Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety60#369/924
Economy58#385/925
Housing23#716/925
Health43#530/925
Healthcare48#483/923
Environment98#21/917
Education40#556/925
Infrastructure30#650/925
Community27#675/925
Leisure & amenities72#257/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Centralia, WA micropolitan area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Median Air Quality Index · low20
97/100Washington 382025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Mental health providers · high685 /100k
95/100Washington 568 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Grocery stores · high2.7 /10k
94/100Washington 1.8 /10kUnited States 1.7 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Physical inactivity · low21.0%
87/100Washington 19.0%United States 26.5%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Hot days · low5 days
86/100Washington 13 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Income inequality (Gini index) · low0.424
85/100Washington 0.469United States 0.4832020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B19083

Weaknesses

Flu vaccinations · low26.0%
3/100Washington 43.0%United States 44.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Child care cost burden · high41.8%
4/100Washington 36.6%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Mammography screening · low34.0%
6/100Washington 41.0%United States 46.0%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Drug overdose deaths · high34.8 /100k
6/100Washington 32.7 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Average commute time · high28.5 min
7/100Washington 26.6 minUnited States 26.4 min2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B08013
Unemployment rate · high5.6%
9/100Washington 4.7%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year

Trends

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

PopulationRising
82,551 (2020) → 88,062 (2025)
+6.7%5 yearsUS 331,578,104 → 341,784,857
Hot daysWorsening
2 days (2011-2020) → 5 days (2016-2025)
+142%5 yearsUS 41 days → 42 days
New business applicationsImproving
7.4 /1k (2020) → 14.9 /1k (2025)
+102%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
High ozone daysImproving
7 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Child care cost burdenWorsening
30.4% (2020 & 2021) → 41.8% (2023 & 2024)
+11 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%
Flu vaccinationsWorsening
37.0% (2019) → 26.0% (2023)
−11 pts4 yearsUS 48.0% → 44.0%

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, Centralia, WA micropolitan area improved on 16 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 2. 7 moved within the margin of error and 6 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved16

New businesses+102%7.4 /1k → 14.9 /1k
Pharmacies+21%0.8 /10k → 1.0 /10k
Libraries+7.9%0.7 /10k → 0.8 /10k
Suicides−33%24.2 /100k → 16.2 /100k
Household income+40%$53,484 → $74,796

Declined2

Price / income+1.2×3.9× → 5.2×
Overdose deaths+10%31.5 /100k → 34.8 /100k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Centralia, WA micropolitan area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	3.3 /10k2020	3.6 /10k2025	+11%	Improved	56%
Average commute time	28.5 min2015-2019	28.5 min2020-2024	+0.0 min	Within the margin of error	64%
Average weekly wage	$9272020	$1,1712025	+26%	Improved	75%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.7%2015-2019	21.5%2020-2024	+3.8 points	Improved	74%
Broadband subscriptions	80.1%2015-2019	87.9%2020-2024	+7.8 points	Improved	35%
Child poverty rate	15.3%2015-2019	14.6%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Within the margin of error	30%
Distance to an airport	63 mi2020	63 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	76%
Drug overdose deaths	31.5 /100k2020	34.8 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+10%	Declined	22%
Effective property tax rate	0.85%2015-2019	0.68%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	66%
Firearm deaths	17.0 /100k2020	16.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−4.7%	Little change	57%
Grocery stores	2.8 /10k2020	2.7 /10k2025	−2.2%	Little change	41%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.8 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	+7.1%	Improved	56%
High school diploma or higher	87.5%2015-2019	91.3%2020-2024	+3.8 points	Improved	89%
Home price to income ratio	3.9×2015-2019	5.2×2020-2024	+1.2×	Declined	6%
Homicide rate	4.3 /100k2020	2.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−37%	Improved	65%
Income adjusted for local prices	$45,8142019	$60,2882024	+32%	Improved	50%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4252015-2019	0.4242020-2024	−0.001	Within the margin of error	57%
Median household income	$53,4842015-2019	$74,7962020-2024	+40%	Improved	95%
New business applications	7.4 /1k2020	14.9 /1k2025	+102%	Improved	95%
Pharmacies	0.8 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	+21%	Improved	95%
Poverty rate	13.1%2015-2019	12.2%2020-2024	−0.9 points	Within the margin of error	48%
Property crime rate	1,817 /100k2020	1,183 /100k2025	−35%	Improved	53%
Public libraries	0.7 /10k2019	0.8 /10k2024	+7.9%	Improved	90%
Rent as share of income	30.3%2015-2019	30.1%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Rent-burdened households	50.5%2015-2019	50.1%2020-2024	−0.4 points	Within the margin of error	63%
Restaurants and bars	9.8 /10k2020	10.2 /10k2025	+4.2%	Little change	63%
Suicide rate	24.2 /100k2020	16.2 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−33%	Improved	94%
Traffic deaths	15.4 /100k2015-2019	12.4 /100k2020-2024	−19%	Improved	87%
Unemployment rate	9.3%2020	5.6%2025	−3.7 points	Improved	73%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	9.1%2015-2019	8.0%2020-2024	−1.1 points	Within the margin of error	72%
Violent crime rate	192 /100k2020	190 /100k2025	−1.3%	Little change	28%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. 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 925 metro and micro areas 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.

