City · Lewis County, Washington

Winlock, Washington

Winlock is a city in Lewis County, Washington, part of the Centralia, WA metro area. It has 2,140 residents. Winlock, Washington has a quality-of-life score of 42 out of 100 (moderate), ranking #9,116 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within Washington it ranks #301 of 395 cities and towns. It ranks best on median Air Quality Index (low), mental health providers (high) and new homes permitted (high). It ranks worst on flu vaccinations (low), child care cost burden (high) and drug overdose deaths (high).

42Moderate

Quality-of-life score: #9,116 of 15,651 cities and towns
Washington: #301 of 395 in WA
Population: 2,140 (2020-2024)
Land area: 3 mi²
Density: 633.0 /mi²
FIPS code: 5379275

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.

Safety48#8,125/15,637
Economy44#8,753/15,631
Housing58#6,309/14,977
Health27#11,407/15,609
Healthcare45#8,613/15,650
Environment91#1,336/15,453
Education22#12,231/15,649
Infrastructure34#10,395/15,650
Community26#11,629/15,651
Leisure & amenities66#5,264/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Winlock, Washington ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Lewis 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 · low20
98/100Washington 382025U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyLewis County value
Mental health providers · high685 /100k
96/100Washington 568 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLewis County value
New homes permitted · high21.0 /1k
96/100Washington 4.9 /1kUnited States 4.2 /1kSep 2025–Aug 2026U.S. Census BureauProvisional data
Grocery stores · high2.7 /10k
92/100Washington 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsLewis County value
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.369
89/100Washington 0.469United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low6.2 µg/m³
86/100Washington 8.4 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyLewis County value

Weaknesses

Flu vaccinations · low26.0%
3/100Washington 43.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLewis County value
Child care cost burden · high41.8%
5/100Washington 36.6%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLewis County value
Drug overdose deaths · high34.8 /100k
6/100Washington 32.7 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionProvisional dataLewis County value
Mammography screening · low34.0%
6/100Washington 41.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteLewis County value
Unemployment rate · high10.6%
8/100Washington 4.7%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025
Natural hazard risk · high90.5
9/100Washington 63.52025Federal Emergency Management AgencyLewis County value

Trends

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

PopulationRising
1,791 (2015-2019) → 2,140 (2020-2024)
+19%5 yearsCensus table B01003US 328,329,953 → 340,003,797
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
77.2% (2015-2019) → 92.9% (2020-2024)
+16 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Home price to income ratioWorsening
2.8× (2015-2019) → 4.5× (2020-2024)
+61%5 yearsCensus table B25077US 3.5× → 4.1×
Median household incomeImproving
$50,240 (2015-2019) → $80,451 (2020-2024)
+60%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
New homes permittedWorsening
30.7 /1k (2021) → 21.0 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
−31%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k
Poverty rateImproving
18.8% (2015-2019) → 14.9% (2020-2024)
−3.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 12.3% → 12.1%

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, Winlock, Washington improved on 3 of 15 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.

Improved3

Household income+60%$50,240 → $80,451
Property tax−0.4 points1.00% → 0.56%
Broadband+16 points77.2% → 92.9%

Declined1

Price / income+1.7×2.8× → 4.5×

All 15 measures

Change of every measure of Winlock, Washington between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	29.1 min2015-2019	30.9 min2020-2024	+1.8 min	Within the margin of error	29%
Bachelor's degree or higher	14.6%2015-2019	17.2%2020-2024	+2.7 points	Within the margin of error	49%
Broadband subscriptions	77.2%2015-2019	92.9%2020-2024	+16 points	Improved	82%
Child poverty rate	15.4%2015-2019	17.3%2020-2024	+2 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Effective property tax rate	1.00%2015-2019	0.56%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Improved	87%
High school diploma or higher	85.3%2015-2019	88.3%2020-2024	+3 points	Within the margin of error	69%
Home price to income ratio	2.8×2015-2019	4.5×2020-2024	+1.7×	Declined	6%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.3952015-2019	0.3692020-2024	−0.026	Within the margin of error	71%
Median household income	$50,2402015-2019	$80,4512020-2024	+60%	Improved	91%
Poverty rate	18.8%2015-2019	14.9%2020-2024	−3.9 points	Within the margin of error	75%
Public transit commuters	0.0%2015-2019	0.0%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	60%
Rent as share of income	27.2%2015-2019	26.9%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	58%
Rent-burdened households	41.9%2015-2019	43.0%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	52%
Unemployment rate	9.5%2015-2019	10.6%2020-2024	+1.1 points	Within the margin of error	27%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	8.0%2015-2019	5.8%2020-2024	−2.2 points	Within the margin of error	71%

“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 Winlock, Washington five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Winlock, 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, Winlock, Washington itself moved +6.4 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

2,140 residents (±23)

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

661 households (±69)

Winlock, Washington
Washington share

Under $25k11%†75
$25k–50k12%†78
$50k–75k24%

Homes

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

Owners and renters

661 households (±69)

Winlock, Washington
Washington share

Own82%541
Rent18%†120

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+22.7 points).

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

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

883 workers (±112)

Winlock, Washington
Washington share

Drive alone71%624
Carpool12%†110
Public transit0.0%0

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 Centralia, 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 Lewis County, the county holding most of Winlock's residents.

Lewis County has 1,990 employer establishments, 231 for every 10,000 residents (0.93× the US rate of 248; 0.89× Washington's), with 22,275 paid employees at an average annual pay of $52,946. The Census Bureau also counts 4,565 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 1,990; 4,565 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 231; US 248 · Washington 258
Paid employees: 22,275
Average annual pay: $52,946; US $68,342

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

Specialty trade contractors	169	19.6	1.27×More than typical	792	$60,226	277
Restaurants and other eating places	167	19.4	1.05×About typical	2,222	$26,153	19
Ambulatory health care services	133	15.4	0.74×Fewer than typical	1,797	$68,928	167
Construction of buildings	110	12.7	1.69×More than typical	400	$57,583	122
Lessors of real estate	98	11.4	0.92×About typical	269	$48,933	451
Truck transportation	84	9.7	1.93×More than typical	562	$77,130	140
Full-service restaurants	77	8.9	1.16×About typical	921	$30,029	5
Limited-service restaurants	51	5.9	0.74×Fewer than typical	984	$23,679	7
Automotive repair and maintenance	50	5.8	1.15×About typical	259	$48,027	67
Building equipment contractors	50	5.8	0.96×About typical	261	$62,126	50
Religious organizations	47	5.4	0.98×About typical	310	$23,426	—
Other specialty trade contractors	45	5.2	2.08×More than typical	201	$68,567	112

Rank places for an industry Open Lewis County

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 86,277 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 $0 of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Winlock, Washington: $0 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $0
Per resident: $0; US $1,994
Sole-source: —; US 30%
Single offer: —; 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

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

7.3FY2017
10.1FY2018
4.2KFY2019
329.4FY2020
320.2FY2021
451.5FY2022
337.1FY2023
697FY2024
-85.9FY2025

What was bought

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

Winlock, Washington's figures are part of those of Lewis County, WA ($4.7M 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: Winlock is mostly in Lewis County.

See federal money in Lewis 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.

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

House

Marie Gluesenkamp PerezD-WA-3 · 100% of residentsWith party 70%Missed 1.3%

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.

Lewis County51100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Centralia, WA49

Other cities and towns in Lewis 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/5379275

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends