Fords Prairie’s best subject grade is a B+ for the outdoors; its weakest is a D for health. On health, just 4 of Washington’s 397 towns do worse. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 80% of U.S. towns. 11% of the land in Fords Prairie is conserved, above both Washington’s towns (4%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Fords Prairie has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.

WeakestDHealth DHazard risk C⁻Walkability C⁻Schools C⁻Jobs & income CCost of living

A growing town

Fords Prairie has grown 14% from 2010 to 2020

1,959 counted in 2010 and 2,234 in 2020.

1,9592010

2,2342020

U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts

How Fords Prairie grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Fords Prairie is from typical.

How grading works

HealthLess healthy than 90% of U.S. towns; Providence Centralia Hospital 2.6 miles awayDOpen →Hazard riskEarthquakes top the listDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.7 of 20; 5.1% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC⁻Open →SchoolsBased on how pupils do in exams and testsC⁻Open →Jobs & income$56K median household incomeC⁻Open →Cost of livingTypical home $368K, 4.9 years of the Centralia area’s $75K median household incomeCOpen →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors3 miles of trailsB⁺Open →HistoryLess recorded history than most townsC⁻Open →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

ClimateMild winters, 79° summer afternoons, 4″ of snow–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 47.2; 19% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Getting set up

Moving to Fords Prairie: who provides what

Fords Prairie is unincorporated, so Lewis County and regional agencies provide most services.

PowerPuget Sound Energy17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA

WaterCentralia Public Works - WaterNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet5 providers99% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & county servicesLewis CountyLewis County provides services here

SchoolsCentralia School DistrictWhich school depends on your addressNCES

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.gov

Who runs elections hereLewis County AuditorLewis County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Apr 2024

ZIP code9853198531 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 Fords Prairie.

HealthD

Compared with most of Washington and the rest of the country, more of Fords Prairie’s adults report frequent physical distress

Among 286 Washington towns, just 7 have a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Fords Prairie. 27% of adults say their health is fair or poor locally. Against the Washington average, Fords Prairie comes out ahead on 1 CDC measures out of 31, and behind on 25.

11%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade

	Fords Prairie	Washington towns	U.S. towns
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	19%	13%	14%
Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES)	68%	71%	79%
Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES)	27%	17%	19%
Diabetes (CDC PLACES)	15%	9.8%	12%

31 measures vs. Washington

1 better5 too close to call25 worse

What stands out	Fords Prairie	WA
More adults treating high blood pressure	75.1%	70.7%
More older adults who have lost all their teeth	18.8%	9%

Providence Centralia Hospital

2.6 mi away · emergency room

3 of 3

care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health

Full pageFords Prairie’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore smokers Hospitals & doctors nearby2.6 miles to an ER · Providence Centralia Hospital How adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than WA on 1 of 31

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

SchoolsC⁻

Public schools in Fords Prairie fall behind 78% of Washington districts

The public schools here belong to the Centralia School District. The largest public high school is Centralia High School, with 941 students. Its one school is below.

22%of WA districts it outscoresC⁻School Grade

School	Level	Students	Letter
Centralia High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12	Grades 9–12	941	–

Full pageFords Prairie’s schools pageOpen the page

The districtsCentralia School District Vs. the neighborsBehind its 2 graded neighbors Every school1 school · Centralia High School Questions“Are Fords Prairie’s schools good?”

NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D

Fords Prairie has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from earthquakes

For Fords Prairie, the natural-hazard score from FEMA is 82 of 100. This Washington town has had 94 paid flood insurance claims since 1990. Expected losses in Fords Prairie break down as 52% from earthquakes and 45% from inland flooding.

82risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

EarthquakesInland flooding

paid flood claims since 1990

Full pageFords Prairie’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesVery high risk Flood claims94 paid flood claims · Since 1990 Past disasters33 disaster declarations · Declared for the county Get readyReady for earthquakes

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Climate

Fords Prairie has mild winters and pleasant summers

In July, afternoons reach 78°; in January, nights fall to 34°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.

4″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter34–47°

Spring40–61°

Summer51–76°

Fall42–62°

Oct 27

typical first frost

Apr 22

typical last frost

+0.9°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageFords Prairie’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 78°, January lows 34°Rain & snow4″ of snow a winter · 52 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+0.9° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C⁻

For most of its workers, the job is outside Fords Prairie

Most people who work leave Fords Prairie to do it: just 2% work in town. 16% of Fords Prairie residents live below the poverty line. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in the town rose by 545, to 1,061. In Fords Prairie, the mean commuting time is 19 minutes.

