Scores by category

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

Safety70#278/924
Economy63#347/925
Housing16#777/925
Health33#616/925
Healthcare57#402/923
Environment98#18/917
Education25#695/925
Infrastructure62#349/925
Community39#568/925
Leisure & amenities42#538/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

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

Strengths

Median Air Quality Index · low22
96/100Washington 382025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Distance to an Amtrak station · low6 mi
94/100Washington 13 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Mental health providers · high598 /100k
92/100Washington 568 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Average weekly wage · high$1,347
88/100Washington $1,917United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Firearm deaths · low9.7 /100k
87/100Washington 11.9 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Physical inactivity · low21.3%
86/100Washington 19.0%United States 26.5%2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Drug overdose deaths · high48.7 /100k
2/100Washington 32.7 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Child care cost burden · high39.4%
8/100Washington 36.6%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Depression · high28.7%
9/100Washington 25.5%United States 20.7%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Pharmacies · low0.9 /10k
11/100Washington 1.0 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Home price to income ratio · high5.2×
11/100Washington 5.8×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Bachelor's degree or higher · low17.6%
13/100Washington 39.6%United States 35.7%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B15003

Trends

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

Drought exposureImproving
51% (2021) → 18% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
−32 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
New business applicationsImproving
6.5 /1k (2020) → 13.8 /1k (2025)
+112%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
High ozone daysImproving
2 days (2017) → 0 days (2022)
−100%5 yearsUS 9 days → 7 days
Drug overdose deathsWorsening
26.0 /100k (2021) → 48.7 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
+87%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Hot daysWorsening
4 days (2011-2020) → 7 days (2016-2025)
+78%5 yearsUS 41 days → 42 days
Child care cost burdenWorsening
27.2% (2020 & 2021) → 39.4% (2023 & 2024)
+12 pts3 yearsUS 24.5% → 27.9%

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, Longview-Kelso, WA metro area improved on 15 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 5. 6 moved within the margin of error and 5 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.

Improved15

Libraries+13%0.5 /10k → 0.6 /10k
New businesses+112%6.5 /1k → 13.8 /1k
Household income+40%$54,506 → $76,531
Arts & recreation+33%2.2 /10k → 2.9 /10k
Firearm deaths−33%14.4 /100k → 9.7 /100k

Declined5

Overdose deaths+108%23.4 /100k → 48.7 /100k
Price / income+1.2×4.0× → 5.2×
Traffic deaths+33%9.7 /100k → 13.0 /100k
Uninsured+1.2 points6.4% → 7.6%
Restaurants−7.6%8.3 /10k → 7.7 /10k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Longview-Kelso, WA metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.2 /10k2020	2.9 /10k2025	+33%	Improved	89%
Average commute time	25.7 min2015-2019	26.1 min2020-2024	+0.4 min	Within the margin of error	50%
Average weekly wage	$1,0752020	$1,3472025	+25%	Improved	69%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.0%2015-2019	17.6%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	13%
Broadband subscriptions	82.6%2015-2019	91.0%2020-2024	+8.4 points	Improved	45%
Child poverty rate	18.1%2015-2019	15.2%2020-2024	−2.9 points	Within the margin of error	56%
Distance to an airport	41 mi2020	41 mi2025	−0 mi	Little change	76%
Drug overdose deaths	23.4 /100k2020	48.7 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	+108%	Declined	3%
Effective property tax rate	0.94%2015-2019	0.81%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Little change	50%
Firearm deaths	14.4 /100k2020	9.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−33%	Improved	93%
Grocery stores	1.4 /10k2020	1.6 /10k2025	+16%	Improved	85%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.8 /10k2020	1.0 /10k2025	+29%	Improved	78%
High school diploma or higher	89.3%2015-2019	89.9%2020-2024	+0.6 points	Within the margin of error	17%
Home price to income ratio	4.0×2015-2019	5.2×2020-2024	+1.2×	Declined	7%
Homicide rate	3.0 /100k2020	3.0 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	0%	Little change	22%
Income adjusted for local prices	$46,6382019	$61,1712024	+31%	Improved	46%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4432015-2019	0.4252020-2024	−0.018	Improved	87%
Median household income	$54,5062015-2019	$76,5312020-2024	+40%	Improved	96%
New business applications	6.5 /1k2020	13.8 /1k2025	+112%	Improved	97%
Pharmacies	0.9 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	−3.4%	Little change	61%
Poverty rate	14.4%2015-2019	12.2%2020-2024	−2.2 points	Improved	76%
Property crime rate	2,030 /100k2020	1,411 /100k2025	−31%	Improved	43%
Public libraries	0.5 /10k2019	0.6 /10k2024	+13%	Improved	93%
Rent as share of income	30.8%2015-2019	29.8%2020-2024	−1 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Rent-burdened households	51.7%2015-2019	49.3%2020-2024	−2.4 points	Within the margin of error	76%
Restaurants and bars	8.3 /10k2020	7.7 /10k2025	−7.6%	Declined	18%
Suicide rate	18.9 /100k2020	18.6 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−1.6%	Little change	65%
Traffic deaths	9.7 /100k2015-2019	13.0 /100k2020-2024	+33%	Declined	15%
Unemployment rate	9.1%2020	5.3%2025	−3.8 points	Improved	74%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	6.4%2015-2019	7.6%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Declined	16%
Violent crime rate	188 /100k2020	168 /100k2025	−11%	Improved	41%

