The Town FilesMoses Lake, Washington
City in Grant County · population 25,146 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $310,000
- Household income
- $74,752
- Jan low / Jul high
- 24° / 90°
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 3
- Median age
- 32.3
Moses Lake is a city of 25,146 people in Grant County, Washington. The median home is worth $310,000, below the typical Washington town ($475,000). It ranks more vibrant than 76% of Washington towns, easier by car than 72% of Washington towns, better for young professionals than 70% of Washington towns.
How Moses Lake ranks
Percentile among Washington towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Washington towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Moses Lake is worth $310,000, below the typical Washington town ($475,000). Homes cost about 4.1 times the median household income of $74,752, which is more affordable than 84% of Washington towns. Median rent is $1,216 a month. 61.2% of households own their home.
| Housing | Moses Lake | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $310,000 | $475,000 |
| Median rent | $1,216 | $1,597 |
| Median household income | $74,752 | $90,625 |
| Home value ÷ income | 4.1× | 5.3× |
| Homeownership | 61.2% | 74.4% |
| Median year built | 1992 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.2% | — |
Who lives in Moses Lake
| People | Moses Lake | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 32.3 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 13.3% | 17.9% |
| Under 18 | 27.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.4% | 27.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 15.8% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 10.8% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 7.6% | — |
| Work from home | 7.1% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 18.2 min | 27.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 90.3% | 93.9% |
Weather in Moses Lake
July highs average 89.7°F and January lows 23.8°F. About 7.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year. Expect about 43 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 129 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Moses Lake since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Washington town. The strongest, an EF0, struck on May 26, 2023 about 7.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on May 26, 2023.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 4 times; the largest was 1.75 inches on July 20, 2012.
Severe weather in Grant County since 1996
Grant County has been included in 12 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| July 11, 2023 | Fire | FM-5469: Baird Springs Fire |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4481: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3427: Covid-19 |
| August 12, 2018 | Fire | FM-5271: Grass Valley Fire |
| July 20, 2018 | Fire | FM-5257: Buckshot Fire |
Jobs and pay in Grant County
Grant County had 43,158 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $63,558 a year. Unemployment was 5.2% in 2023; in Moses Lake itself the ACS puts it at 4.6%.
Public schools in Moses Lake
20 public schools with 8,740 students, about 17.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moses Lake High School | 9-12 | 1,979 | 23.8 |
| Columbia Middle School | 6-8 | 871 | 18.5 |
| Frontier Middle School | 6-8 | 721 | 16.8 |
| Park Orchard Elementary School | K-5 | 451 | 16.7 |
| Vicki I. Groff Elementary School | K-5 | 451 | 17.3 |
| Peninsula Elementary | K-5 | 395 | 17.2 |
| Garden Heights Elementary | K-5 | 392 | 17.0 |
| Vanguard Academy | 9-12 | 368 | 14.7 |
| Longview Elementary | K-5 | 368 | 16.0 |
| Sage Point Elementary School | K-5 | 343 | 16.3 |
| Lakeview Terrace Elementary | K-5 | 324 | 15.4 |
| Larson Heights Elementary | K-5 | 317 | 14.4 |
Towns near Moses Lake
- Cascade Valley, WA2.6 mi · 4,332 people · home —
- Moses Lake North, WA5.0 mi · 4,050 people · home $242,200
- Ephrata, WA17.6 mi · 8,477 people · home $252,000
- Othello, WA21.7 mi · 8,549 people · home $290,700
- Quincy, WA27.9 mi · 7,543 people · home $336,800
Moses Lake questions
Is Moses Lake, Washington a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Moses Lake scores better for retirees than 8% of Washington towns and quieter than 19%. 13.3% of residents are 65 or older (median age 32.3).
How much does a house cost in Moses Lake?
The median owner-occupied home in Moses Lake is valued at $310,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $74,752, so homes cost about 4.1 times income. Median rent is $1,216 a month.
What is the weather like in Moses Lake?
July highs average 89.7°F and January lows 23.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 7.8 inches of precipitation a year.
Does Moses Lake get tornadoes?
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Moses Lake since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF0 on May 26, 2023. The typical Washington town has had 1.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)