SteptoeWA
The town, settled in 1875, counts 162 residents.
Is Steptoe a good place to live?
12% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Steptoe, below both Washington’s towns (30%) and U.S. towns (29%). Steptoe has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
162 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Steptoe: who provides what
Steptoe is unincorporated, so Whitman 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 Steptoe.
The schools Steptoe’s kids attend
The public schools here belong to the Steptoe School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steptoe Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 47 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Steptoe’s year
July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 26° and about 27 inches of snow falls in a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
A larger share of adults have high blood pressure in Steptoe than in most of Washington or the rest of the country
Steptoe: 15% of adults report frequent physical distress. Only 6 of the 286 Washington towns we compare have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Steptoe.
| Steptoe | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 33% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 17% | 16% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 31% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| What stands out | Steptoe | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.1% | 8.4% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.3% | 10.2% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.5% | 7.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The biggest natural risk in Steptoe is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level
Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in nearly three fifths of U.S. communities. FEMA puts just over three quarters of Steptoe’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 12% to cold waves.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Everything we know about Steptoe
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Steptoe; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Steptoe residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
About Steptoe
Census-designated place in Whitman County, Washington, United States
Steptoe is a small unincorporated rural town in Whitman County, Washington, United States. The ZIP Code for Steptoe is 99111. A post office called Steptoe was established in 1875. The community is named after Colonel Edward Steptoe for a battle located north of Steptoe near Rosalia, Washington. U.S. Route 195 runs through Steptoe, connecting it with the county seat, Colfax, 11 miles to the south and the region's largest city, Spokane, 43 miles to the north. Steptoe Butte rises to a peak more than 1,000 feet above the otherwise rolling Palouse grasslands four miles northeast of the community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1875
- Area
- 2.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,316 ft
- ZIP code
- 99174
Questions about Steptoe
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Steptoe, WA a good place to live?
Steptoe has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.