Town · Douglas County, Washington

Waterville, Washington

Waterville is a town in Douglas County, Washington, part of the Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, WA metro area. It has 1,250 residents. Waterville, Washington has a quality-of-life score of 35 out of 100 (low), ranking #10,191 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Washington it ranks #329 of 395 cities and towns. It ranks best on time spent in the emergency room (low), injury deaths (low) and income inequality (Gini index) (low). It ranks worst on distance to an emergency room (high), social associations (low) and pharmacies (low).

35Low

Quality-of-life score: #10,191 of 15,651 cities and towns
Washington: #329 of 395 in WA
Population: 1,250 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 1,444.8 /mi²
FIPS code: 5376510

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 72 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

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Scores by category

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

Safety71#4,508/15,637
Economy67#5,159/15,631
Housing49#7,701/14,977
Health58#6,610/15,609
Healthcare13#13,684/15,650
Environment28#11,166/15,453
Education10#14,013/15,649
Infrastructure37#9,791/15,650
Community41#9,189/15,651
Leisure & amenities43#8,899/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Time spent in the emergency room · low112 min
91/100Washington 156 minUnited States 170 minOct 2024–Sep 2025Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesDouglas County value
Injury deaths · low61 /100k
87/100Washington 86 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDouglas County value
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.358
86/100Washington 0.469United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Grocery stores · high2.4 /10k
86/100Washington 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsDouglas County value
Drinking water violations · low0
86/100Washington 0United States 02024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDouglas County value
Violent crime rate · low101 /100k
86/100Washington 284 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationDouglas County value

Weaknesses

Distance to an emergency room · high25.3 mi
1/100Washington 7.1 miUnited States 5.5 miJul 2026Centers for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesDouglas County value
Social associations · low4.7 /10k
5/100Washington 8.2 /10kUnited States 9.1 /10k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteDouglas County value
Pharmacies · low0.6 /10k
5/100Washington 1.0 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsDouglas County value
Natural hazard risk · high94.0
6/100Washington 63.52025Federal Emergency Management AgencyDouglas County value
Bachelor's degree or higher · low9.9%
7/100Washington 39.6%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003
Drought exposure · high86%
8/100Washington 54%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAADouglas County value

Trends

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

PopulationFalling
1,513 (2015-2019) → 1,250 (2020-2024)
−17%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
20.6% (2015-2019) → 64.3% (2020-2024)
+44 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
18.8% (2015-2019) → 37.7% (2020-2024)
+19 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Bachelor's degree or higherWorsening
24.7% (2015-2019) → 9.9% (2020-2024)
−15 pts5 yearsCensus table B15003US 32.1% → 35.7%
Average commute timeWorsening
19.8 min (2015-2019) → 32.7 min (2020-2024)
+66%5 yearsCensus table B08013US 26.9 min → 26.4 min
Uninsured residents (under 65)Worsening
11.5% (2015-2019) → 18.8% (2020-2024)
+7.4 pts5 yearsCensus table B27010US 10.8% → 9.8%

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, Waterville, Washington improved on 0 of 12 measures with a comparison and declined on 1. 11 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.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined1

Bachelor's+−15 points24.7% → 9.9%

All 12 measures

Change of every measure of Waterville, Washington between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	19.8 min2015-2019	32.7 min2020-2024	+13.0 min	Within the margin of error	1%
Bachelor's degree or higher	24.7%2015-2019	9.9%2020-2024	−15 points	Declined	1%
Broadband subscriptions	86.8%2015-2019	90.9%2020-2024	+4.1 points	Within the margin of error	26%
Child poverty rate	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	42%
Effective property tax rate	0.94%2015-2019	0.71%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	64%
High school diploma or higher	88.8%2015-2019	82.1%2020-2024	−6.8 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Home price to income ratio	2.9×2015-2019	3.3×2020-2024	+0.4×	Within the margin of error	53%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3292015-2019	0.3582020-2024	+0.029	Within the margin of error	27%
Median household income	$59,8302015-2019	$78,5892020-2024	+31%	Within the margin of error	58%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	18.8%2015-2019	37.7%2020-2024	+19 points	Within the margin of error	3%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	11.5%2015-2019	18.8%2020-2024	+7.4 points	Within the margin of error	6%

