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Cost of living, pay and housing

46.75° N · 123.00° W · GEOID 5324565

Fords Prairie

Lewis County, Washington · part of the Centralia, WA metro

Limited data population under 5,000

WashingtonFords Prairie, WAFords PrairieFords Prairie

The short answer

Fords Prairie is home to 1,823 people. Median household income is $55,608 a year and median rent is $1,161 a month, 25.1% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $368,000, about 6.6x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,161
15% below the median place
Median household income
$55,608
31% below the median place
Median home value
$368,000
15% above the median place
Unemployment
5.3%
9% above the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Fords Prairie

  • Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 5.8% a year while household income rose -5.1%, so rent outran pay by more than in 98% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 190 Washington places.
  • 88% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 182 Washington places.
  • The median home is worth 6.6 years of the median household's income, more than in 92% of places its size.
  • Households average 2.11 people, smaller than in 87% of places its size.
  • The median resident is 47.2 years old, older than in 86% of places its size.
01

Moving to Fords Prairie

Lewis County gains about 10.3 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in4,311
Moved out3,612
Net+699

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Within Washington, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within WashingtonOther states

Income per tax return

Arrivals$66K
Leavers$54K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Lewis County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
5.1% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 0.0% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Lewis County report $66,400 a year in income on average; those leaving, $53,900, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$46,400 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,161 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,022 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $368,000.
Getting to work
29 minutes each way on average; 9.7% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
West Clarkston-Highland, WA matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people5
10.3
above the median place (median -0.6)
Income of households moving out5
$53,900
23% below the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureFords PrairieAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure5.1%11% below
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people5County figure10.3above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in5County figure$66,3666% below
Income of households moving out5County figure$53,90023% below
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 88.2%, 74% above the median place.

Fords Prairie25.1%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$46,440
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
25.1%
23% above the median place
Home price to income
6.6x
74% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
25%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$42,100
a year, prices not adjusted
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Fords Prairie, $1,161 a month. It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Fords Prairie, but easier on the budget

Close matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income.

PlaceRent to incomeMore left a year
Winston, OR20.8% vs 25.1%n/aCompare
Wildwood, NJ15.9% vs 25.1%n/aCompare
Winsted, CT21.9% vs 25.1%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Fords Prairie.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Fords Prairie? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
88.2%
74% above the median place
Homeownership1
79.4%
20% above the median place
Median year built1
1972
0% below the median place
All 14 cost and housing measures
MeasureFords PrairieAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,16115% below
Rent to income125.1%23% above
Property tax rate10.8%8% below
Home price to income16.6x74% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms2County figure$1,43511% below
Property tax paid (median)1$3,0806% below
Median home value1$368,00015% above
Home prices, 1-year change3County figure3.6%13% above
Home prices, 5-year change3County figure52.8%3% above
Homeownership179.4%20% above
Renters paying 30%+188.2%74% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,0228% above
Vacant homes1County figure9.8%40% above
Median year built119720% below
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Median household income1
$55,608
31% below the median place
Income per person1
$30,585
24% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureFords PrairieAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$55,60831% below
Income per person1$30,58524% below
Unemployment1County figure5.3%9% above
Average annual pay4County figure$60,8858% below
Pay growth, 1 year4County figure3.7%0% above
Jobs4County figure27,42382% below
Poverty rate115.7%46% above
Mean commute1County figure29 min14% above
Works from home1County figure9.7%22% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Household size is 2.1, 16% below the median place.

Household size1
2.1
16% below the median place
Median age1
47.2
21% above the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
19.2%
40% below the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureFords PrairieAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population11,8236646th largest
Median age147.221% above
Bachelor's or higher119.2%40% below
High school or higher192.8%1% above
Household size12.116% below
Born abroad1County figure5.3%40% below
No health insurance1County figure6.3%2% below
Homes with broadband193.7%2% above
05

Life in Fords Prairie

34 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k0.0 −100%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails2 km +0%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi1.1 5.1×

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars21.8 +5%
Shops35.1 +16%
Arts, recreation and fitness2.2 −46%
Doctors' offices and clinics15.6 −23%
Child care centers1.4 −39%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Child care centers per 10k6
1.4
39% below the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k6
2.2
46% below the median place
Students per teacher9
18.5
20% above the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureFords PrairieAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools9County figure45400% above
Public school students9County figure12,548156% above
Students per teacher9County figure18.520% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k6County figure21.85% above
Shops per 10k6County figure35.116% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k6County figure2.246% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k6County figure15.623% below
Child care centers per 10k6County figure1.439% below
Parks per 10k70.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k70.0below (median 9.4)
Grocery stores per 10k70.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k70.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k70.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails72.00% above
Transit stops per sq mi71.1above (median 0.2)
National Register listings8County figure34162% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Median air quality index is 20, 53% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Fords Prairie. Larger places are fetched first.

Median air quality index12
20
53% below the median place
Annual precipitation10
73.1 in
67% above the median place
July average high10
75°F
14% below the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureFords PrairieAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high10County figure75°F14% below
January average low10County figure31°F23% above
Average temperature10County figure48°F13% below
Annual precipitation10County figure73.1 in67% above
Natural hazard risk11County figure89.73% below
Tornado risk11County figure17.479% below
Wildfire risk11County figure76.725% above
Heat wave risk11County figure77.914% below
Median air quality index12County figure2053% below
Good air days12County figure91.3%33% above
08

Fords Prairie in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 27% of the median income in 2030, up from 25% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,161/mo (2024)$1,500/mo$1,230 to $1,830/mo+4.3%
Median household income$55,608 (2024)$67,000$56,500 to $79,000+3.1%
Median home value$368,000 (2024)$534,000$388,000 to $736,000+6.4%

The median home would be worth 8.0 years of the median income in 2030, against 6.6 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Fords Prairie

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
West Clarkston-Highland, WA$1,114$51,860Compare
Sutherlin, OR$1,221$51,250Compare
Lecanto, FL$1,304$56,215Compare
Lucerne Valley, CA$1,181$54,788Compare
Lucerne Valley, CALecanto, FLSutherlin, ORWest Clarkston-Highland, WAFords Prairie, WAFords PrairieSutherlinLecantoLucerne ValleyWest Clarkston-HighlandSutherlinLecantoLucerne Valley

Common questions

Is Fords Prairie a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Between the 2019 and 2024 surveys, rent rose 5.8% a year while household income rose -5.1%, so rent outran pay by more than in 98% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 190 Washington places. 88% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 99% of places its size. It is the highest of 182 Washington places. On cost, space and class size it scores 10 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Fords Prairie expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 25.1% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $368,000.

What salary do you need to live in Fords Prairie?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $46,440 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Fords Prairie?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are West Clarkston-Highland, WA, Sutherlin, OR, Lecanto, FL and Lucerne Valley, CA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  3. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  4. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  5. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  6. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  7. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  8. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  9. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  10. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  11. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  12. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Fords Prairie with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Fords Prairie itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/fords-prairie-washington

Citytistics. “Fords Prairie, Washington.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/fords-prairie-washington/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.