The Town Files

Lewis County, Washington

85,154 people. The median home is worth $385,800 (typical Washington town: $475,000) and the median household earns $74,796.

Towns in Lewis County

Towns in Lewis County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
Centralia18,183$318,200$56,21939.0
Chehalis7,439$372,900$73,70234.7

People and housing

Lewis CountyTypical Washington town
Median home value$385,800$475,000
Median rent$1,097$1,597
Median household income$74,796$90,625
Median age42.240.1
Bachelor's degree or higher21.5%27.6%
Below the poverty line12.2%8.5%

Jobs and pay

27,148 jobs in 2024, average pay $58,706 a year.

Largest industries in Lewis CountyHealth care & social assistan…4,235 jobs · $64,511Retail3,644 jobs · $44,993Manufacturing3,204 jobs · $71,294Hotels & restaurants2,538 jobs · $26,795Wholesale trade1,472 jobs · $70,038Construction1,374 jobs · $62,919
BLS QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in Lewis County0%4%8%12%2000200420082012201620202023 5.4%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 18 storm events in Lewis County from 1996 to 2026, with 3 deaths.

Storm events in Lewis County by type since 1996Flood8Tornado2Lightning3Heavy Rain5
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

Lewis County has been included in 37 FEMA declarations since 1953.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 7, 2026FloodDR-4906: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
December 12, 2025FloodEM-3629: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
April 28, 2024Severe StormDR-4775: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 12, 2023Severe StormDR-4682: Severe Winter Storm, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
March 29, 2022FloodDR-4650: Severe Winter Storms, Snowstorms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding
January 5, 2022FloodDR-4635: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).