Centralia is home to 18,830 people in Washington. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 19% of adults. That trails the Washington median by roughly 43%. The population is up 28% since 2000. Density works out to 2,471 people per square mile. 19.6% of residents live below the federal poverty line.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $56,219, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 39.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 81%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Centralia
What changed most since 1990
Median home value (2024 dollars)$120,963 → $318,200(+163%)US over the same years: +67%
Hispanic share2.3% → 19.7%(+17.3 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Adults with a bachelor's degree10.7% → 19.4%(+8.7 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Centralia's population equals 22% of Lewis County's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 41% of the county's. Its number of residents living in poverty equals 35% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)23.3%(273)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)19.5%(228)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era34.1%(399)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War11.5%(135)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.9%(10)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 1,171 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Centralia, decade by decade
Centralia population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
12,276
$51,885
$120,963
10.7%
12.1
2000
14,742
$54,792
$175,972
11.8%
32.6
2010
16,336
$47,520
$229,740
13.0%
45.7
2020
18,183
$49,239
$197,320
15.8%
58.5
2024
18,830
$56,219
$318,200
19.4%
54.3
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
