Jacki @ Ape Cave, 2006
Cougar’s story
124 years in pictures
The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 2006 and 3 maps from 1953 on.
- 1902Cougar is settled
CougarWA
151 people live in this town, settled in 1902.
Photo: Steven Baltakatei Sandoval · CC BY-SA 4.0
Is Cougar a good place to live?
Cougar’s age of the median resident is 64.8 years, above both the Washington town median (38.5 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Only one of the 286 Washington towns we compare has a higher home-ownership rate than Cougar. Cougar’s trail density is 2.5 miles per square mile, above both Washington’s towns (0.8) and U.S. towns (0.4). The biggest park or preserve is Cougar Park, at 35 acres. Cougar has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
151 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to Cougar: who provides what
Cougar is unincorporated, so Cowlitz County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPUD No 1 of Cowlitz County9.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCougar Crest water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesCowlitz CountyCowlitz County provides services here
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 hereCowlitz County AuditorCowlitz County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025
ZIP code9861698616 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 Cougar.
$291KZillow home value
Typical home value
Cougar$291K
Washington$588K
+0.8%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Cougar is inland flooding, at a very high overall level
Of the losses FEMA expects in Cougar, 49% come from inland flooding and 27% from volcanic activity. On expected storm and flood damage, Cougar sits above 88% of U.S. communities. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid once, in 2009.
88risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingVolcanic activityCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Cougar has four seasons and pleasant summers
Summer afternoons peak near 78° in July, and January nights bottom out around 34°; snowfall runs to about 16 inches a winter. Winters in Cougar are mild and summers pleasant, with plenty of rain.
16″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter33–45°
Spring39–58°
Summer50–75°
Fall42–60°
Nov 18
typical first frost
Apr 1
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Cougar stands out in Washington and nationally, with more of its adults who have high blood pressure
Against the Washington average, Cougar comes out ahead on 2 CDC measures out of 31, and behind on 17. In Cougar, 42% of adults have obesity.
| Cougar | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 33% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 31% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 9.8% | 12% |
31 measures vs. Washington
2 better12 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Cougar | WA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 76% | 70.7% |
| More adults getting a yearly checkup | 73.9% | 70.7% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 19.4% | 9% |
Legacy Salmon Creek Medical Center
28 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Open space protected for good: 0.4% of Cougar
1.5 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve.
0.4%conserved
0.4%
conserved · 1 of 367 acres
1.5 mi
of trails · 2.5 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cougar Park | 0.1 mi | 35 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 182 attractions →Mount St. Helens and 74 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cougar. Close and well known come first.
Big draw12 mi MountainMount St. Helens
17 mi LakeSpirit Lake
34 mi WaterfallMultnomah Falls
40 mi Stadium & arenaModa Center
34 mi Canyon & gorgeColumbia River Gorge
14 mi Park & preserveMount St. Helens National Volcanic MonumentSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount St. Helens: U.S. Forest Service- Pacific Northwest Region, Public domain · Spirit Lake: Matt Logan, Public domain · Multnomah Falls: John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA, CC BY 2.0 · Moda Center: Lugnuts, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Columbia River Gorge: Hux, Public domain · Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument: Lyn Topinka, Public domain
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cougar
15pages on Cougar
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Cougar; the nearest are
Lower Columbia CollegeCommunity college · Public · Longview31 mi$4,626 in-state tuitionPortland State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Portland, OR41.5 mi$11,679 in-state tuitionPortland Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Portland, OR47 mi$5,220 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Cougar residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
About Cougar
Unincorporated community in Washington, United States
Cougar is an unincorporated community and former town in Cowlitz County, Washington. Cougar is located around 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Vancouver on Washington State Route 503 and along the northwest bank of Yale Lake, a reservoir on the Lewis River. The population of Cougar was 122 at the 1990 Census, when it was still incorporated as a town, but disincorporated before the 2000 Census. As of the 2020 census, the population is 118. The Cougar community is part of the Woodland School District, a K-12 school district of about 2,200 students. Cougar is the nearest community to Mount St. Helens, which lies 13 miles (20.9215 km) to its northeast. The eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Elevation
- 512 ft
- ZIP code
- 98616
- Area code
- 360
Questions about Cougar
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cougar, WA a good place to live?
Cougar has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.