Sh4 old school, 2013
Ronald’s story
136 years in pictures
Census counts: 265 in 2000, 439 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 3 maps from 1961 on.
- 1890Ronald is settled
RonaldWA
A town of 119, settled in 1890.
Photo: Upupa4me from Redmond WA, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
Is Ronald a good place to live?
No town among the 286 in Washington we compare has a higher share of workers working from home than Ronald. Ronald’s trail density is 2.1 miles per square mile, above both Washington’s towns (0.8) and U.S. towns (0.4). Ronald has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
119 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 Ronald: who provides what
Ronald is unincorporated, so Kittitas County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPuget Sound Energy17.0¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterKittitas Co WD #2No health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet3 providers90% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesKittitas CountyKittitas 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 hereKittitas County AuditorKittitas County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code9894098940 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 Ronald.
Natural hazards
Ronald stands out in Washington and nationally: the FEMA risk score there is higher
At 99 of 100, Ronald’s FEMA risk score is against 69 of 100 in Washington’s towns and 44 of 100 across U.S. towns.
99risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
WildfireAvalanchesInland flooding
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Ronald has 0.2 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
Most working residents leave Ronald for work: only 2% work in town. The top destinations are Cle Elum (13%), Seattle (11%) and Redmond (8%). Half commute less than 59 miles.
2%work in town
Where working residents work
In Ronald2%
Cle Elum13%
Seattle11%
Redmond8%
Snoqualmie Pass5%
59 mi
median commute distance
46
jobs based in Ronald
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Ronald has four seasons and pleasant summers
Ronald has chilly winters and pleasant summers. The July high in Ronald is 79°F.
79°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter24–36°
Spring34–55°
Summer49–76°
Fall35–57°
Sep 25
typical first frost
May 13
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
79°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Ronald is
Ronald beats the Washington average on 13 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 28% of Ronald adults sleep under 7 hours.
| Ronald | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 33% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 71% | 79% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 18% | 25% |
31 measures vs. Washington
13 better11 too close to call7 worse
| What stands out | Ronald | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.3% | 8.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 6.7% | 10.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.2% | 7.9% |
Kittitas Valley Community Hospital
28.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Housing
A larger share of households own their home in Ronald than in most of Washington or the rest of the country
100% of households own their home in Ronald. The typical Ronald home is worth about $607,000, down 4% in a year, close to the Washington typical home.
$607KZillow home value
Typical home value
Ronald$607K
Washington$588K
−4%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Outdoors
Ronald has set aside 1.2% of its land for conservation
1.9 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
1.2%conserved
1.2%
conserved · 7 of 588 acres
1.9 mi
of trails · 2.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Suncadia Conservancy | 0.2 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ronald
16pages on Ronald
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Ronald; the nearest are
Central Washington UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ellensburg28.2 mi$9,417 in-state tuitionColumbia Gorge Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · The Dalles, OR113.8 mi$5,940 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Ronald residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Ronald for work
Where Ronald’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
46jobs based in Ronald
2%of working residents work in town
59 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Ronald
Census-designated place in Washington, United States
Ronald is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Kittitas County, Washington, United States. As of the 2020 census, Ronald had a population of 439. Ronald was named for Alexander Ronald, a former coal mine superintendent in the area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,349 ft
- ZIP code
- 98940
Questions about Ronald
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ronald, WA a good place to live?
Ronald has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.