McKenna 4189, 2023
McKenna’s story
McKenna in pictures
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McKennaWA
This town in Washington has a population of 669.
Photo: Chris Light · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
669
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$540K
Census ACS
Household income
$93K
median
Median age
52.3
years
Jobs based here
26
A commuter town
Is McKenna a good place to live?
Only 5 of the 286 Washington towns we compare have a lower share of working residents who work in town than McKenna. McKenna has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
669 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 McKenna: who provides what
McKenna is unincorporated, so Pierce County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPuget Sound Energy17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMckenna Water DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers88% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesPierce CountyPierce 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 herePierce County AuditorPierce County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2024
ZIP codes98580, 9855898580 80% · 98558 20%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 McKenna.
Schools
The schools McKenna’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Yelm School District. Enrollment at McKenna’s public school: 418 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| McKenna ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 418 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Most of McKenna’s workers commute out: the town has 0.1 jobs for each of them
Jobs in McKenna grew by 20 from 2013 to 2023, reaching 26. Among residents locally, 19% live below the poverty line, against 7.9% in Washington’s towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. The top destinations are Tacoma (12%), Seattle (11%) and Spanaway (6%). For half of commuters, work is under 23 miles away.
0%work in town
| McKenna | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 19% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $93,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In McKenna0%
Tacoma12%
Seattle11%
Spanaway6%
Puyallup5%
23 mi
median commute distance
26
jobs based in McKenna
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: high risk in McKenna, mostly earthquakes
The risk rating from FEMA for McKenna comes to 73 of 100. Just over two fifths of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from earthquakes, followed by inland flooding at 37%.
73risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
EarthquakesInland floodingCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
4″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter34–47°
Spring40–60°
Summer52–76°
Fall43–61°
Oct 14
typical first frost
Apr 29
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy McKenna is
The share of adults in McKenna who have diabetes: 12%. The town beats the Washington average on 3 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 12. Among adults in the town, 73% had a checkup this year, above the Washington town median (71%) but below the median of U.S. towns (79%). In McKenna, 37% of adults have high blood pressure, and 27% have been diagnosed with depression.
| McKenna | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 71% | 79% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 31% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 26% | 23% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Washington
3 better16 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | McKenna | WA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 70.7% | 66.2% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 74.7% | 70.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 7% | 5.4% |
Madigan Amc (Ft Lewis)
12.7 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0.8%conserved
0.8%
conserved · 6 of 713 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Yelm Shoreline Protected Area | — | 8 |
| 2. McKenna Park | — | 6 |
| 3. Brighton Creek Protected Area | — | 4 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
A home in McKenna sells for about $540K at the median
64% of McKenna households live in a home they own.
$540Kmedian sale price
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 141 attractions →Mount Rainier National Park and 31 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around McKenna. Close and well known come first.
23 mi National ParkMount Rainier National Park1.6M visitors a year
22 mi Stadium & arenaTacoma Dome
26 mi Theme parkWild Waves Theme Park
21 mi Stadium & arenaCheney Stadium
26 mi City parkPoint Defiance Park13 mi Zoo & aquariumNorthwest Trek Wildlife ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Rainier National Park: Ricardo Martins from Gent, Belgium, CC BY 2.0 · Tacoma Dome: Broran28, Public domain · Wild Waves Theme Park: Jessica Spengler from Hove, United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0 · Cheney Stadium: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Point Defiance Park: Crash Dalco, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about McKenna
18pages on McKenna
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of McKenna
About 0 of every 100 McKenna residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave McKenna for work
Where McKenna’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
26jobs based in McKenna
0%of working residents work in town
23 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About McKenna
Unincorporated community in Washington, United States
McKenna is an unincorporated community in Pierce County, Washington, United States, located on State Route 507 and the Nisqually River, east of Yelm. Founded around 1908, McKenna is a former timber company town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 308 ft
- ZIP code
- 98558
- Area code
- 360
Questions about McKenna
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is McKenna, WA a good place to live?
McKenna has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.