Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Public schools that outperform most of Washington.
Buckley grades B− overall, 136th among Washington's 285 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its public schools beat 84% of Washington towns on state tests and graduation. On the other side, the typical home is worth about $648K, 5.6 years of the Seattle metro’s $115K median household income. Buckley’s average trip to work is 32 minutes, above both Washington’s towns (27 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Among 132 Washington towns, just 10 have a lower property crime rate than Buckley.
Where Buckley beats most towns.
4,354 counted in 2010 and 5,114 in 2020; an estimated 5,688 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 11.3% since 2020, after 17.5% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Buckley is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 878 in 1890, 5,114 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1911 and 5 maps from 1942 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Buckley, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
Ordered by what stands out in Buckley.
Buckley fares better on crime within Washington than nationally, has cooler summers than nearly all U.S. towns and trades workers with Seattle and other neighbors.
Its A− for schools comes with a D for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $648K.
Its public schools are run by the White River School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glacier Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 999 | – |
| White River HomeschoolLargest public high schoolGrades K–12 | Grades K–12 | – | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
| Buckley | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.1% | 4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Heritage Park | 0.1 mi | 16 |
| 2. Elk Heights Neighborhood Park | 0.2 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 68% of U.S. communities. Since 1986, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Buckley.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
July afternoons average 76.2°, cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns; January nights average 33.6°.
Buckley has mild winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Buckley is 76°F. About 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
| Buckley | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 76°F | 77°F | 85°F |
| January low | 34°F | 35°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Buckley has about as many jobs (2,300) as working residents, but only 189 people both live and work here.
Most working residents leave Buckley for work: only 8% work in town. Buckley’s median household income is $125,000. The top destinations are Seattle (11%), Enumclaw (8%) and Kent (6%).
| Buckley | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $125,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 8.2% | 4.8% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
65.5% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 49.9% across Washington.
The typical Buckley home is worth about $648,000, about the same as a year ago, 10% above the Washington typical home. 78% of households own their home in Buckley.
| Buckley | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,992 a month | $1,737 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 78% | 70% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Within Washington it is less healthy than 79% of the 285 graded towns: Washington sets a high bar. Against the 5,106 U.S. towns with household incomes like Buckley’s, it is less healthy than 85%: its national edge comes with its incomes.
Buckley beats the Washington average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 29% of Buckley adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Buckley | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 26% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 71% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 33% | 35% |
| What stands out | Buckley | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 7.4% | 9% |
| More smokers | 13.2% | 10.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 16 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 78% of Washington’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 83 to 39 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Buckley. Close and well known come first.
Big draw35 mi LookoutSpace Needle
Big draw33 mi Stadium & arenaLumen Field
Big draw35 mi Stadium & arenaClimate Pledge Arena
12 mi National ParkMount Rainier National Park1.6M visitors a year
33 mi Stadium & arenaT-Mobile Park
34 mi Ancient siteSeattle UndergroundSpace Needle: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lumen Field: "Smart Destinations", GoSeattleCard.com, and Go Seattle Card Blog, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Climate Pledge Arena: Sea Cow, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mount Rainier National Park: Ricardo Martins from Gent, Belgium, CC BY 2.0 · T-Mobile Park: MyName (Cacophony), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Seattle Underground: Mark Hursh, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Buckley
About 4 of every 100 Buckley residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
City in Washington, United States
Buckley is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States, founded in 1882. The population was 5,114 at the 2020 census. Buckley lies on the White River below Mount Rainier and is known for hosting an annual festival named the Log Show.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Buckley grades B− overall, better than 48% of U.S. towns and #136 of 285 in Washington. It grades B for health, B for safety and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
2 notable people were born here, including Lucille Lund and Thron Riggs.
