Munro grave, 2017
Cle Elum’s story
139 years in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2017.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1887Cle Elum is settled
Population
2,288
2025 Census estimate · +6.1% since 2020
Typical home
$606K
+1% in a year
Household income
$64K
median
Median age
48.0
years
Jobs based here
1,596
Balanced
Is Cle Elum a good place to live?
The best of Cle Elum’s subject grades are an A− for walkability and an A+ for the outdoors; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. 9.9% of residents are under 18 in Cle Elum, against 22% in Washington’s towns and 22% across U.S. towns. Among 133 Washington towns, just 6 have a lower violent crime rate than Cle Elum. Cle Elum’s trail density is 4.0 miles per square mile, above both Washington’s towns (0.8) and U.S. towns (0.4). Only 9 of Washington’s 397 towns score higher on the outdoors. Cle Elum-Roslyn Beneficial Association Hospital is on the National Register of Historic Places. Cle Elum has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Cle Elum stand out
Where Cle Elum beats most towns.
WalkabilityA−
More walkable than 83% of U.S. towns
5.5% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
Library visits per resident
Cle Elum7
Typical U.S. town3.4
Typical WA town3.7
Civic lifeB+
91% more library visits per person
than the typical Washington town
IMLS Public Libraries Survey.
A growing town
Cle Elum has grown 22% since 2010
1,872 counted in 2010 and 2,157 in 2020; an estimated 2,288 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Cle Elum grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Cle Elum is from typical.
Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.3 of 20; 6.3% of households have no carA−Open →Cost of livingC−Open →SafetyC+Open →Jobs & incomeC+Open →HealthKittitas Valley Community Hospital 24.2 miles awayB−Open →SchoolsB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors7% conserved landA+Open →History1 place on the National RegisterB+Open →Civic life7 library visits per resident; 6.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 48.0; 19% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Cle Elum: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cle Elum, and how to reach them.
PowerPuget Sound Energy17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCle Elum Water DepartmentNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers97% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpMondayTrash dayTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Washington you can register online until 8 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 8 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereKittitas County AuditorKittitas County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code9892298922 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Cle Elum.
SchoolsB−
On state tests, Cle Elum’s schools beat 52% of Washington districts
Its public schools are run by the Cle Elum-Roslyn School District. Its one school is below.
52%of WA districts it outscoresB−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swiftwater Alternative High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 20 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
High risk in Cle Elum, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 68% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 8 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Cle Elum.
68risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireEarthquakes
8
paid flood claims since 1980
2
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Cle Elum has four seasons and pleasant summers
Cle Elum has chilly winters and pleasant summers. Cle Elum’s July high is 81°F.
81°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter23–37°
Spring34–57°
Summer50–78°
Fall35–59°
Sep 25
typical first frost
May 13
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
81°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade C+
A job hub: Cle Elum has 1.4 jobs for every working resident and draws in 1,331 commuters
About one in 4 of Cle Elum’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Cle Elum has added 380 jobs, to 1,596 in 2023. The median household income in Cle Elum is $64,000.
23%work in town
| Cle Elum | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 4.9% | 8% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 9.8% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Cle Elum23%
Seattle10%
Ellensburg5%
Roslyn4%
Bellevue3%
43 mi
median commute distance
1,596
jobs based in Cle Elum
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
A−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 83% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
39%of U.S. towns report more crimeC+Safety Grade
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Cle Elum0.3
Washington2.9
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Cle Elum18.4
Washington20.2
U.S.15.5
39th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
1
violent crimes reported in 2025
60
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
OutdoorsA+
Conserved land covers 7.4% of Cle Elum
18 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. Washington State Horse Park, at 600 acres with 6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
7.4%conserved
7.4%
conserved · 212 of 2,859 acres
18 mi
of trails · 4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Washington State Horse Park | 6 mi | 600 |
| 2. Coal Mines Trail Park | 1.1 mi | 13 |
| 3. Suncadia Conservancy | 0.3 mi | 52 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthB−
Cle Elum is less healthy than 53% of U.S. towns
Cle Elum beats the Washington average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 17. 70% of Cle Elum adults had a checkup this year.
47%healthier than U.S. townsB−Health Grade
| Cle Elum | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 71% | 79% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 33% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 23% |
31 measures vs. Washington
0 better14 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Cle Elum | WA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 7.8% | 5.1% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.3% | 9% |
| More smokers | 14.2% | 10.1% |
Kittitas Valley Community Hospital
24.2 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
HousingCost of living grade C−
A typical Cle Elum home is worth about $606K
The typical Cle Elum home is worth about $606,000, up 1% in a year, close to the Washington typical home. 63% of households own their home in Cle Elum.
$606KZillow home value
| Cle Elum | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 71% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,295 a month | $1,739 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Cle Elum$606K
Washington$588K
+1%
value change, 1 year
4
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cle Elum
19pages on Cle Elum
The big questions
SchoolsB−Beat 52% of WA districts · 1 schoolSafetyC+0.3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthB−Better than WA on 0 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingC−$606K typical home · up 1% in a yearWork & commuteC+$64K median household income · 1,596 jobs hereNatural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 68% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Cle Elum; the nearest are
Central Washington UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ellensburg23.6 mi$9,417 in-state tuitionColumbia Gorge Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · The Dalles, OR111.4 mi$5,940 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Cle Elum residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
About Cle Elum
City in Washington, United States
Cle Elum ( klee EL-əm) is a city in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,157 at the 2020 census. About 84 miles (135 km) by car from Seattle, Cle Elum is a popular area for camping and outdoor activities. It is also unofficially considered the starting point of Eastern Washington when driving east on I-90 from Seattle, although this is somewhat arbitrary since many consider either the town of Easton, anywhere east of Keechelus Lake, or the wildlife crossing bridge over I-90 to be the starting point. The town takes its name from the Cle Elum River, which meets the Yakima River near here. The Kittitas band of the Yakama tribe lived here and fished the Yakima River.…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1902
- Area
- 3.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,913 ft
- ZIP code
- 98922
- Area code
- 509
Cle Elum’s neighbors
One town shares a border with Cle Elum.
South Cle ElumCle Elum
How the neighbors grade
| Town | WA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cle Elum | — | — | C− | C+ | B− | B− |
| South Cle Elum | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Cle Elum has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. South Cle Elum isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Cle Elum with a neighbor →
Questions about Cle Elum
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cle Elum, WA expensive?
Yes. That is 8.2 years of the area's median household income ($73,804 across the Ellensburg, WA area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.