HMS Hecate (1839) aground in 1861, c. 1861
Neah Bay’s story
152 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1861.
- 1874Neah Bay is settled
Neah BayWA
Population 955: a town settled in 1874.
Peter Roose Homestead · Photo: Dog Walking Girl · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
955
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$151K
Census ACS
Household income
$44K
median
Median age
33.5
years
Jobs based here
69
A commuter town
Is Neah Bay a good place to live?
Neah Bay’s median rent is $333 a month, below both the Washington town median ($1,739 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). Of the 286 Washington towns we compare, none has a lower typical July afternoon high than Neah Bay. Neah Bay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
955 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby attractions
All 14 attractions →Olympic National Park and 5 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Neah Bay. Close and well known come first.
Big draw6 mi National ParkOlympic National Park3.6M visitors a year
26 mi Park & preserveOlympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary
30 mi Ancient siteSS Valencia
15 mi Ancient siteOzette Indian Village Archaeological Site
31 mi BeachLa Push Beach
in town MuseumMakah MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Olympic National Park: Wsiegmund, CC BY 2.5 · Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary: Ed Bowlby, NOAA/Olympic Coast NMS; NOAA/OAR/Office of Ocean Exploration., Public domain · SS Valencia: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain · Ozette Indian Village Archaeological Site: National Register of Historic Places, Public domain · La Push Beach: Pascal WEBER from Paris, France, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Makah Museum: Richie Diesterheft from Santa Barbara, CA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Getting set up
Moving to Neah Bay: who provides what
Neah Bay is unincorporated, so Clallam County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPUD No 1 of Clallam County12.1¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterMakah Neah Bay water system17 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesClallam CountyClallam 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 hereClallam County AuditorClallam County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2024
ZIP code9835798357 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 Neah Bay.
Natural hazards
Very high risk in Neah Bay, with tsunamis at the top
Households in Neah Bay have drawn federal disaster aid in 4 declared disasters, most recently in 2021. FEMA expects more storm and flood damage locally than in 86% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 90% come from tsunamis and 6% from inland flooding.
86risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TsunamisInland flooding
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools Neah Bay’s kids attend
Its two schools are below. Public school enrollment in Neah Bay: 386 students across 2 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neah Bay Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 180 | – |
| Neah Bay Junior/ Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 206 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commute
Compared with most of Washington and the rest of the country, the median household income in Neah Bay is lower
In Neah Bay, 11% of working residents work locally. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs in Neah Bay dropped by 291, to 69. Its mean commuting time stands at 18 minutes. The top destinations are Seattle (3%), Bellevue (2%) and Boulevard Park (2%).
11%work in town
| Neah Bay | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 21% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $44,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 4.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Neah Bay11%
Seattle3%
Bellevue2%
Boulevard Park2%
Port Angeles1%
3 mi
median commute distance
69
jobs based in Neah Bay
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Neah Bay stands out in Washington and nationally, with a typical January night milder than most
The seasons in Neah Bay: mild winters, cool summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 64° and January nights drop to 38°.
65°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter38–48°
Spring41–55°
Summer51–64°
Fall45–58°
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
65°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Neah Bay is
20% of adults smoke cigarettes in Neah Bay. Among 286 Washington towns, just one has a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Neah Bay.
| Neah Bay | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 13% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 11% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 68% | 71% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 17% | 17% |
31 measures vs. Washington
0 better8 too close to call23 worse
| What stands out | Neah Bay | WA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 23.6% | 9% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 21.8% | 10.2% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 15.2% | 7.2% |
Forks Community Hospital
30.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Neah Bay
17pages on Neah Bay
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Neah Bay; the nearest are
Peninsula CollegeCommunity college · Public · Port Angeles58 mi$4,718 in-state tuitionNorthwest Indian CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Bellingham96.1 mi$4,365 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Neah Bay residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
A commuter town
89% of working residents leave Neah Bay for work
Where Neah Bay’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
69jobs based in Neah Bay
11%of working residents work in town
3 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Neah Bay
CDP in Washington, United States
Neah Bay is a census-designated place (CDP) on the Makah Reservation in Clallam County, Washington, United States. The population was 935 at the 2020 census. It is across the Canada–US border from British Columbia. Europeans originally called it "Scarborough Harbour" in honor of Captain James Scarborough of the Hudson's Bay Company. It was changed to Neah in 1847 by Captain Henry Kellett. Kellett spelled it "Neeah Bay". The name "Neah" refers to the Makah Chief Dee-ah, pronounced Neah in the Klallam language. During the summer months, Neah Bay is a popular fishing area for sports fishermen. Another attraction is the Makah Museum, which houses artifacts from a Makah village partly buried by …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.3 sq mi
- Elevation
- 7 ft
- ZIP code
- 98357
Questions about Neah Bay
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Neah Bay, WA a good place to live?
Neah Bay has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.