Housing data for Cle Elum, WA
Cle Elum, WA has an estimated 1,905 residents and 1,134 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a city in Kittitas County.
37.4% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $1,295 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−36.9%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 1,905 (±315)
- Housing units
- 1,134 (±173)
- Households that rent
- 37.4%
- Median gross rent
- $1,295
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −36.9%
What stands out in Cle Elum
Homes built before 1980: 55.3% (±11.6 points) in Cle Elum, higher than in Kittitas County (36.4%).
Median real estate taxes: $2,405 (±$510) in Cle Elum, lower than in Kittitas County ($3,552).
Renters paying 30% or more of income: 39.6% (±14.8 points) in Cle Elum, lower than in Kittitas County (58.0%).
Housing in Cle Elum at a glance
- Median rent: $1,295 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $1,405 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 39.6% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 37.4% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $63,973 median household income
- Home values: $451,000 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $1,782 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $2,405 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 12.3% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 52.4% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 55.3% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 6.7% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 53.4% heat with electricity
- Commute and cars: 23.7 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 61 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −36.9% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 25.6% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 2.9% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Cle Elum against Kittitas County, its state and the nation
| Cle Elum | Kittitas County | Washington | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 1,905 (±315) | 47,172 (exact) | 7,816,116 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 1,134 (±173) | 24,674 (±45) | 3,306,620 (±517) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 37.4% (±11.3 points) | 38.5% (±2.2 points) | 36.2% (±0.3 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $1,295 (±$395) | $1,341 (±$52) | $1,760 (±$7) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $63,973 (±$11,000) | $73,804 (±$4,984) | $98,141 (±$414) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $451,000 (±$69,436) | $497,400 (±$18,977) | $564,600 (±$1,940) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $2,405 (±$510) | $3,552 (±$191) | $4,556 (±$16) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 55.3% (±11.6 points) | 36.4% (±2.8 points) | 43.4% (±0.3 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 23.7 minutes (±5.4) | 23.3 minutes (±1.6) | 26.6 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 86.1% (±8.3 points) | 90.6% (±1.7 points) | 93.6% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 48.0 years (±4.5) | 35.8 years (±0.5) | 38.3 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Cle Elum covers 4.5 square miles of land, about 424 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Cle Elum has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 3,017 (±452) | 1,905 (±315) | −36.9% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 1,467 (±156) | 1,134 (±173) | −22.7% | Measurable decrease |
| Median gross rent | $979 (±$149) | $1,295 (±$395) | +32.3% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $212,500 (±$16,394) | $451,000 (±$69,436) | +112.2% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $48,767 (±$5,585) | $63,973 (±$11,000) | +31.2% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $1,377 (±$104) | $1,782 (±$155) | +29.4% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $1,273 (±$125) | $2,405 (±$510) | +88.9% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 48.5% (±8.8 points) | 37.4% (±11.3 points) | −11.1 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 2.6% (±4.7 points) | 6.7% (±8.9 points) | +4.1 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Cle Elum
In 2025, the Cle Elum Police Department reported 61 violent and 1,901 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across Kittitas County, the departments that report recorded 140 violent and 1,064 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
Places near Cle Elum
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Cle Elum | 0.6 mi | $1,661 | $374,300 | 28.4% |
| Roslyn | 10 mi | $1,500 | $565,200 | 32.2% |
| Ellensburg | 23 mi | $1,340 | $404,100 | 67.1% |
| Kittitas | 29 mi | $1,351 | $316,700 | 28.6% |
| Leavenworth | 31 mi | $1,159 | $617,000 | 48.4% |
| Cashmere | 32 mi | $1,063 | $442,900 | 36.2% |
| Wenatchee | 34 mi | $1,248 | $433,700 | 46.2% |
| South Wenatchee | 34 mi | $1,362 | $249,100 | 38.8% |
Places in Washington most like Cle Elum
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelton | $1,365 | $345,700 | $69,598 | 38.0% |
| Montesano | $1,195 | $354,300 | $67,540 | 39.3% |
| East Wenatchee | $1,327 | $429,200 | $77,558 | 41.0% |
| Cashmere | $1,063 | $442,900 | $64,053 | 36.2% |
| Kennewick | $1,240 | $370,700 | $73,576 | 38.7% |
| Zillah | $1,093 | $334,800 | $75,000 | 30.4% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across Washington.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Cle Elum, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,152 | $1,267 | $1,655 | $2,292 | $2,766 |
HUD income limits for Cle Elum, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $22,550 | $37,600 | $60,150 |
| 2 people | $25,800 | $43,000 | $68,750 |
| 3 people | $29,000 | $48,350 | $77,350 |
| 4 people | $33,000 | $53,700 | $85,900 |
| 5 people | $38,680 | $58,000 | $92,800 |
| 6 people | $44,360 | $62,300 | $99,650 |
| 7 people | $50,040 | $66,600 | $106,550 |
| 8 people | $55,720 | $70,900 | $113,400 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the Kittitas County, WA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $107,400.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Cle Elum
What is the average rent in Cle Elum, WA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Cle Elum is $1,295 (±$395) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Cle Elum?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Cle Elum, WA is $823 (±$340) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Cle Elum rent-burdened?
39.6% of renting households in Cle Elum pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Cle Elum?
Cle Elum has an estimated 363 (±123) renting households, 37.4% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Cle Elum?
The median household income in Cle Elum is $63,973 (±$11,000) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Cle Elum, WA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $451,000 (±$69,436) for owner-occupied homes in Cle Elum (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Cle Elum growing?
In Cle Elum, the number of residents went from 3,017 in 2015–2019 to 1,905 in 2020–2024 (−36.9%), a measurable decrease.
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Cle Elum city, Washington
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Cle Elum city, Washington
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Cle Elum city, Washington
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Cle Elum city, Washington
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Cle Elum city, Washington
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Cle Elum city, Washington
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Cle Elum city, Washington
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: Kittitas County, WA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: Kittitas County, WA
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Cle Elum Police Department (ORI WA0190200)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Cle Elum city, Washington (place:12945, in state:53).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .