Chehalis ( shə-HAY-liss) is a city in and the county seat of Lewis County, Washington, United States. The population was 7,439 at the time of the 2020 census. The city is located in the Chehalis valley and is split by Interstate 5 (I-5) and State Route 6. It is twinned with the bordering city of Centralia. The community of Newaukum and the city of Napavine lie directly south, with the community of Adna to the west. Due to the city's location on the Chehalis River, and the nearby confluences of the Newaukum and Skookumchuck rivers, Chehalis has experienced several historic flooding events during its history. Incorporated in 1883, Chehalis was primarily a logging and railroad town, with a shi…

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Chehalis ranks

All →

#33Cheapest rent in WA #37Lowest property tax in WA #53Most affordable in WA All WA rankings →

Town numbers

ZIP code98532

Area code360

Living in Chehalis

Housing in Chehalis

$480K▲ 2% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Chehalis home is worth about $480,000, up 2% in a year, 19% below the Washington typical home.

Only 4 sales in May 2026, too few for a market read. The typical value is the steadier guide.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Chehalis

Safety Grade D

Chehalis reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 92% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000

Chehalis 3.1

Washington 2.9

U.S. 3.3

Property crime per 1,000

Chehalis 29.4

Washington 20.2

U.S. 15.5

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →

Work & commute in Chehalis

Full picture →

Most working residents leave Chehalis for work: only 17% work in town. The top destinations are Centralia (11%), Olympia (7%) and Seattle (6%). Half commute less than 27 miles.

Centralia

11%

Olympia

Seattle

Tumwater

17%Work in townlive and work in Chehalis 27 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 6,686Jobs based herea job hub

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Chehalis →

Health in Chehalis

B⁻

Health Grade B−

Healthier than 51% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with Washington

15worse than WA

of 26 measures CDC estimates. The other 11 are too close to call.

Conditions 4▼ 8 close Habits 3▼ 1 close Care 5▼ 2 close Mind 3▼ 0 close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

15.7%More older adults who have lost all their teethWA 9% · worse 13.8%More smokersWA 10.1% · worse 6.5%More adults with COPDWA 5.1% · worse

Care nearby

Providence Centralia HospitalCentralia · 3.5 mi · ER

Valley View Health Center - ChehalisChehalis · 2.1 mi · sliding-scale fees

Primary careShortage · county-wide

DentalShortage · county-wide

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CDC's estimate for Chehalis · CMS · HRSAHealth in Chehalis →

Natural hazards in Chehalis

Very high

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 89% of U.S. communities.

🏚️ Earthquakes🌊 Inland flooding

477Does Chehalis flood?paid flood claims since 1981 11Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Chehalis

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Chehalis →

Climate in Chehalis

Full climate →

Chehalis has mild winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 34°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

47° / 34°Winter

61° / 40°Spring

76° / 51°Summer

62° / 42°Fall

How much snow does Chehalis get?About 4 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 27, with the last in spring around Apr 22.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+0.8° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Chehalis →

Schools in Chehalis

All Chehalis schools →

B⁻

School Grade B-

The public schools Chehalis’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 54% of Washington’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.

DistrictChehalis School DistrictSchools9

Orin C Smith Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades 3–5 · 647 students James W Lintott Elementary SchoolElementary · Grades PK–2 · 634 students St. Joseph SchoolElementary · Grades PK–8 · 131 students Chehalis Middle SchoolMiddle · Grades 6–8 · 692 students W F West High SchoolHigh · Grades 9–12 · 950 students Green Hill Academic SchoolHigh · Grades 9–12 · 163 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within WA. Ratings are from neighbors.