South WenatcheeWA
1,226 people live in this town, settled in 1925.
Is South Wenatchee a good place to live?
The best of South Wenatchee’s subject grades is an A for walkability; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. On cost of living, just 12 of Washington’s 395 towns do better. South Wenatchee has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes South Wenatchee stand out
Where South Wenatchee beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
1,226 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
How South Wenatchee grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far South Wenatchee is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Moving to South Wenatchee: who provides what
South Wenatchee is unincorporated, so Chelan County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 South Wenatchee.
Very high risk in South Wenatchee, with avalanches at the top
FEMA expects more storm and flood damage in South Wenatchee than in 84% of U.S. communities. Expected losses in South Wenatchee break down as 58% from avalanches and 31% from inland flooding.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
On state tests, South Wenatchee’s schools trail 61% of Washington districts
Its one school is below. South Wenatchee’s only public school teaches 484 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mission View Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 484 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
South Wenatchee stands out in Washington and nationally: a smaller share of its working residents work locally
Half the trips to work are shorter than 5 miles. The top destinations are Wenatchee (44%), East Wenatchee (8%) and Seattle (4%). South Wenatchee’s average commute stands at 27 minutes, against 27 minutes in Washington’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns.
| South Wenatchee | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 0.4% | 4.9% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
South Wenatchee: four seasons and hot summers
The range runs from 25° on a January night to 89° on a July afternoon, with about 17 inches of snow a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Residents of South Wenatchee are healthier than 56% of U.S. towns
25% of South Wenatchee adults get no exercise outside work, above Washington’s towns (18%) and close to U.S. towns (25%). This Washington town does better than the Washington average on 4 of 31 CDC measures and worse on 15. Among adults locally, 65% had a checkup this year.
| South Wenatchee | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 65% | 71% | 79% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 31% | 35% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 10% | 14% |
| What stands out | South Wenatchee | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.2% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults with arthritis | 20% | 24.4% |
| More uninsured adults | 21.2% | 8.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median home in South Wenatchee sells for about $374K
In South Wenatchee, 61% of households live in a home they own. The town’s median rent comes in at $1,362 a month.
| South Wenatchee | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 61% | 71% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,362 a month | $1,739 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about South Wenatchee
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of South Wenatchee
About 5 of every 100 South Wenatchee residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Washington.
100% of working residents leave South Wenatchee for work
Where South Wenatchee’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About South Wenatchee
Census-designated place in Washington, United States
South Wenatchee is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Chelan County, Washington, United States. It is part of the Wenatchee–East Wenatchee Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,522 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 68 ft
- Area code
- 509
Questions about South Wenatchee
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is South Wenatchee, WA expensive?
Not for the area. The typical home is worth about $249,000, 58% below the Washington typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A−.