Porter, Washington, 1910
Porter’s story
137 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 1910 and 3 maps from 1941 on.
- 1889Porter is settled
PorterWA
The town was settled in 1889 and has 155 residents today.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Photo taken by Price around the turn of the 20th century. · Public domain
Population
155
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$399K
Census ACS
Median age
59.6
years
Jobs based here
4
A commuter town
Is Porter a good place to live?
Porter’s median age is 59.6 years, above both Washington’s towns (38.5 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Porter’s trail density is 3.3 miles per square mile, above both Washington’s towns (0.8) and U.S. towns (0.4). The biggest place to walk is Capitol State Forest, 4,034 acres with 24.8 miles of trail. Porter has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
155 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
MalonePorter
Getting set up
Moving to Porter: who provides what
Porter is unincorporated, so Grays Harbor County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPUD No 1 of Grays Harbor County12.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet3 providers11% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesGrays Harbor CountyGrays Harbor 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 hereGrays Harbor County AuditorGrays Harbor County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2024
ZIP code9854198541 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 Porter.
Who lives here
43% of residents are 65 or older
17% never finished high school. The share of adults 25 and older in Porter who hold a bachelor’s degree or more: 40%.
59.6median age · WA 38.3
PorterWashingtonUnited States
Ages · share of residents
40%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma17%
High school34%
Some college9%
Associate’s0%
Bachelor’s30%
Graduate10%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 10% and 47% women
The Census survey reached too few of Porter’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±18.5 points. Across Washington, 49.6% of residents are women.
| Porter | WA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 0% | 11.5% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 0% | 9.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0% | 8.5% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 0% | 15.2% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 0% | 14.3% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16.8% | 12% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 40% | 12% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 31% | 10.1% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.3% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 17.4% | 7.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33.5% | 21.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 9% | 21% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 0% | 10% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 29.7% | 24% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.3% | 15.6% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Natural hazards
Porter has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from inland flooding
Of the losses FEMA expects in Porter, 60% come from inland flooding and 35% from earthquakes. FEMA expects more storm and flood damage in the town than in 88% of U.S. communities. One declared disaster, in 2009, has brought federal aid to Porter households.
88risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
With only 0.0 jobs per working resident, most people in Porter work out of town
The top destinations are Aberdeen (8%), Olympia (7%) and Seattle (7%). For Porter, the average trip to work is 34 minutes. Half of commuters travel less than 28 miles. 14% of Porter residents live below the poverty line.
0%work in town
| Porter | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Porter0%
Aberdeen8%
Olympia7%
Seattle7%
Elma6%
28 mi
median commute distance
4
jobs based in Porter
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
In Porter, expect mild winters and pleasant summers
For Porter, the typical July afternoon high is 76°F.
2″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter34–47°
Spring39–59°
Summer51–75°
Fall42–61°
Oct 14
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A larger share of adults have high blood pressure in Porter than in most of Washington or the rest of the country
Only 8 of the 286 Washington towns we compare have a higher share of adults who sleep under 7 hours than Porter. 38% of adults have obesity in the town. This Washington town does better than the Washington average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and worse on 16.
| Porter | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 68% | 71% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 33% | 36% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 11% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
31 measures vs. Washington
1 better14 too close to call16 worse
| What stands out | Porter | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.5% | 9.9% |
| More smokers | 16.7% | 10.1% |
Summit Pacific Medical Center
6.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
Open space protected for good: 0.3% of Porter
Count the trails in 1 park or preserve and they come to 29 miles.
0.3%conserved
0.3%
conserved · 19 of 5,639 acres
29 mi
of trails · 3.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Capitol State Forest | 24.8 mi | 4,034 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
The median home in Porter sells for about $750K
Among households in Porter, 94% are owner-occupiers.
$750Kmedian sale price
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 44 attractions →Olympic National Park and 14 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Porter. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi National ParkOlympic National Park3.6M visitors a year
37 mi MuseumFort Steilacoom
39 mi AttractionGospodor Monument Park
18 mi MuseumOlympic Flight Museum39 mi MuseumMcChord Air Museum
20 mi MuseumDaniel R. Bigelow HouseSources: 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 · Fort Steilacoom: Ben Cody, Public domain · Gospodor Monument Park: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Olympic Flight Museum: Articseahorse, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Daniel R. Bigelow House: OHS&BHM, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Keep exploring
Everything we know about Porter
16pages on Porter
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Porter; the nearest are
The Evergreen State CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Olympia16.7 mi$9,264 in-state tuitionClatsop Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Astoria, OR58.9 mi$5,110 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Porter residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Porter for work
Where Porter’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
4jobs based in Porter
0%of working residents work in town
28 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Porter
Census-designated place in Washington, United States
Porter is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. The population was 204 at the 2020 census, slightly down from 207 at the 2010 census. Prior to 2010 it was part of the Malone-Porter CDP; Malone and Porter are now separate CDPs. They are located just off U.S. Route 12, southeast of Elma and northwest of Oakville, and along a shortline that is part of the Puget Sound and Pacific Railroad.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 8.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 100 ft
- Area code
- 360
Questions about Porter
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Porter, WA a good place to live?
Porter has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.