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%

Enumclaw$3,910/mo

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

Elk Plain$2,870/mo

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

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

Schools

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

Health

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

16Enumclaw

1Elk Plain

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

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

Left end = #1 in Washington. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Enumclaw’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

EnumclawElk Plain

Snow a year4″6″

January low34°F 33°F

July high77°F 76°F

Growing season (days)204d 202d

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

Outdoors & history

EnumclawElk Plain

Trails5 mi 6 mi

Conserved land16.5%0.5%

Settled1885 —

National Register places2 —

Archive photos4 —

Community

EnumclawElk Plain

Library hours a week52 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.

EnumclawElk Plain

Enumclaw ↔ Elk Plain21 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

EnumclawElk Plain

People

Population 12,798Lowest 14,276Highest

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

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

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

Kids under 18 20.6%±2.9Lowest WA: 21.4% 23%±3.1Highest 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+ 19.9%±3.3Highest WA: 16.6% 14.4%±1.6Lowest WA: 16.6%

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

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 3.4%±1.2Lowest WA: 5.7% 3.7%±1.4Highest 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 $121,250±$9kHighest 24% above WA $107,313±$8kLowest 9% 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 $524,600±$32kHighest 7% below WA $473,500±$19kLowest 16% 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 $1,954±$215Lowest 11% above WA $2,172±$187Highest 23% 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 $3,933Lowest 14% below WA $4,629Highest about the WA average

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 47.4%±11.4Highest WA: 49.9% 47.3%±12.4Lowest 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 7.5%Lowest WA: 9.9% 8.3%Highest WA: 9.9%

Housing

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

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

Getting to work

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

Work from home 13.8%±4.2Highest WA: 19.8% 10.9%±2.3Lowest 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 17%Highest 1%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 19.3 miHighest 15.8 miLowest

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

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

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in Elk PlainFew work in Enumclaw

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 16.5%Highest 0.5%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 4.9 miLowest 6.0 miHighest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.9 miHighest 0.7 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 14Highest 1Lowest

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

Schools

School district Enumclaw School DistrictBethel School District

High school in town Enumclaw Sr High SchoolBethel High School

Students per teacherat that high school 21.3Lowest 21.6Highest

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.

Enumclaw neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Enumclaw’s Town Square.

Elk Plain neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Elk Plain’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Enumclaw and Elk Plain

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

Towns like Enumclaw

+ Compare

Washougal17,490 people · $552K homes

+ Compare

Edgewood13,032 people · $712K homes

+ Compare

Blaine6,100 people · $550K homes

+ Compare

Bonney Lake22,090 people · $608K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks Washington towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

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.

Enumclaw vs Elk Plain

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 Enumclaw and Elk Plain

Towns like Enumclaw

Post to Enumclaw

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