The Town FilesKettle Falls, Washington
City in Stevens County · population 1,636 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $250,000
- Household income
- $48,682
- Jan low / Jul high
- 23° / 88°
- Snow a year
- 43 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 42.6
Kettle Falls is a city of 1,636 people in Stevens County, Washington. The median home is worth $250,000, below the typical Washington town ($475,000). It ranks better for a vacation home than 92% of Washington towns, easier by car than 90% of Washington towns, better for cycling than 81% of Washington towns.
How Kettle Falls 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 Kettle Falls is worth $250,000, below the typical Washington town ($475,000). Homes cost about 5.1 times the median household income of $48,682, which is more affordable than 57% of Washington towns. Median rent is $855 a month. 59.3% of households own their home.
| Housing | Kettle Falls | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $250,000 | $475,000 |
| Median rent | $855 | $1,597 |
| Median household income | $48,682 | $90,625 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.1× | 5.3× |
| Homeownership | 59.3% | 74.4% |
| Median year built | 1980 | 1985 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 3.9% | — |
Who lives in Kettle Falls
| People | Kettle Falls | Typical Washington town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 42.6 | 40.1 |
| Age 65 and over | 18.0% | 17.9% |
| Under 18 | 20.4% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 16.8% | 27.6% |
| Below the poverty line | 14.5% | 8.5% |
| Veterans | 8.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 3.7% | — |
| Work from home | 2.8% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 18.8 min | 27.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 86.4% | 93.9% |
Weather in Kettle Falls
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
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Kettle Falls 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 1.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 25, 2008.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 8 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 Kettle Falls itself the ACS puts it at 7.3%.
Public schools in Kettle Falls
5 public schools with 1,128 students, about 19.8 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia Virtual Academy - Kettle Falls | 9-12 | 360 | 40.0 |
| Kettle Falls Elementary School | PK-4 | 285 | 14.3 |
| Kettle Falls High School | 9-12 | 249 | 19.2 |
| Kettle Falls Middle School | 5-8 | 209 | 14.9 |
| Kettle Falls Early Learning Center | PK-PK | 25 | 25.0 |
Towns near Kettle Falls
- Colville, WA8.6 mi · 4,917 people · home $281,500
- Chewelah, WA27.4 mi · 2,470 people · home $267,400
- Curlew Lake, WA29.0 mi · 512 people · home $244,700
Kettle Falls questions
Is Kettle Falls, Washington a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Kettle Falls scores better for retirees than 62% of Washington towns and quieter than 72%. 18.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 42.6).
How much does a house cost in Kettle Falls?
The median owner-occupied home in Kettle Falls is valued at $250,000 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $48,682, so homes cost about 5.1 times income. Median rent is $855 a month.
What is the weather like in Kettle Falls?
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 Kettle Falls get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Kettle Falls 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)