Jobs, pay and the trip to work in Nespelem
About one in ten stay in Nespelem for work; outside it, Elmer City is the main destination (22%, 11 miles). 3% of workers have no commute at all, next to 20% for Washington as a whole. Working residents average 12 minutes each way (Washington 27, U.S. 26).
Census ACS 2020–24, Census LEHD 2023, EPA Smart Location Database. How the two grades are made
The daily flow of workers through Nespelem
On a workday 50 residents head out to work, 5 work right here, and 56 people come in from elsewhere.
About as many people by day as by night: the people who leave are replaced by the people who come in.
About as many jobs as working residents (1.11 per resident).
Workday population = residents − those who work elsewhere + those who come in (the Census “commuter-adjusted” method). Residents: Census survey; commuters: LEHD 2023, primary jobs.
Where the trip to work from Nespelem ends
Where Nespelem clocks in
22% of workers
16% of workers
4% of workersLines run between town centers. The top 10 towns each way; “Everywhere else” is the rest, including other states.
A thicker line means more commuters. Switch between where residents work and where the people who work here live.
Mostly services: health care, schools and offices
61 jobs are based in Nespelem.
What kind of work
What it pays
Who does it
Jobs based in Nespelem, 2013 → 2023: 3 → 61. Big swings can come from how a large employer reports its locations, not only from real openings or closings.
Primary jobs covered by unemployment insurance (not the self-employed). Pay is monthly earnings. LEHD 2023.
Here is what they are, next to the jobs Nespelem’s own residents hold wherever they work.
Nespelem’s commute takes about 12 minutes
Round trip, about 230 workdays a year: roughly 3.9 full days in the car, bus or train.
Average commute minutes, one way
of Nespelem workers work from home, vs 20% across Washington. Their commute is the hallway.
Share of the 66 commuters (the 3% who work from home are left out). Across Washington: 79% drive alone, 4% take transit; U.S.: 81% and 4%. Census ACS 2020–24.
From the Census survey of workers who don’t work from home.
Close to home or a long way: work trips from Nespelem
About 18% show a job over 50 miles away. Some of that is real, and some is employers that report every worker at a head office, so a few long commutes are on paper only.
Straight-line distance from each worker’s home block to their main job’s block. LEHD 2023.
Every working resident’s trip, home to work, as the crow flies. Roads add to it, so real drives run longer.
Around Nespelem: the bordering towns
The biggest share goes to Nespelem Community (4%).
Jobs & commute next door
| Town | Nespelem workers there | Jobs & income | Walkability | Commute | Household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nespelem | – | — | — | 12 min | $67,500 |
| Nespelem Community | 4% | — | — | 17 min | — |
Same-state neighbors only. Nespelem Community: fewer than 1,000 residents, not graded. Commute: average minutes each way, Census ACS 2020–24.
Darker towns draw more of Nespelem’s workers. Tap a town to see its commute.
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Two sources, two years. Trips, distances and jobs based here: Census LEHD 2023, primary jobs, where the employer reports them. Income, poverty, unemployment, commute time and how people travel: Census ACS 2020–24 averages.
- Straight lines, older transit. Miles are as the crow flies. EPA’s walkability and transit files use 2017–20 inputs.
Jobs and commuting in Nespelem: questions
What is the median household income in Nespelem?
$67,500 (±$45,941) (Census ACS 2020–24), against $98,141 across Washington and $80,734 nationally.
What is the poverty rate in Nespelem?
19.9%, against 9.9% across Washington and 12.5% nationally (Census ACS 2020–24).
How long is the commute from Nespelem?
12 minutes each way on average, against 27 across Washington and 26 nationally. 3% of workers work from home.
Where do people who live in Nespelem work?
9% work in town. The top destinations elsewhere are Elmer City (22%, 11 mi), Grand Coulee (16%, 16 mi), Coulee Dam (4%, 14 mi) (Census LEHD 2023).
Can you get around Nespelem without a car?
0% of commuters take transit and 10% of households have no car. EPA has no transit data for this county.
Commuter talk
Getting to work from Nespelem, from the people who make the trip.
More of Nespelem
Flows, distances and jobs: U.S. Census Bureau, LEHD Origin-Destination Employment Statistics (LODES 8), 2023, primary jobs. Commute time, working from home and working out of state: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Distances are straight lines between home and work; real drives run longer.