“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 Waterville, Washington five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Waterville, 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, Waterville, Washington itself moved −26.7 points in standing on average over the same 9 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

1,250 residents (±323)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Under 10 men (−5.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

1,250 residents (±323)

Waterville, Washington
Washington share

White78%974
Black0.3%†4
Hispanic or Latino13%†166
Asian0.6%†7
American Indian and Alaska Native1.9%†24
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander0.0%0
Other or two or more races6.0%†75

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

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B03002View table on data.census.gov

Education

964 residents (±260)

Waterville, Washington
Washington share

No high school diploma18%†173
High school or GED37%†353
Some college15%†149
Associate degree20%†194
Bachelor's degree9.9%†95
Graduate degree0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Associate degree (+14.4 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B15003View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

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

Household income

462 households (±116)

Waterville, Washington
Washington share

Under $25k6.5%†30
$25k–50k19%†88
$50k–75k19%†86
$75k–100k33%†154
$100k–150k6.3%†29
$150k–200k12%†55
$200k or more4.3%†20

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: $100k–150k (−24.5 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

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

Owners and renters

462 households (±116)

Waterville, Washington
Washington share

Own88%†406
Rent12%†56

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

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

56 households (±35)

Waterville, Washington
Washington share

Under $75020%†11
$750–1,00016%†9
$1,000–1,50018%†

Home values

406 homes (±122)

Waterville, Washington
Washington share

Under $150k1.0%†4
$150k–250k41%†168
$250k–400k44%†180

Age of homes

536 homes (±131)

Waterville, Washington
Washington share

2010 or later2.8%†15
2000–20094.3%†23
1980–199912%†63

Size of homes

536 homes (±131)

Waterville, Washington
Washington share

Studio0.0%0
1 bedroom0.4%†2
2 bedrooms20%†106

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

670 workers (±204)

Waterville, Washington
Washington share

Drive alone71%†479
Carpool11%†74
Public transit0.0%0
Walk1.9%†13
Bike0.0%0
Work from home14%†94
Other1.5%†10

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Carpool (+8.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

576 workers (±190)

Waterville, Washington
Washington share

Under 15 min26%†148
15–29 min2.8%†16
30–44 min48%†278

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

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 Wenatchee-East Wenatchee, 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 Douglas County, the county holding most of Waterville's residents.

Douglas County has 854 employer establishments, 190 for every 10,000 residents (0.77× the US rate of 248; 0.74× Washington's), with 8,674 paid employees at an average annual pay of $49,285. The Census Bureau also counts 2,322 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 854; 2,322 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 190; US 248 · Washington 258
Paid employees: 8,674
Average annual pay: $49,285; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	139	31	2.00×More than typical	620	$67,882	127
Construction of buildings	65	14.5	1.92×More than typical	255	$53,153	80
Restaurants and other eating places	52	11.6	0.63×Fewer than typical	910	$27,589	16
Services to buildings and dwellings	49	10.9	1.62×More than typical	273	$35,663	131
Building finishing contractors	48	10.7	2.82×More than typical	193	$45,259	53
Lessors of real estate	46	10.3	0.83×About typical	101	$39,604	285
Ambulatory health care services	40	8.9	0.43×Fewer than typical	397	$65,771	66
Foundation, structure and building exterior contractors	37	8.3	2.62×More than typical	119	$46,756	22
Landscaping services	29	6.5	1.85×More than typical	89	$46,551	50
Other specialty trade contractors	28	6.2	2.49×More than typical	164	$93,720	37
Building equipment contractors	26	5.8	0.96×About typical	144	$86,236	15
Truck transportation	26	5.8	1.15×About typical	98	$57,724	37

Rank places for an industry Open Douglas County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 44,843 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

No federal contract obligations recorded here in FY2026.

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

See federal money in Douglas 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.

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