“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 Longview-Kelso, WA metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Longview-Kelso, WA metro 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, Longview-Kelso, WA metro area itself moved +3.5 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

112,360 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

43,943 households (±449)

Longview-Kelso, WA metro area
United States share

Under $25k14%6,071
$25k–50k18%7,952
$50k–75k17%7,545

Homes

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

Owners and renters

43,943 households (±449)

Longview-Kelso, WA metro area
United States share

Own68%29,876
Rent32%14,067

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

46,758 workers (±1,119)

Longview-Kelso, WA metro area
United States share

Drive alone82%38,121
Carpool8.1%3,797
Public transit0.4%†207

Jobs and pay

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

The 10 largest occupations in Longview-Kelso, WA employ 9,820 people. 9 pay a median above the US median.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Longview-Kelso, WA by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Home Health and Personal Care Aides1,780 jobs	1,780	$47,840US $35,800	+34%	1.57×
Fast Food and Counter Workers1,440 jobs	1,440	$36,020US $31,200	+15%	1.41×
Retail Salespersons1,120 jobs	1,120	$38,680US $35,410	+9%	1.09×
Cashiers1,050 jobs	1,050	$36,350US $32,880	+11%	1.29×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand900 jobs	900	$40,510US $40,240	+1%	1.15×
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers770 jobs	770	$62,930US $58,640	+7%	1.42×
Stockers and Order Fillers730 jobs	730	$38,190US $37,330	+2%	0.98×
Registered Nurses720 jobs	720	—US $97,550	—	0.81×
Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary710 jobs	710	$45,400US $36,780	+23%	1.9×
General and Operations Managers600 jobs	600	$125,600US $105,770	+19%	0.65×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Longview-Kelso, WA.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

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.

Longview-Kelso, WA has 2,309 employer establishments, 205 for every 10,000 residents (0.82× the US rate of 248), with 33,796 paid employees at an average annual pay of $58,526. The Census Bureau also counts 5,536 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 2,309; 5,536 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 205; US 248
Paid employees: 33,796
Average annual pay: $58,526; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Longview-Kelso, WA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	202	17.9	1.16×About typical	1,905	$84,373	280
Restaurants and other eating places	180	15.9	0.87×About typical	2,938	$24,587	18
Ambulatory health care services	133	11.8	0.57×Fewer than typical	2,243	$71,035	227
Lessors of real estate	114	10.1	0.82×About typical	308	$41,308	571
Construction of buildings	99	8.8	1.16×About typical	452	$86,356	156
Services to buildings and dwellings	87	7.7	1.14×About typical	520	$42,969	285
Full-service restaurants	73	6.5	0.84×About typical	926	$29,052	11
Truck transportation	71	6.3	1.24×About typical	538	$66,431	95
Limited-service restaurants	68	6	0.75×Fewer than typical	1,576	$21,937	—
Building equipment contractors	65	5.8	0.96×About typical	940	$103,185	38
Religious organizations	61	5.4	0.97×About typical	365	$22,860	—
Automotive repair and maintenance	59	5.2	1.04×About typical	304	$51,086	76

