The Town FilesCle Elum, Washington
City in Kittitas County · population 2,157 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $451,000
- Household income
- $63,973
- Jan low / Jul high
- 22° / 81°
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 0
- Median age
- 48.0
Cle Elum is a city of 2,157 people in Kittitas County, Washington. The median home is worth $451,000, below the typical Washington town ($475,000). It ranks hipper than 91% of Washington towns, better for a vacation home than 83% of Washington towns, more walkable than 72% of Washington towns.
How Cle Elum 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 Cle Elum is worth $451,000, below the typical Washington town ($475,000). Homes cost about 7.0 times the median household income of $63,973, which is more affordable than 11% of Washington towns. Median rent is $1,295 a month. 62.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Cle Elum | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $451,000 | $475,000 |
| Median rent | $1,295 | $1,597 |
| Median household income | $63,973 | $90,625 |
| Home value ÷ income | 7.0× | 5.3× |
| Homeownership | 62.6% | 74.4% |
| Median year built | 1976 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 2.7% | — |
Who lives in Cle Elum
| People | Cle Elum | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.0 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 23.4% | 17.9% |
| Under 18 | 9.9% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19.0% | 27.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 9.8% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 7.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.2% | — |
| Work from home | 10.6% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 23.7 min | 27.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 86.1% | 93.9% |
Weather in Cle Elum
July highs average 81.1°F and January lows 22.2°F. About 24.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year. Expect about 15 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 156 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
NOAA's Storm Events Database has no tornado within 10 miles of Cle Elum since 1950.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 2 times; the largest was 1.50 inches on July 5, 2006.
Severe weather in Kittitas County since 1996
Kittitas County has been included in 29 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 7, 2026 | Flood | DR-4906: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| December 12, 2025 | Flood | EM-3629: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| February 4, 2021 | Fire | DR-4584: Wildfires And Straight-Line Winds |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4481: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3427: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Kittitas County
Kittitas County had 16,775 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,172 a year. Unemployment was 5.1% in 2023; in Cle Elum itself the ACS puts it at 2.1%.
Public schools in Cle Elum
4 public schools with 978 students, about 20.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cle Elum Roslyn Elementary | PK-5 | 454 | 19.7 |
| Cle Elum Roslyn High School | 9-12 | 283 | 18.9 |
| Walter Strom Middle School | 6-8 | 224 | 22.4 |
| Swiftwater Alternative High School | 9-12 | 17 | 17.0 |
Towns near Cle Elum
- South Cle Elum, WA0.6 mi · 559 people · home $374,300
- Roslyn, WA10.3 mi · 950 people · home $565,200
- Ellensburg, WA23.2 mi · 18,666 people · home $404,100
- Kittitas, WA29.0 mi · 1,438 people · home $316,700
Cle Elum questions
Is Cle Elum, Washington a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Cle Elum scores better for retirees than 64% of Washington towns and quieter than 70%. 23.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 48.0).
How much does a house cost in Cle Elum?
The median owner-occupied home in Cle Elum is valued at $451,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $63,973, so homes cost about 7.0 times income. Median rent is $1,295 a month.
What is the weather like in Cle Elum?
July highs average 81.1°F and January lows 22.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 24.7 inches of precipitation a year.
Does Cle Elum get tornadoes?
No tornado has been recorded within 10 miles of Cle Elum in NOAA's Storm Events Database since 1950.
- 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)