2015-2019) → 54.9% (2020-2024)
−3.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Average commute timeImproving
15.2 min (2015-2019) → 12.8 min (2020-2024)
−16%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Unemployment rateWorsening
4.7% (2015-2019) → 7.7% (2020-2024)
+3 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%

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, Walla Walla, Washington improved on 2 of 14 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 9 moved within the margin of error and 1 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.

Improved2

Commute−2.4 min15.2 min → 12.8 min
Household income+32%$50,550 → $66,748

Declined2

Price / income+1.9×4.0× → 5.9×
Unemployment+3 points4.7% → 7.7%

All 14 measures

Change of every measure of Walla Walla, Washington between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	15.2 min2015-2019	12.8 min2020-2024	−2.4 min	Improved	74%
Bachelor's degree or higher	26.9%2015-2019	27.6%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	32%
Broadband subscriptions	83.4%2015-2019	85.9%2020-2024	+2.5 points	Within the margin of error	17%
Child poverty rate	15.9%2015-2019	15.4%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Effective property tax rate	1.01%2015-2019	0.84%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	50%
High school diploma or higher	88.3%2015-2019	89.1%2020-2024	+0.8 points	Within the margin of error	44%
Home price to income ratio	4.0×2015-2019	5.9×2020-2024	+1.9×	Declined	5%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4452015-2019	0.4662020-2024	+0.021	Within the margin of error	33%
Median household income	$50,5502015-2019	$66,7482020-2024	+32%	Improved	60%
Poverty rate	15.5%2015-2019	14.3%2020-2024	−1.2 points	Within the margin of error	55%
Rent as share of income	34.7%2015-2019	33.0%2020-2024	−1.7 points	Within the margin of error	67%
Rent-burdened households	58.7%2015-2019	54.9%2020-2024	−3.8 points	Within the margin of error	69%
Unemployment rate	4.7%2015-2019	7.7%2020-2024	+3 points	Declined	10%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.5%2015-2019	8.4%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	48%

“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 Walla Walla, Washington five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Walla Walla, 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, Walla Walla, Washington itself moved −3.3 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

33,925 residents (±24)

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

13,084 households (±390)

Walla Walla, Washington
Washington share

Under $25k20%2,580
$25k–50k17%2,282
$50k–75k19%2,456

Homes

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

Owners and renters

13,084 households (±390)

Walla Walla, Washington
Washington share

Own57%7,469
Rent43%5,615

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

14,834 workers (±723)

Walla Walla, Washington
Washington share

Drive alone67%9,999
Carpool7.1%†1,047
Public transit0.5%†68

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 Walla Walla, 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 Walla Walla County, the county holding most of Walla Walla's residents.

Walla Walla County has 1,491 employer establishments, 241 for every 10,000 residents (0.97× the US rate of 248; 0.94× Washington's), with 21,372 paid employees at an average annual pay of $53,071. The Census Bureau also counts 3,800 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,491; 3,800 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 241; US 248 · Washington 258
Paid employees: 21,372
Average annual pay: $53,071; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	113	18.3	1.18×About typical	889	$66,470	161
Restaurants and other eating places	111	18	0.98×About typical	1,728	$27,339	11
Ambulatory health care services	107	17.3	0.83×About typical	1,404	$71,475	198
Construction of buildings	66	10.7	1.41×More than typical	476	$50,716	151
Lessors of real estate	64	10.4	0.84×About typical	198	$46,237	424
Services to buildings and dwellings	63	10.2	1.51×More than typical	282	$42,876	163
Full-service restaurants	53	8.6	1.12×About typical	815	$31,145	5
Building equipment contractors	37	6	1.00×About typical	499	$78,619	24
Offices of other health practitioners	37	6	0.99×About typical	222	$46,811	109
Limited-service restaurants	36	5.8	0.73×Fewer than typical	676	$24,598	—
Landscaping services	33	5.3	1.53×More than typical	109	$50,312	55
Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors	29	4.7	1.49×More than typical	188	$53,340	22

Rank places for an industry Open Walla Walla County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 61,745 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 $1.2M of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Walla Walla, Washington: $35.18 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $1.2M; −60% vs FY2025
Per resident: $35.18; US $1,994
Sole-source: 9.4%; US 30%
Single offer: 18%; 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

Department of Veterans Affairs$611.1K51%
Department of the Army$536.3K45%
Forest Service$43.3K3.6%
Federal Acquisition Service$5,6360.5%
Office of the Secretary$4,6030.4%
National Park Service$2,4940.2%
Bureau of Reclamation$2,1970.2%
Defense Logistics Agency$2,0810.2%

Top recipients

CAVU CONSULTING LLC$264.9K22%
DAX SAFETY & STAFFING SOLUTIONS, LLC$220.3K18%
SHAVER TRANSPORTATION CO$187.8K16%
FOUR PEAKS ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & DATA SOLUTIONS LLC$135.7K11%
TRIBAL ONE TECHNOLOGY, LLC$48.2K4.0%

Spending by fiscal year

839.6KFY2017
2.3MFY2018
6.1MFY2019
1.9MFY2020
2.2MFY2021
1.8MFY2022
1.7MFY2023
1.6M

Top industries (NAICS)

Other specialty trade contractors · 2389$284.1K24%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$221.4K19%
Inland water transportation · 4832$187.8K16%
Scientific research and development services · 5417$151.1K13%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$59.3K5.0%

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 Walla Walla, Washington, so they do not add up across cities.

Walla Walla, Washington's figures are part of those of Walla Walla County, WA ($36.8M in FY2026), never added to them: 3.2% of that total.

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

See federal money in Walla Walla 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.

Walla Walla, Washington is represented in the 119th Congress by these members.

House

Michael BaumgartnerR-WA-5 · 100% of residentsWith party 99%Missed 2.4%

Senate

Explore Congress The 2026 races

County

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

Walla Walla County61100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Walla Walla, WA65

Other cities and towns in Walla Walla 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/5375775

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends