A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Elk Plain$2,870/mo

Typical home $474K (Census) · tax rate 0.98% · or rent about $2,172/mo · Housing →

Enumclaw$3,910/mo

Typical home $666K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.75% · or rent about $1,954/mo · Housing →

The difference: $1,040 a month, about $12,500 a year, between Enumclaw and Elk Plain.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Enumclaw places higher on 16 of 19 WA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Washington ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

–Elk PlainNot graded B−EnumclawSafer than 52% of U.S. towns

Schools

BElk PlainBetter than 56% of districts in the state B+EnumclawBetter than 73% of districts in the state

Health

B−Elk PlainHealthier than 51% of U.S. towns AEnumclawHealthier than 89% of U.S. towns

1Elk Plain

16Enumclaw

Lists won, of 19 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most conserved landOutdoors · 275 towns #255#16 Lowest obesityHealth · 284 towns #250#38 HealthiestHealth · 284 towns #233#68 Fewest smokersHealth · 284 towns #240#82 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 284 towns #158#1 Fastest growingGrowth · 279 towns #249#98 Most activeHealth · 284 towns #178#42 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 284 towns #166#81

Left end = #1 in Washington. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Elk Plain’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

Elk PlainEnumclaw

Snow a year6″4″

January low33°F 34°F

July high76°F 77°F

Growing season (days)202d 204d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)56th 76th

Outdoors & history

Elk PlainEnumclaw

Trails6 mi 5 mi

Conserved land0.5%16.5%

Settled—1885

National Register places—2

Archive photos—4

Community

Elk PlainEnumclaw

Library hours a week—52 hrs

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

21 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Elk PlainEnumclaw

Elk Plain ↔ Enumclaw21 miles apart

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs Washington average

Elk PlainEnumclaw

People

Population 14,276Highest 12,798Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +2.3%Lowest WA: +14.6% +17.6%Highest WA: +14.6%

Median age 38±3.1Lowest about the WA average 42.1±2.1Highest 10% above WA

Enumclaw and Elk Plain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 23%±3.1Highest WA: 21.4% 20.6%±2.9Lowest WA: 21.4%

Elk Plain and Enumclaw are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 14.4%±1.6Lowest WA: 16.6% 19.9%±3.3Highest WA: 16.6%

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 17.5%Lowest WA: 39.6% 27.3%Highest WA: 39.6%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.7%±1.4Highest WA: 5.7% 3.4%±1.2Lowest WA: 5.7%

Elk Plain and Enumclaw are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $107,313±$8kLowest 9% above WA $121,250±$9kHighest 24% above WA

Enumclaw and Elk Plain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $473,500±$19kLowest 16% below WA $524,600±$32kHighest 7% below WA

Enumclaw and Elk Plain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Rentmedian gross, monthly $2,172±$187Highest 23% above WA $1,954±$215Lowest 11% above WA

Elk Plain and Enumclaw are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $4,629Highest about the WA average $3,933Lowest 14% below WA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 47.3%±12.4Lowest WA: 49.9% 47.4%±11.4Highest WA: 49.9%

Enumclaw and Elk Plain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 8.3%Highest WA: 9.9% 7.5%Lowest WA: 9.9%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 84.2%Highest WA: 63.8% 74.3%Lowest WA: 63.8%

Typical home builtmedian year 1993Highest 8 yrs newer than WA 1986Lowest 1 yr newer than WA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 37 minHighest 37% above WA 33 minLowest 24% above WA

Work from home 10.9%±2.3Lowest WA: 19.8% 13.8%±4.2Highest WA: 19.8%

Enumclaw and Elk Plain are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 1%Lowest 17%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 15.8 miLowest 19.3 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.16Lowest 0.82Highest

Top workplaceoutside town Tacoma (15%)Seattle (13%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in EnumclawFew work in Elk Plain

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 0.5%Lowest 16.5%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 6.0 miHighest 4.9 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.7 miLowest 0.9 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 1Lowest 14Highest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 59.7Lowest 95.2Highest

Schools

School district Bethel School DistrictEnumclaw School District

High school in town Bethel High SchoolEnumclaw Sr High School

Students per teacherat that high school 21.6Highest 21.3Lowest

Washington average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Elk Plain neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Elk Plain’s Town Square.

Enumclaw neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Enumclaw’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Elk Plain and Enumclaw

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Elk Plain

+ Compare

Graham35,079 people · $517K homes

+ Compare

South Creek2,191 people · $611K homes

+ Compare

Spanaway34,019 people · $446K homes

+ Compare

Frederickson25,383 people · $477K homes

Towns like Elk Plain

+ Compare

Orting8,978 people · $493K homes

+ Compare

Bonney Lake22,090 people · $608K homes

+ Compare

Battle Ground21,886 people · $485K homes

+ Compare

Washougal17,490 people · $552K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Elk Plain vs Enumclaw

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $1,040 more a month in Enumclaw

Enumclaw places higher on 16 of 19 WA lists

What daily life feels like in each

21 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Elk Plain and Enumclaw

Bordering Elk Plain

Towns like Elk Plain

Post to Elk Plain

Check your email