The town currently named the poorest in Washington is Oroville, according to a recent analysis by 24/7 Wall St. Oroville has a median household income of $32,083, which is significantly lower than the state average of $82,400. Additionally, about 30.3% of households in Oroville receive SNAP benefits, and the median home value is $142,700. The town’s population is just under 1,700 residents.
It’s important to note that different reports may use varying criteria and population thresholds. For example, Yakima is often cited as the poorest city in Washington when considering larger municipalities (over 25,000 residents), with a median household income of $44,950 and a poverty rate of 20.4%. However, for towns with populations between 1,000 and 25,000, Oroville ranks as the poorest by median income.
Other towns with high poverty rates include Shelton, West Clarkston-Highland, and Othello, but by the most recent and specific rankings, Oroville holds the distinction of being the poorest town in Washington.
Sources
[1] https://247wallst.com/income/2024/05/13/towns-in-washington-state-with-the-worst-poverty/
[2] https://www.iheart.com/content/2023-11-08-the-poorest-town-in-washington/
[3] https://keyw.com/7-of-the-poorest-towns-in-wa-state-are-next-to-the-tri-cities/
[4] https://97rockonline.com/10-richest-and-poorest-cities-in-washington-state/
[5] https://newstalkkit.com/yakima-on-poor-cities-list/
