Cle Elum is a city of 1,905 people in Washington. The median age is 48.0, about 9 years above the US median. Four-year degrees are less common here than nationally, at 19% of adults. Households here earn about 35% less than in Washington as a whole. 2% of people here were born outside the United States. People stay put here: 94% were in the same home a year ago.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $63,973, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 48.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
19% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 150%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Cle Elum
What changed most since 1990
Median home value (2024 dollars)$118,323 → $451,000(+281%)US over the same years: +67%
Hispanic share1.5% → 5.6%(+4.1 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Cle Elum's population equals 4.0% of Kittitas County's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 1.8% of the county's. Its number of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher equals 2.7% 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)18.6%(24)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)34.9%(45)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era16.3%(21)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War2.3%(3)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0%(0)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 129 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
Cle Elum, decade by decade
Cle Elum 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
1,778
$49,031
$118,323
7.3%
6.1
2000
1,755
$51,269
$180,162
10.7%
16.8
2010
1,872
$52,876
$326,843
12.5%
25.9
2020
2,157
$56,952
$321,675
13.5%
33.7
2024
1,905
$63,973
$451,000
19.0%
41.6
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.
