City safety & data profile

KelsoWA

Kelso, WA is a 12K-resident city in Cowlitz County with a median household income of $66,751.

Cowlitz County, Washington. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Kelso, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Kelso has a population larger than 12% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $337,600.

Data updated 2026-07-26

12K
Population
Top 88%
By size
$66,751
Median income
$337,600
Median home
12%
Poverty rate

The read on Kelso

Kelso posts a median household income higher than 32% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 68%
by median income, US cities

Where Kelso income ranks nationally

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

$66,751 Bottom 32% higher than 32% 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%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Kelso, WA beyond the headline numbers

Kelso sits inside Cowlitz County, Washington, at roughly 46.15°N, -122.91°W. Population 11,901, $66,751 median household income. Median home value $337,600, median rent $1,220. Poverty rate 12%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Kelso's highest-prevalence health measure is obesity at 42.5%, then short sleep duration at 37.6%.

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

Population
11,901
Kelso
Median Income
$66,751
Near average
Median Home Value
$337,600
+48% vs avg
Median Age
39.9
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (Cowlitz County) - Kelso'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
112K+10%
Median Income
$76,531+61%
Median Home Value
$397,500+119%
Poverty Rate
12.2%-31%
Unemployment
5.9%-55%

Economics

Economics indicators for Kelso, WA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,220/mo
Poverty Rate
12% -15% vs avg
Unemployment 6.6%
Bachelor's Degree+ 12.5%
Work From Home 5.6%
Public Transit 0.4%

Population

White 80.6%
African American 1.9%
Asian 0.7%
Two or More Ethnicities 6.5%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

Obesity
42.5%
Short Sleep Duration
37.6%
High Blood Pressure
33.3%
Physical Inactivity
23.9%
Frequent Mental Distress
21.1%
Binge Drinking
17.1%
Frequent Physical Distress
16.3%
Current Smoking
15.4%
Current Asthma
13%
Diabetes
11%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 55.4%
Annual Checkup 69.1%

Other Measures

Lack of Health Insurance
10.9%
Coronary Heart Disease
6.5%
Stroke
3.6%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Kelso, WA? ▼
Kelso, WA has a population of 11,901 people, located in Cowlitz County, Washington.
What is the median household income in Kelso? ▼
The median household income in Kelso, WA is $66,751 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 12%.
What is the median home value in Kelso? ▼
The median home value in Kelso, WA is $337,600. Median rent is $1,220/month.
What are the top health concerns in Kelso? ▼
The top health indicators in Kelso include Obesity (42.5%), Short Sleep Duration (37.6%), High Blood Pressure (33.3%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Kelso? ▼
The median age in Kelso, WA is 39.9 years. 12.5% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Kelso, WA is located in Cowlitz County, Washington. With a population of 12K and a $66,751 median household income, the community faces health challenges including obesity and short sleep duration. Safety alerts for the Kelso 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

Longview, WA 37K Saint Helens, OR 13K Salmon Creek, WA 20K Battle Ground, WA 19K Hazel Dell, WA 19K Vancouver, WA 196K Five Corners, WA 18K Centralia, WA 17K
All cities in Washington → Compare Kelso vs Longview → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Kelso'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 Kelso 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 Kelso 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 (Cowlitz 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.