2%work in town

	Fords Prairie	Washington towns	U.S. towns
Average trip to work	19 minutes	27 minutes	25 minutes
Below the poverty line	16%	7.9%	9.6%
Working residents who work in town	2.3%	4.9%	8%

Where working residents work

In Fords Prairie2%

Centralia18%

Chehalis10%

Olympia6%

Seattle5%

22 mi

median commute distance

1,061

jobs based in Fords Prairie

Balanced

jobs vs. working residents

C−

Walkability grade: more walkable than 20% of U.S. towns

Full pageFords Prairie’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here1,061 jobs based here · Balanced Where people work2% work in Fords Prairie Commute times19 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 22 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

OutdoorsB⁺

10.7% of Fords Prairie is conserved land

2.7 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve. Fords Prairie’s concentration of trails comes in at 0.7 miles per square mile.

10.7%conserved

10.7%

conserved · 261 of 2,448 acres

2.7 mi

of trails · 0.7 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Fort Borst Park	0.1 mi	1

Full pageFords Prairie’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map2.7 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk0.1 miles of trail · Fort Borst Park Conserved land10.7% conserved · 261 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Fords Prairie?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

HousingCost of living grade C

The median home in Fords Prairie sells for about $420K

The share of households in Fords Prairie who are owner-occupiers: 79%. Fords Prairie’s typical rent stands at $1,161 a month.

$420Kmedian sale price

	Fords Prairie	Washington towns	U.S. towns
Median rent	$1,161 a month	$1,739 a month	$1,185 a month
Households that own their home	79%	71%	73%

homes sold in September

Full pageFords Prairie’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsPrices over the years Years of income to buyA typical home costs 7.5 years of income Rents$1,161 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsBehind its 2 graded neighbors

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

Nearby attractions

Northwest Trek Wildlife Park and 13 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Fords Prairie. Close and well known come first.

All 48 attractions →

37 mi Zoo & aquariumNorthwest Trek Wildlife Park

36 mi MuseumFort Steilacoom

21 mi AttractionGospodor Monument Park 3 mi City parkGeorge Washington Park

6 mi MuseumBurlington Northern Railroad Depot 7 mi MuseumVeterans Memorial Museum

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Fort Steilacoom: Ben Cody, Public domain · Gospodor Monument Park: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Burlington Northern Railroad Depot: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Fords Prairie

16pages on Fords Prairie

The big questions

SchoolsC⁻Behind 78% of WA districts · 1 school HealthDBetter than WA on 1 of 31 CDC measures Cost of livingCWork & commuteC⁻$56K median household income · 1,061 jobs here Natural hazardsDFEMA risk higher than 82% of U.S. communities · earthquakes

Out and about

OutdoorsB⁺3 mi of trails · 11% conserved land PlacesAttractions48 nearby · George Washington Park 3 mi LibraryCentralia Timberland Library CollegesCentralia College is 3.1 mi away

The story

Climate79° summer highs · 4″ of snow

Day to day

NewsWeatherHandbookTown SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

1 within 15 miles of the center of Fords Prairie

Centralia CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Centralia3.1 mi$5,266 in-state tuition

About 8 of every 100 Fords Prairie residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

About Fords Prairie

Census-designated place in Washington, United States

Fords Prairie is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,234 at the 2020 census.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Area: 3.8 sq mi
Elevation: 177 ft
Area code: 360

Fords Prairie’s neighbors

2 towns share a border with Fords Prairie.

Explore the map →

CentraliaGrand MoundFords Prairie

Centralia

SE · 18% of Fords Prairie workers commute here

Visit

Grand Mound

N · 2% of Fords Prairie workers commute here

Visit

How the neighbors grade

Town	WA rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Fords Prairie	—	—	C	—	C⁻	D
Centralia	#274	D⁻	C	C⁻	C⁻	C
Grand Mound	#189	C	C⁺	—	B	B⁻

Fords Prairie has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Fords Prairie and Grand Mound report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Fords Prairie with a neighbor →

Questions about Fords Prairie

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Fords Prairie, WA expensive?

The typical home is worth about $368,000, 37% below the Washington typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.

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