Metro and micro areas like Centralia, WA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Centralia, WA micropolitan area 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, Centralia, WA micropolitan area itself moved +5.3 points in standing on average over the same 30 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

85,154 residents

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

32,916 households (±435)

Centralia, WA micropolitan area
United States share

Under $25k15%4,831
$25k–50k20%6,448
$50k–75k16%5,218

Homes

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

Owners and renters

32,916 households (±435)

Centralia, WA micropolitan area
United States share

Own76%24,938
Rent24%7,978

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+5.1 points).

Table view

Getting to work

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

How people get to work

34,834 workers (±1,045)

Centralia, WA micropolitan area
United States share

Drive alone75%25,978
Carpool11%3,736
Public transit0.6%†192

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 no occupation wages for Centralia, WA micropolitan area.

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.

Centralia, WA has 1,990 employer establishments, 231 for every 10,000 residents (0.93× the US rate of 248), 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
Paid employees: 22,275
Average annual pay: $52,946; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Centralia, WA 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

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.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
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 contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $4.7M on contracts performed in Centralia, WA micropolitan area: $52.96 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $4.7M; −68% vs FY2025
Per resident: $52.96; US $1,994
Sole-source: 9.4%; US 30%
Single offer: 15%; 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

Forest Service$2.2M48%
National Park Service$1.9M41%
Environmental Protection Agency$331.5K7.1%
Department of the Army$118.1K2.5%
Department of the Navy$40.5K0.9%
Defense Logistics Agency$38.8K0.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs$12.9K0.3%
Federal Highway Administration$1,6920.0%

Top recipients

HB HANSEN CONSTRUCTION, INC.$1.7M36%
JAMESCO PRO INC.$1.4M31%
JAMES ROBERT ASHE$338.1K7.3%
CDM FEDERAL PROGRAMS CORPORATION$331.5K7.1%
THE OTTERY GROUP, INC$206.8K4.4%

Spending by fiscal year

9.6MFY2017
9.8MFY2018
4.6MFY2019
10.9MFY2020
6.8MFY2021
34.7MFY2022
14.8MFY2023
29.9M

Top industries (NAICS)

Nonresidential building construction · 2362$1.8M38%
Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$1.7M36%
Remediation and other waste management services · 5629$344.5K7.4%
Utility system construction · 2371$338.1K7.3%
Management, scientific, and technical consulting services · 5416$205.8K4.4%
Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment rental and leasing · 5324

Largest awards

MORA/ 313019A, 312439 & 313809, REHABILITATE OHANAPECOSH CAMPGROUND$19.7M
HB HANSEN CONSTRUCTION, INC.· Lewis County, WA· Construction & real property· Sep 24, 2024 – Sep 4, 2026· 140P2024C0077
THIS WORK CONSISTS OF: CRACK SEALING, PATCHING, APPLICATION OF CHIP SEAL AND MICRO SURFACE TREATMENTS AND PAVEMENT MARKING.$7.7M
VSS INTERNATIONAL INC· Lewis County, WA· Construction & real property· Oct 15, 2024 – Jul 29, 2026· 69056725F00001N
GAOA HUFFAKER BRIDGE REPLACEMENT$5.3M
JAMES DEAN CONSTRUCTION INC· Lewis County, WA· Construction & real property· Aug 5, 2024 – Aug 27, 2026· 1240BH24F0039
R10 DES: HAMILTON LABREE SUPERFUND SITE-WIDE REMEDIAL INVESTIGATION / FEASIBILITY STUDY (RI/FS) TECHNICAL SUPPORT

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.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $673.8M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Centralia, WA micropolitan area: $7,651 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $673.8M; −1.8% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,651; US $12,955
Loan face value: $49.7M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.1%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$410.8M61%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$76.6M11%

Counties in Centralia, WA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Lewis CountyCentral county5188,062

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

CentraliaPrincipal city18,830

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Washington

Areas based in Washington, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

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.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
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
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/M16500

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved16

Declined2

Metro and micro areas like Centralia, WA micropolitan area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Counties in Centralia, WA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Washington

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved16

Declined2

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Top programs

What was bought

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

By type

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates