Indian Methodist Episcopal Church
White Swan’s story
116 years in pictures
Census counts: 2,669 in 1990, 789 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers and 2 maps from 1958 on.
- 1910White Swan is settled
White SwanWA
With 588 residents, this town was settled in 1910.
Fort Simcoe State Park · Photo: James W. Rosenthal · Public domain
Population
588
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$312K
+5.9% in a year
Household income
$60K
median
Median age
24.7
years
Jobs based here
155
Balanced
Is White Swan a good place to live?
41% of residents live below the poverty line in White Swan, above both Washington’s towns (7.9%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Among 286 Washington towns, just 10 have a lower midpoint age than White Swan. White Swan has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
588 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 White Swan: who provides what
White Swan is unincorporated, so Yakima County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPacific Power14.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterWhite Swan water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & county servicesYakima CountyYakima 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 hereYakima County AuditorYakima County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2015
ZIP code9895298952 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 White Swan.
Natural hazards
White Swan has a very high natural-hazard risk, chiefly from avalanches
FEMA puts 40% of White Swan’s expected hazard losses down to avalanches, and 21% to wildfires. Compared with 91% of U.S. communities, expected storm and flood damage locally is higher.
91risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesWildfireCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Schools
The schools White Swan’s kids attend
The Mount Adams School District runs its public schools. Its two schools are below. Public school enrollment in White Swan: 388 students across 2 schools.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Adams Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 136 | – |
| White Swan High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 252 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Housing
Homes in White Swan are worth about $312K, by Zillow’s estimate
Values rose 5.9% in the 12 months to September 2026. For households in White Swan, the share who own their home is 57%.
$312KZillow home value
Typical home value
White Swan$312K
Washington$588K
+5.9%
value change, 1 year
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In White Swan, expect four seasons and hot summers
The typical July afternoon high in White Swan is 89°F.
20″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter27–42°
Spring39–64°
Summer53–85°
Fall38–65°
Oct 23
typical first frost
Apr 8
typical last frost
+1.3°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commute
For most of its workers, the job is outside White Swan
Most people who work leave White Swan to do it: just 3% work in town. Since 2013, White Swan has added 86 jobs, to 155 in 2023. For White Swan, the average trip to work is 19 minutes. The top destinations are Yakima (17%), Toppenish (4%) and Sunnyside (3%).
3%work in town
| White Swan | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 27 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.1% | 4.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In White Swan3%
Yakima17%
Toppenish4%
Sunnyside3%
Wapato2%
19 mi
median commute distance
155
jobs based in White Swan
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
More of White Swan’s adults report frequent mental distress than in the typical Washington or U.S. town
Among adults in White Swan, 37% sleep under 7 hours. Only 6 of the 286 Washington towns we compare have a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than White Swan. Of 31 CDC measures, White Swan beats the Washington average on 2 and trails it on 22.
| White Swan | Washington towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 17% | 19% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 11% | 14% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 17% | 17% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 10% | 14% |
31 measures vs. Washington
2 better7 too close to call22 worse
| What stands out | White Swan | WA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 5.2% | 7.9% |
| Fewer adults with high cholesterol | 31.3% | 34.9% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 25.8% | 9% |
Astria Toppenish Hospital
20.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
0% of White Swan is conserved land
1.9 miles of trail. For White Swan, the concentration of trails is 0.7 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,692 acres
1.9 mi
of trails · 0.7 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 16 attractions →Mount Adams and 4 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around White Swan. Close and well known come first.
38 mi MountainMount Adams
19 mi MuseumYakima Electric Railway Museum36 mi Ski areaWhite Pass Ski Area55 runs · 2,035 ft vertical
19 mi TheatreCapitol Theatre
19 mi GardenYakima Area ArboretumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Adams: USGS Photo by R. Iverson, USGS/CVO, Public domain · Yakima Electric Railway Museum: Steve Morgan, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Capitol Theatre: User:Cacophony, CC BY 2.5 · Yakima Area Arboretum: Bobjgalindo, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about White Swan
18pages on White Swan
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of White Swan; the nearest are
Heritage UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Toppenish16.4 mi$20,928 tuitionCentral Washington UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Ellensburg44.3 mi$9,417 in-state tuitionColumbia Gorge Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · The Dalles, OR58.5 mi$5,940 in-state tuition
About 9 of every 100 White Swan residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Washington.
About White Swan
CDP in Washington, United States
White Swan is a census-designated place (CDP) in Yakima County, Washington, United States. The population was 789 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 103 sq mi
- Elevation
- 968 ft
- ZIP code
- 98952
- Area code
- 509
Questions about White Swan
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is White Swan, WA a good place to live?
White Swan has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.