Median Income
$57,958
household / year
Median Home Value
$220,300
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,003
gross / month
Cost of Living
101
national avg = 100

Is Ephrata, WA a Good Place to Live?

Ephrata is a small town of 8,419 in Washington, with a median household income of $57,958 and a 4.7% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 101 (US average = 100), which is 1% above the national average.

Strengths: Ephrata stands out for below-average home prices, lower-than-average crime, short average commutes.

Trade-offs: No major red flags stand out in the available data. Whether Ephrata is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All Ephrata city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 101.0

Ephrata's overall cost of living index is 101.0, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in Ephrata costs roughly 1% more than the average American city.

Metric Ephrata, WA National Avg
Median Home Value $220,300 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,003 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 65.6% 65.9%
Median Household Income $57,958 $74,755

Crime & