Skamokawa Historic District · National Register of Historic Places
Skamokawa Valley’s story
Skamokawa Valley in pictures
The archive holds 3 maps from 1941 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Skamokawa ValleyWA
A town of 352 in Washington.
Skamokawa Historic District · Photo: Adumbvoget · Public domain
Population
352
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$259K
Census ACS
Median age
62.4
years
Jobs based here
16
A commuter town
Is Skamokawa Valley a good place to live?
29% of residents live below the poverty line in Skamokawa Valley, above both Washington’s towns (7.9%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Among 286 Washington towns, just 4 have a higher median age than Skamokawa Valley. Skamokawa Valley’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile, above both the Washington town median (0.8) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Skamokawa Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Skamokawa Valley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
By the sea
Skamokawa Valley lives by the ocean
Coastal flooding makes up 16% of the storm damage FEMA expects here.
16%of expected storm damage is coastal flooding
100thpercentile for coastal flood risk nationally
78paid flood-insurance claims since 1990
0thpercentile for hurricane risk
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA · OpenStreetMap
Getting set up
Moving to Skamokawa Valley: who provides what
Skamokawa Valley is unincorporated, so Wahkiakum County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPUD No 1 of Wahkiakum CountyEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterSkamokawa Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers87% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesWahkiakum CountyWahkiakum 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 hereWahkiakum County AuditorWahkiakum County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jul 2019
ZIP codes98647, 9861298647 96% · 98612 4%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 Skamokawa Valley.
Natural hazards
Skamokawa Valley faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by tsunamis
The national flood insurance program has paid 78 claims in Skamokawa Valley since 1990. FEMA expects more storm and flood damage in the town than in 86% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 34% come from tsunamis and 30% from inland flooding.
86risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
TsunamisInland floodingEarthquakes
78
paid flood claims since 1990
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Skamokawa Valley has 0.1 jobs per working resident, so most workers leave town for work
Half commute less than 40 miles. 1.6% of working residents work locally in Skamokawa Valley. The top destinations are Cathlamet (13%), Portland (7%) and Puget Island (6%).
2%work in town
Where working residents work
In Skamokawa Valley2%
Cathlamet13%
Portland7%
Puget Island6%
Olympia4%
40 mi
median commute distance
16
jobs based in Skamokawa Valley
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Expect mild winters and pleasant summers in Skamokawa Valley
A winter brings about 3 inches of snow, with January nights at 35° and July afternoons at 73°.
3″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter35–48°
Spring39–59°
Summer50–72°
Fall42–61°
Oct 22
typical first frost
Apr 27
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
A larger share of adults have high blood pressure in Skamokawa Valley than in most of Washington or the rest of the country
The share of adults in Skamokawa Valley who smoke cigarettes: 14%. Among 286 Washington towns, just 6 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Skamokawa Valley. CDC measures, 31 in all: Skamokawa Valley beats Washington on 1 and trails on 12.
| Skamokawa Valley | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 9.8% | 12% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 40% | 33% | 35% |
31 measures vs. Washington
1 better18 too close to call12 worse
| What stands out | Skamokawa Valley | WA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 76.4% | 70.7% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.7% | 5.1% |
Columbia Memorial Hospital
21.7 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
3% of Skamokawa Valley is conserved land
Walkers can cover 38 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Skamokawa Creek Natural Resources Conservation Area, at 325 acres.
3%conserved
3%
conserved · 537 of 18,059 acres
38 mi
of trails · 1.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer | 0.7 mi | 478 |
| 2. Skamokawa Creek Natural Resources Conservation Area | — | 325 |
| 3. Skamokawa Vista Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
A home in Skamokawa Valley sells for about $700K at the median
92% of Skamokawa Valley households own their home.
$700Kmedian sale price
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Skamokawa Valley
16pages on Skamokawa Valley
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Skamokawa Valley; the nearest are
Clatsop Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Astoria, OR22.1 mi$5,110 in-state tuitionCentralia CollegeUniversity or college · Public · Centralia34.7 mi$5,266 in-state tuition
About 0 of every 100 Skamokawa Valley residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
Small town
352 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
About Skamokawa Valley
CDP in Washington, United States
Skamokawa Valley is a census-designated place (CDP) in Wahkiakum County, Washington, north of the town of Cathlamet. As of the 2020 census, Skamokawa Valley had a population of 487. The CDP includes the Sleepy Hollow community. The Skamokawa Valley community is part of the Wahkiakum School District, a K-12 school district of about 430 students. The unincorporated community of Skamokawa lies directly to the south. The name of the CDP comes from Wahkiakum Chief Skamokawa who met with Meriwether Lewis and William Clark while their expedition spent the winter of 1805–06 at Fort Clatsop. His name, Skamokawa, is a Chinook word meaning “smoke over the water,” a reference to the area's foggy climat…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 28 sq mi
- Elevation
- 240 ft
- Area code
- 360
Questions about Skamokawa Valley
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Skamokawa Valley, WA a good place to live?
Skamokawa Valley has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.