Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Today 669 people live in this town, first settled in 1886.
Only 5 of the 286 Washington towns we compare have a lower share of adults with a bachelor’s degree than Pe Ell. Holy Cross Polish National Catholic Church and Boistfort High School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Pe Ell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Census counts: 838 in 1910, 642 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1898 and 4 maps from 1941 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pe Ell, 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 Pe Ell.
Pe Ell: 86% of households own their home. Home values are down 3.1% over the year to September 2026.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
One of its 2 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. Public schools: the Pe Ell School District. Enrollment at the town’s public school: 284 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pe Ell SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 284 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 89% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in Pe Ell, 52% come from inland flooding and 29% from avalanches. Federal aid has come to Pe Ell households in 5 declared disasters; the latest was in 2015.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Pe Ell’s mean commuting time stands at 34 minutes, where Washington’s towns sit at 27 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Only 2% of working residents stay in Pe Ell for work; the rest commute out. Its typical household income stands at $63,000. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs locally rose by 85, to 130.
| Pe Ell | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $63,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.2% | 4.9% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
July afternoons reach 77°, January nights drop to 34° and about 4 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
In Pe Ell, 71% of adults had a checkup this year. On the CDC’s 31 measures, Pe Ell is ahead of Washington on 1 and behind on 12. 16% of Pe Ell adults report frequent physical distress, above both Washington’s towns (13%) and U.S. towns (14%).
| Pe Ell | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 38% | 31% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 71% | 71% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 33% | 35% |
| What stands out | Pe Ell | WA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 76.3% | 70.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.2% | 7.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Willapa Hills State Park Trail | — | 18 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Pe Ell. Close and well known come first.
37 mi LandmarkAstoria Column
37 mi State parkFort Columbia State Park
34 mi National Historical ParkLewis and Clark National Historical Park244K visitors a year
21 mi AttractionGospodor Monument Park
36 mi MuseumColumbia River Maritime Museum100K visitors a year
37 mi MuseumOregon Film MuseumAstoria Column: The original uploader was Decumanus at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort Columbia State Park: Werewombat, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lewis and Clark National Historical Park: National Park Service Digital Image Archives, Public domain · Gospodor Monument Park: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Columbia River Maritime Museum: NSandel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Oregon Film Museum: Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 3.0
None within 15 miles of Pe Ell; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Pe Ell residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
Where Pe Ell’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in Washington, United States
Pe Ell () is a town in Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 642 at the 2020 census. The rich agricultural and timber resources of the region attracted farmers, millworkers, and loggers. State Route 6 passes through the town and connects it to Chehalis in the east and Raymond in the west.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Pe Ell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
