Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Ellensburg grades C− overall, 223rd among Washington's 285 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is more walkable than 88% of U.S. towns and it has 8 miles of trail. On the other side, the typical home is worth about $452K, 6.1 years of the Ellensburg area’s $74K median household income. 41% of working residents work locally in Ellensburg, above both the Washington town median (4.8%) and the median of U.S. towns (8%). Ellensburg is home to Central Washington University. Ellensburg's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 85% of U.S. towns.
Where Ellensburg beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Ellensburg is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 150 in 1870, a low of 150 in 1870, 18,666 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1888 and 2 maps from 1958 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Ellensburg, 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 Ellensburg.
Ellensburg is shaped by its college students, fares better on crime within Washington than nationally and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
26.3% of residents are enrolled in college, against 5.7% statewide, which pulls the median age down. The median household earns $55,438, against $98,141 across Washington, one input to its C− for jobs and income.
Adults 18 to 34 are 51% of residents (24% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 25% of residents (38% statewide). 15% of residents are under 18 in Ellensburg. Only 10 of the 285 Washington towns we compare have a lower median age than Ellensburg.
| Ellensburg | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 25 years | 38.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 15% | 22% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 9.9% | 16% | 18% |
53% women, 47% men
About 90 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.5 points). Across Washington, 49.6% of residents are women. Median age: women 24.1, men 25.7.
| Ellensburg | WA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.6% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.9% | 9.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 35.4% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.6% | 15.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.8% | 14.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.8% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 8% | 12% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 5.5% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.3% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.5% | 7.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 20.6% | 21.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.4% | 21% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.3% | 24% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18.1% | 15.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Its public schools are run by the Ellensburg School District. Two of its 11 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 772 | – |
| Ellensburg High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 957 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
7.8 miles of trail in 16 parks and preserves. Rotary Park, at 134 acres with 1.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Ellensburg’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile.
| Ellensburg | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 9.4% | 4% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.9 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park | 2.1 mi | 94 |
| 2. Rotary Park | 1.7 mi | 134 |
| 3. McElroy Park | 0.4 mi | 6 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Against the 7,545 U.S. towns with household incomes like Ellensburg’s, it is healthier than 97%, so its B+ isn’t only a matter of income. Within Washington it is less healthy than 54% of the 285 graded towns: Washington sets a high bar.
Ellensburg beats the Washington average on 7 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 66% of Ellensburg adults had a checkup this year. Among 285 Washington towns, just 10 have a higher share of adults who binge drink than Ellensburg.
| Ellensburg | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 66% | 71% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 17% | 16% |
| What stands out | Ellensburg | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 27.1% | 34.9% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.2% | 7.9% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 10.4% | 7.2% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
At 29.6 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 53% of Washington’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 539 to 361 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Only 8 of the 285 Washington towns we compare have a lower share of households owning their home than Ellensburg. The typical Ellensburg home is worth about $452,000, about the same as a year ago, 23% below the Washington typical home. The median rent in Ellensburg is $1,340 a month.
| Ellensburg | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 33% | 71% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,340 a month | $1,740 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 68% of U.S. communities. Since 1982, 19 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Ellensburg.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Ellensburg has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 86° and January nights drop to 23°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
The average commute for its 8,163 working residents takes 17.5 minutes, against 26.6 across Washington.
Jobs based in Ellensburg grew to 8,868 in 2023, 1,475 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Seattle (5%), Yakima (5%) and Cle Elum (3%). Half commute less than 21 miles.
| Ellensburg | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 22% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 10% | 15% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
1 within 15 miles of the center of Ellensburg
College town 26 of every 100 Ellensburg residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
8 places in Ellensburg on the National Register of Historic Places.
17 notable people were born in Ellensburg.
City in Washington, United States
Ellensburg is a city in and the county seat of Kittitas County, Washington, United States. It is located just east of the Cascade Range near the junction of Interstate 90 and Interstate 82. The population was 18,666 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 20,996 in 2024. The city is located along the Yakima River in the Kittitas Valley, an agricultural region that extends east towards the Columbia River. The valley is a major producer of timothy hay, which is processed and shipped internationally. Ellensburg is also the home of Central Washington University (CWU). Ellensburg, originally named Ellensburgh for the wife of town founder John Alden Shoudy, was founded in 1871 and grew rapidl…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Ellensburg grades C− overall, better than 21% of U.S. towns and #223 of 285 in Washington. It grades B+ for health, C for safety and B 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.
17 notable people were born here, including Mark Lanegan and Brian Thompson.
