Is Kelso, WA growing?

Name: Growth in Kelso, WA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

Kelso, WA had an estimated 12,684 (±62) residents in 2020–2024, against 12,123 in 2015–2019.

That is a change of +4.6%, a measurable increase.

Its housing went from 4,764 to 5,656 homes (+18.7%), a measurable increase.

0.2% of today’s homes were built in 2020 or later.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Residents now: 12,684 (±62)
Amount of change: +4.6%
Homes change: +18.7%
Built 2020 or later: 0.2%

Residents and homes in Kelso, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024

2015–2019 and 2020–2024 American Community Survey 5-year estimates
	2015–2019	2020–2024	Amount of change	Verdict
Residents	12,123 (±28)	12,684 (±62)	+4.6%	Measurable increase
Housing units	4,764 (±276)	5,656 (±287)	+18.7%	Measurable increase
Households that rent	50.1% (±5.2 points)	43.9% (±5.7 points)	−6.2 percentage points	Not a measurable change
Median gross rent	$833 (±$81)	$1,220 (±$69)	+46.5%	Up after inflation
Median home value	$148,100 (±$19,509)	$337,600 (±$21,416)	+128.0%	Up after inflation

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.

Growth in Kelso against Cowlitz County, its state and the nation

Change between 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
	Residents	Verdict	Housing units
Kelso	+4.6%	Measurable increase	+18.7%
Cowlitz County	+5.2%	Measurable increase	+3.8%
Washington	+5.6%	Measurable increase	+6.4%
United States	+3.1%	Measurable increase	+4.6%

A change in a place’s boundaries between the two periods (an annexation, say) changes its counts as well; the Census Bureau’s figures are for the place as it was drawn in each period.

New homes in Kelso

Housing units by year built, 2020–2024
Year built	Kelso	Cowlitz County	Washington	United States
2020 or later	0.2% (±0.4 points)	1.4%	2.3%	2.0%
2010 to 2019	5.2% (±2.5 points)	7.6%	12.1%	9.4%
2000 to 2009	10.0% (±3.7 points)	12.1%	15.1%	13.6%

5.4% of the homes in Kelso were built in 2010 or later.

The median age of residents is 39.9 years.

Growth in places near Kelso

Change in residents between 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Place	Distance	Residents now	Amount of change	Verdict
Kelso	—	12,684	+4.6%	Measurable increase
Rainier	4.1 mi	2,130	+0.8%	Not a measurable change
Longview	4.2 mi	38,069	+1.5%	Measurable increase
Prescott	4.8 mi	34	−61.4%	Measurable decrease
Longview Heights	5.4 mi	4,357	+14.6%	Not a measurable change
Kalama	7.2 mi	3,050	+16.0%	Measurable increase
Castle Rock	11 mi	2,217	−29.7%	Measurable decrease
Woodland	15 mi	6,487	+6.9%	Measurable increase
Clatskanie	15 mi	2,364	+43.6%	Measurable increase

Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.

Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.

What you can do on Seayora in Kelso

One account for renting, owning, managing and fixing homes, with these figures beside you.

Own or manage a rental?

List it, sign the lease and collect rent online, with the figures for Kelso beside you.

Create a landlord account · See what landlords get

Looking for a place to rent?

Browse homes for rent near Kelso, save the ones you like and apply online.

Browse rentals · Create a renter account

Do repairs, renovations or maintenance?

Get found by owners and renters near Kelso, and send estimates and invoices from your phone.

Join as a pro · Find a pro

Questions about Kelso

Is Kelso growing?

Kelso, WA had an estimated 12,684 residents in 2020–2024 and 12,123 in 2015–2019, a change of +4.6%: a measurable increase by the Census Bureau’s test.

How many homes have been added in Kelso?

The estimated number of housing units went from 4,764 in 2015–2019 to 5,656 in 2020–2024 (+18.7%), a measurable increase.

How much new construction is there in Kelso?

0.2% of homes in Kelso were built in 2020 or later and 5.2% between 2010 and 2019.

Sources

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 Kelso city, Washington (place:35065, 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, B25001_001E, B25001_001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, B25064_001E, B25064_001M, B25077_001E, B25077_001M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0017PE, DP04_0017PM, DP04_0018PE, DP04_0018PM, DP05_0018E, DP05_0018M

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.