A. J. Splawn House
Cowiche’s story
142 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper.
- 1884Cowiche is settled
CowicheWA
This town of 364 people was settled in 1884.
Population
364
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$337K
+3% in a year
Median age
54.3
years
Jobs based here
463
A job hub
Is Cowiche a good place to live?
29% of residents live below the poverty line in Cowiche, against 7.9% in Washington’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 6 of the 286 Washington towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Cowiche. Cowiche has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Cowiche stand out
Where Cowiche beats most towns.
Small town
364 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 Cowiche: who provides what
Cowiche is unincorporated, so Yakima County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPacific Power14.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterCowiche Water AssociationNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers77% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesYakima CountyYakima 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 hereYakima County AuditorYakima County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP codes98923, 9894798923 93% · 98947 7%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 Cowiche.
Schools
The schools Cowiche’s kids attend
Public schools: the Highland School District. The largest public high school is Highland High School, with 366 students. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Highland Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 243 | – |
| Highland High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 366 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
A job hub: Cowiche has 2.2 jobs for every working resident and draws in 452 commuters
Employers in Cowiche added 142 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 463. Only 5% of working residents stay in Cowiche for work; the rest commute out. The top destinations are Yakima (29%), Union Gap (6%) and Tieton (5%). The median commute is under 10 miles.
5%work in town
Where working residents work
In Cowiche5%
Yakima29%
Union Gap6%
Tieton5%
Naches3%
10 mi
median commute distance
463
jobs based in Cowiche
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
Cowiche’s typical home value is about $337K
Only 10 of the 286 Washington towns we compare have a lower owner-occupancy rate than Cowiche. Home values are up 3% over the year to September 2026.
$337KZillow home value
Typical home value
Cowiche$337K
Washington$588K
+3%
value change, 1 year
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Cowiche is avalanches, at a very high overall level
The FEMA risk score for Cowiche comes to 82 of 100. 39% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from avalanches, followed by inland flooding at 25%.
82risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesInland floodingWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Cowiche, expect four seasons and pleasant summers
In Cowiche, the typical July afternoon high is 86°F.
20″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–39°
Spring36–61°
Summer51–83°
Fall36–62°
Oct 4
typical first frost
May 8
typical last frost
+1.4°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Cowiche is
Cowiche: 12% of adults have diabetes. Among 286 Washington towns, just 10 have a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Cowiche.
| Cowiche | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 67% | 71% | 79% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 17% | 19% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 33% | 35% |
31 measures vs. Washington
3 better13 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | Cowiche | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.4% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 20.5% | 24.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 21.2% | 8.4% |
Kittitas Valley Community Hospital
23.3 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 14 attractions →Yakima Electric Railway Museum and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cowiche. Close and well known come first.
11 mi MuseumYakima Electric Railway Museum
36 mi National ParkMount Rainier National Park1.6M visitors a year
39 mi State parkGinkgo Petrified Forest State Park33 mi Ski areaWhite Pass Ski Area55 runs · 2,035 ft vertical
11 mi TheatreCapitol Theatre
13 mi GardenYakima Area ArboretumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Yakima Electric Railway Museum: Steve Morgan, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Rainier National Park: Ricardo Martins from Gent, Belgium, CC BY 2.0 · Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park: No machine-readable author provided. Justinleif~commonswiki assumed (based on co, Public domain · Capitol Theatre: User:Cacophony, CC BY 2.5 · Yakima Area Arboretum: Bobjgalindo, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cowiche
16pages on Cowiche
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Cowiche
Yakima Valley CollegeCommunity college · Public · Yakima10.5 mi$5,312 in-state tuitionPerry Technical InstituteCommunity college · Private nonprofit · Yakima10.8 miPacific Northwest University of Health SciencesUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Yakima13 mi
College town 22 of every 100 Cowiche residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
A job hub
Every workday, about 452 people come to Cowiche for work
Where Cowiche’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
463jobs based in Cowiche
5%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Cowiche
Unincorporated community in Washington, United States
Cowiche (pronounced Cow-witch-ee) is a census-designated place and unincorporated community northwest of Yakima, Washington, near the eastern foothills of the Cascade Mountain range, in central Washington State (US). Cowiche, sometimes spelled Cowychee, is said to mean "footbridge between the valley and the mountains." According to the 2020 census, the town had a population of 535, which is an increase from 428 at 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,749 ft
- ZIP code
- 98923
- Area code
- 509
Questions about Cowiche
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cowiche, WA a good place to live?
Cowiche has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.