Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,896, founded in 1956.
The best of Royal City’s subject grades is an A for cost of living; the weakest is a D− for incomes. 36% of residents live below the poverty line in Royal City, where Washington’s towns sit at 7.9% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. On cost of living, just 2 of Washington’s 395 towns do better. Residents are less healthy than 86% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Royal City’s trail density is 1.7 miles per square mile, where Washington’s towns sit at 0.8 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Only 1 of Washington’s 397 towns score lower on history. Royal City's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 92% of U.S. towns. Royal City has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Royal City beats most towns.
2,140 counted in 2010 and 1,776 in 2020; an estimated 1,896 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Royal City is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 477 in 1970, 1,776 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 4 maps from 1911 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Royal City, 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 Royal City.
Royal City’s median household income is $50,000. Since 2013, Royal City has added 119 jobs, to 737 in 2023. 16% of working residents work locally in Royal City.
| Royal City | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $50,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 4.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by the Royal School District. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Royal High School, with 592 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Rock ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–3 | Grades PK–3 | 513 | – |
| Royal High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 592 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
33% of Royal City adults say their health is fair or poor. Among 286 Washington towns, just 9 have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Royal City. 20% of Royal City adults report frequent mental distress.
| Royal City | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 17% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 18% | 25% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 35% | 10% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 64% | 71% | 79% |
| What stands out | Royal City | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 3.5% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 18.5% | 24.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 34.5% | 8.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Royal City home is worth about $344,000, up 0.8% in a year, 41% below the Washington typical home. The median rent in Royal City is $753 a month.
| Royal City | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $753 a month | $1,739 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 57% | 71% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 76% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Royal City has chilly winters and warm summers, with very little rain. July afternoons reach 90° and January nights drop to 25°.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Only 7 of the 133 Washington towns we compare have a lower property crime rate than Royal City.
| Royal City | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.1 per 1,000 residents | 15 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.5 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Royal City Lion's Park | 0.1 mi | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
None within 15 miles of Royal City; the nearest are
About 3 of every 100 Royal City residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
Where Royal City’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in Washington, United States
Royal City is a city in Grant County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,776 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.