Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Walla Walla grades C− overall, ranked 239th of 285 in Washington, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 93% of U.S. towns. On the other side, the typical home is worth about $414K, 5.6 years of the Walla Walla metro’s $74K median household income. Walla Walla’s average trip to work is 13 minutes, where Washington’s towns sit at 27 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Its National Register listings include Fort Walla Walla Historic District and Dacres Hotel. On hazard risk, just 30 of Washington’s 397 towns do better.
Where Walla Walla beats most towns.
Fort Walla Walla Historic District
Adam West
Its 24 National Register listings are more than in 94% of Washington towns with a listing.
Census counts: 1,394 in 1870, 34,060 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1862 and 3 maps from 1966 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Washington), ordered by how far Walla Walla is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Walla Walla, 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 Walla Walla.
Walla Walla carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of Washington (mostly earthquakes), is healthier than towns with similar incomes and fares better on crime within Washington than nationally.
At 34.4 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 67% of Washington’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 915 to 673 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
The violent crime rate in Walla Walla is 3.9 per 1,000 residents.
| Walla Walla | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 16 per 1,000 residents | 15 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Walla Walla Public Schools. Two of its 18 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 601 | – |
| Lincoln High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 186 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within WA on state tests and graduation
57% of households own their home in Walla Walla. The typical Walla Walla home is worth about $414,000, about the same as a year ago, 30% below the Washington typical home. Walla Walla’s median rent is $1,323 a month.
| Walla Walla | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 57% | 71% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,323 a month | $1,740 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 90% of Washington towns, with expected losses of about $245 per resident a year; that rating is what its B+ for hazard risk is built on.
One flood insurance claim has been paid in Walla Walla since 1996.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Among 285 Washington towns, just 8 have a higher July high than Walla Walla. Walla Walla has mild winters and warm summers, with very little rain.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
6.6 miles of trail in 14 parks and preserves. Fort Walla Walla Park, at 210 acres with 2.8 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Walla Walla | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 0.5 miles per square mile | 0.8 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.8% | 4% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Fort Walla Walla Park | 2.8 mi | 210 |
| 2. Arthur C. Rempel Nature Area | 2.5 mi | 91 |
| 3. Pioneer Park | 0.3 mi | 41 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The average commute for its 11,507 working residents takes 12.8 minutes, against 26.6 across Washington.
54% of Walla Walla working residents work locally. Jobs based in Walla Walla grew to 14,621 in 2023, 851 more than in 2013. 14% of Walla Walla residents live below the poverty line.
| Walla Walla | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 54% | 4.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 14% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $67,000 | $98,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 13% | 15% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Against the 10,167 U.S. towns with household incomes like Walla Walla’s, it is healthier than 81%, so its B isn’t only a matter of income. Within Washington it is less healthy than 73% of the 285 graded towns: Washington sets a high bar.
Walla Walla beats the Washington average on 0 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 14.
| Walla Walla | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 70% | 71% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 36% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 7.8% | 8.1% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 14% |
| What stands out | Walla Walla | WA |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.5% | 9% |
| More uninsured adults | 11.8% | 8.4% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 6.5% | 5.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
3 within 15 miles of the center of Walla Walla
About 8 of every 100 Walla Walla residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
2 colleges in town.
24 places in Walla Walla on the National Register of Historic Places.
50 notable people were born in Walla Walla.
City in Washington, United States
Walla Walla ( WAH-lə WAH-lə) is a city in and the county seat of Walla Walla County, Washington, United States. It is one of the largest cities in Southeastern Washington with a population of 34,060 at the 2020 census, estimated to have decreased to 33,339 as of 2023. The combined population of the city and its two suburbs, the town of College Place and unincorporated Walla Walla East, is about 45,500. Walla Walla is located near the Palouse and Blue Mountains, approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) from the Oregon border to the south. The city lies within the historic territory of several Indigenous Northwest Plateau peoples, among which were the Walawalałáma (Walla Walla). The settlement's name, …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Walla Walla.
| Town | WA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walla Walla | #239 | C− | D | C− | B− | B |
| Walla Walla East | — | — | D− | — | B− | A |
| Garrett | — | — | B− | — | B− | B |
| College Place | #171 | C+ | C− | B− | B− | B+ |
Walla Walla East and Garrett have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Walla Walla East and Garrett report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Walla Walla with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Walla Walla grades C− overall, better than 16% of U.S. towns and #239 of 285 in Washington. It grades B for health, C− for safety and B− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
50 notable people were born here, including Adam West and Hamza Yusuf.
