Church, Long Bell Lumber Company, Ryderwood, ca. 1929, c. 1929
Ryderwood’s story
102 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1929 and 2 maps from 1953 on.
- 1924Ryderwood is settled
RyderwoodWA
401 people live in this town, settled in 1924.
Photo: Shortiefourten · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
401
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$262K
−2.1% in a year
Household income
$43K
median
Median age
72.1
years
Land area
0 sq mi
Is Ryderwood a good place to live?
Ryderwood’s age of the median resident is 72.1 years, above both the Washington town median (38.5 years) and the median of U.S. towns (40.5 years). Among 286 Washington towns, just 2 have a lower typical household income than Ryderwood. Ryderwood has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
401 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 Ryderwood: who provides what
Ryderwood is unincorporated, so Cowlitz County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPUD No 1 of Cowlitz County9.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterRyderwood Improvement & Service AsNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet2 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesCowlitz CountyCowlitz 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 hereCowlitz County AuditorCowlitz County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2025
ZIP code9858198581 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 Ryderwood.
Housing
Zillow puts the typical Ryderwood home at about $262K
Among households in Ryderwood, 96% own their home. Home values are down 2.1% over the year to September 2026.
$262KZillow home value
Typical home value
Ryderwood$262K
Washington$588K
−2.1%
value change, 1 year
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: very high risk in Ryderwood, mostly inland flooding
The natural-hazard score from FEMA for Ryderwood comes to 93 of 100. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 62% come from inland flooding and 20% from volcanic activity.
93risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingVolcanic activityEarthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Most of Ryderwood’s workers leave town for work
The top destinations are Longview (17%), Kelso (7%) and Castle Rock (6%). Ryderwood’s average trip to work comes in at 32 minutes. Half commute less than 36 miles. 12% of residents live below the poverty line in the town.
0%work in town
| Ryderwood | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 32 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Ryderwood0%
Longview17%
Kelso7%
Castle Rock6%
Vancouver6%
36 mi
median commute distance
0
jobs based in Ryderwood
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
The climate in Ryderwood brings mild winters and pleasant summers
In Ryderwood, the midsummer high is 77°F.
2″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter34–46°
Spring40–59°
Summer51–75°
Fall43–61°
Oct 25
typical first frost
Apr 5
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A smaller share of adults in Ryderwood binge drink than in the typical Washington or U.S. town
The share of adults in Ryderwood who have diabetes: 15%. No town among the 286 in Washington we compare has a higher share of adults who have high blood pressure than Ryderwood. Of 31 CDC measures, Ryderwood beats the Washington average on 12 and trails it on 14. Only 9 of the 286 Washington towns we compare have a higher share of adults who report frequent physical distress than Ryderwood.
| Ryderwood | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 17% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 48% | 31% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 71% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 9.8% | 12% |
31 measures vs. Washington
12 better5 too close to call14 worse
| What stands out | Ryderwood | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 10.4% | 16.6% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.3% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 17% | 7.9% |
Peacehealth St. John Medical Center
17.6 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Nearby attractions
All 72 attractions →Astoria Column and 11 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Ryderwood. Close and well known come first.
39 mi LandmarkAstoria Column
10 mi AttractionGospodor Monument Park
39 mi National Historical ParkLewis and Clark National Historical Park244K visitors a year
39 mi MuseumColumbia River Maritime Museum100K visitors a year
40 mi MuseumOregon Film Museum
39 mi MuseumUSS KnappSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Astoria Column: The original uploader was Decumanus at English Wikipedia., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gospodor Monument Park: Another Believer, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lewis and Clark National Historical Park: National Park Service Digital Image Archives, Public domain · Columbia River Maritime Museum: NSandel, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Oregon Film Museum: Ian Poellet, CC BY-SA 3.0 · USS Knapp: Unknown, Public domain
_underway_at_sea_on_15_May_1955_(80-G-668342).jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Ryderwood
16pages on Ryderwood
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Ryderwood; the nearest are
Lower Columbia CollegeCommunity college · Public · Longview16.9 mi$4,626 in-state tuitionCentralia CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Centralia23.8 mi$5,266 in-state tuitionClatsop Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Astoria, OR39.5 mi$5,110 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Ryderwood residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
A commuter town
100% of working residents leave Ryderwood for work
Where Ryderwood’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
0jobs based in Ryderwood
0%of working residents work in town
36 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Ryderwood
Census-designated place in Washington, United States
Ryderwood is a census-designated place (CDP) in Cowlitz County, Washington, west of the city of Vader. Known locally as the "Village in the Woods", the town began in 1923 as a logging settlement and considered itself the "World's Largest Logging Town". Ryderwood became a retirement community in the 1950s. The population as of the 2020 census was 383.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 266 ft
- ZIP code
- 98581
- Area code
- 360
Questions about Ryderwood
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Ryderwood, WA a good place to live?
Ryderwood has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.