Rank places for an industry

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

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 112,866 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 $93.5M on contracts performed in Longview-Kelso, WA metro area: $814 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $93.5M; +497% vs FY2025
Per resident: $814; US $1,994
Sole-source: 1.1%; 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

Agricultural Marketing Service$57.4M61%
Department of the Army$29.7M32%
Federal Highway Administration$2.7M2.9%
National Park Service$2.2M2.4%
Department of Veterans Affairs$579.6K0.6%
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service$304.3K0.3%
Defense Logistics Agency$202.4K0.2%
National Institutes of Health$143.6K0.2%

Top recipients

CHS INC.$55.6M59%
ODIN ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS, LLC$29M31%
JJH EARTHWORKS LLC$2.7M2.9%
PACIFIC TECH CONSTRUCTION INC$2.2M2.4%
RJB PRODUCE, INC.$1.8M2.0%

Spending by fiscal year

30.6MFY2017
45.1MFY2018
106.8MFY2019
64.9MFY2020
103.2MFY2021
225.3MFY2022
114.8MFY2023
77.8M

Top industries (NAICS)

Other food manufacturing · 3119$55.6M59%
Other heavy and civil engineering construction · 2379$29.1M31%
Highway, street, and bridge construction · 2373$2.7M2.9%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$2.2M2.4%
Fruit and vegetable preserving and specialty food manufacturing · 3114$1.8M2.0%
Building finishing contractors · 2383$612.4K

Largest awards

MOUNT SAINT HELENS SEDIMENT RETENTION STRUCTURE CREST RAISE$29M
ODIN ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS, LLC· Cowlitz County, WA· Construction & real property· Jan 30, 2026 – May 13, 2026· W9127N26CA011
COMMODITIES FOR USG FOOD DONATIONS: 2000009419/4100027989/PACIFIC SALAD SHRIMP 350-500 PKG-20/2 LB,PACIFIC SALAD SHRIMP 250-350 PKG-20/2 LB,PACIFIC ROCKFISH FILLETS FRZ PKG-20/2 LB,PACIFIC WHITING FILLETS FRZ PKG-20/2 LB$27.3M
DULCICH INC· Cowlitz County, WA· Other equipment & supplies· Jul 12, 2023 – Mar 2, 2026· 123J1423C1824
COMMODITIES FOR USG FOOD DONATIONS: 2000011202/4210007506/SOYBEANS, YELLOW BULK$23M
CHS INC.· Cowlitz County, WA· Other equipment & supplies· Feb 27, 2026 – Feb 27, 2026· 121NTB26C0012

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 $850.3M in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Longview-Kelso, WA metro area: $7,401 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $850.3M; −7.6% vs FY2025
Per resident: $7,401; US $12,955
Loan face value: $45.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.0%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$526.3M62%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$74.9M8.8%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$74.7M8.8%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$51.3M6.0%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$31M3.6%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$17.7M2.1%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$7.5M0.9%
20.205 · Highway Planning and Construction$7.3M0.9%

Top recipients (organizations)

WASHINGTON ST DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$18.6M2.2%
OLYMPIA, WA
HOUSING AUTHORITY CITY OF LONGVIEW; HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF LONGVIEW$17.2M2.0%
LONGVIEW, WA
LOWER COLUMBIA COLLEGE$13.2M1.6%
LONGVIEW, WA
COWLITZ INDIAN TRIBE$6.3M0.7%
LONGVIEW, WA
CITY OF KELSO

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$683.5M80%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$85.3M10%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$22.2M2.6%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Federal Highway Administration$18.7M2.2%
Department of Transportation
Department of Education

Assistance by fiscal year

775.4MFY2021
743.5MFY2022
786.8MFY2023
822.9MFY2024
920.3MFY2025
850.3MFY2026

County aggregates

91%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Longview-Kelso, 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.

Cowlitz CountyCentral county55114,885

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

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
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M31020

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved15

Declined5

Metro and micro areas like Longview-Kelso, WA metro 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

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Longview-Kelso, 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

Improved15

Declined5

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

Look up any occupation

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type