City safety & data profile

CentraliaWA

Centralia, WA is a 17K-resident city in Lewis County with a median household income of $56,219.

Lewis County, Washington. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Centralia, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Centralia has a population larger than 34% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, a median home value of $318,200, and 1 hospital serving the surrounding area.

Data updated 2026-07-27

17K
Population
Top 66%
By size
$56,219
Median income
$318,200
Median home
19.6%
Poverty rate

The read on Centralia

Centralia posts a median household income higher than 17% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks, where 1 hospital serves the Centralia area.

Top 83%
by median income, US cities
1
hospital in & near Centralia

Where Centralia income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$56,219 Bottom 17% higher than 17% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. WA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Centralia, WA beyond the headline numbers

Centralia sits inside Lewis County, Washington, at roughly 46.72°N, -122.95°W. Population 16,753, $56,219 median household income. Median home value $318,200, median rent $1,084. Poverty rate 19.6%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Centralia's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 39.7%, then short sleep duration at 37.7%. 1 hospital in/around Centralia, 3/5 avg rating, 1 with an ER.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Centralia from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
16,753
Centralia
Median Income
$56,219
-17% vs avg
Median Home Value
$318,200
+40% vs avg
Median Age
39
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Lewis County) - Centralia's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
85K+13%
Median Income
$74,796+75%
Median Home Value
$385,800+114%
Poverty Rate
12.2%-21%
Unemployment
5.3%-61%

Economics

Economics indicators for Centralia, WA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,084/mo
Poverty Rate
19.6% +38% vs avg
Unemployment 5.7%
Bachelor's Degree+ 19.4%
Work From Home 7.2%
Public Transit 1.6%

Population

White 77.3%
African American 1.2%
Asian 1.6%
Two or More Ethnicities 0.2%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
39.7%
Short Sleep Duration
37.7%
High Blood Pressure
34.9%
Physical Inactivity
23.9%
Frequent Mental Distress
19%
Frequent Physical Distress
16.5%
Binge Drinking
16.1%
Current Smoking
15%
Diabetes
12%
Current Asthma
11.7%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 56.3%
Annual Checkup 67.1%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
11.5%
Coronary Heart Disease
7%
Stroke
4%

Hospitals 1 total

Rating Distribution
★★★★★
0
★★★★
0
★★★
1
★★
0
★
0
Average Rating
3/5
Total Hospitals
1
With ER
1
PROVIDENCE CENTRALIA HOSPITAL
CENTRALIA · Acute Care Hospitals · ER
★★★☆☆

Frequently Asked Questions 6

What is the population of Centralia, WA? ▼
Centralia, WA has a population of 16,753 people, located in Lewis County, Washington.
What is the median household income in Centralia? ▼
The median household income in Centralia, WA is $56,219 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 19.6%.
What is the median home value in Centralia? ▼
The median home value in Centralia, WA is $318,200. Median rent is $1,084/month.
What are the top health concerns in Centralia? ▼
The top health indicators in Centralia include Obesity (39.7%), Short Sleep Duration (37.7%), High Blood Pressure (34.9%). Data from CDC PLACES.
How many hospitals are in Centralia? ▼
Centralia has 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. 1 have emergency departments.
What is the median age in Centralia? ▼
The median age in Centralia, WA is 39 years. 19.4% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Centralia, WA is located in Lewis County, Washington. With a population of 17K and a $56,219 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and short sleep duration. Residents have access to 1 hospital with an average rating of 3/5 stars. Safety alerts for the Centralia area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - Washington

Real-time AQI for every monitored Washington location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Tumwater, WA 19K Olympia, WA 56K Lacey, WA 46K Joint Base Lewis McChord, WA 11K Kelso, WA 12K Longview, WA 37K Lakewood, WA 60K Spanaway, WA 27K
All cities in Washington → Compare Centralia vs Tumwater → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Centralia's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Centralia area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Centralia against Washington peers on any ranking lens. Explore Washington

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (Lewis County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.