The Town FilesColville, Washington
City in Stevens County · population 4,917 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $281,500
- Household income
- $56,558
- Jan low / Jul high
- 23° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 43 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 5
- Median age
- 44.1
Colville is a city of 4,917 people in Stevens County, Washington. The median home is worth $281,500, below the typical Washington town ($475,000). It ranks hipper than 97% of Washington towns, better for retirees than 96% of Washington towns, better for first-time buyers than 93% of Washington towns.
How Colville 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 Colville is worth $281,500, below the typical Washington town ($475,000). Homes cost about 5.0 times the median household income of $56,558, which is more affordable than 61% of Washington towns. Median rent is $912 a month. 56.9% of households own their home.
| Housing | Colville | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $281,500 | $475,000 |
| Median rent | $912 | $1,597 |
| Median household income | $56,558 | $90,625 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.0× | 5.3× |
| Homeownership | 56.9% | 74.4% |
| Median year built | 1968 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Colville
| People | Colville | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 44.1 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 26.5% | 17.9% |
| Under 18 | 21.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.1% | 27.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 21.9% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 10.1% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 1.0% | — |
| Work from home | 14.5% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 14.0 min | 27.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 87.3% | 93.9% |
Weather in Colville
July highs average 88.4°F and January lows 23.2°F. About 19.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 43.4 inches of snow (typical Washington town: 4.0 in). Expect about 38 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 144 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Colville since 1950, compared with 1 for the typical Washington town. 1 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on April 5, 1972 about 10.0 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 21, 1997.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 7 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on July 23, 2014.
Severe weather in Stevens County since 1996
Stevens County has been included in 23 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| August 3, 2026 | Fire | EM-3650: Wildfires |
| August 2, 2026 | Fire | FM-5659: Autumn Lane Fire |
| August 16, 2021 | Fire | FM-5411: Ford Corkscrew Fire |
| March 22, 2020 | Biological | DR-4481: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3427: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Stevens County
Stevens County had 11,512 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $53,211 a year. Unemployment was 6% in 2023; in Colville itself the ACS puts it at 4.7%.
Public schools in Colville
6 public schools with 1,719 students, about 16.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colville Senior High School | 9-12 | 509 | 19.6 |
| Hofstetter Elementary | K-2 | 400 | 16.7 |
| Colville Junior High School | 6-8 | 382 | 15.9 |
| Fort Colville Elementary | 3-5 | 356 | 17.0 |
| Panorama School | PK-12 | 71 | 8.9 |
| Colville Fish Hatchery | 7-12 | 1 | — |
Colville questions
Is Colville, Washington a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Colville scores better for retirees than 96% of Washington towns and quieter than 45%. 26.5% of residents are 65 or older (median age 44.1).
How much does a house cost in Colville?
The median owner-occupied home in Colville is valued at $281,500 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $56,558, so homes cost about 5.0 times income. Median rent is $912 a month.
What is the weather like in Colville?
July highs average 88.4°F and January lows 23.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 19.9 inches of precipitation a year and 43.4 inches of snow.
Does Colville get tornadoes?
5 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Colville since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on April 5, 1972. 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)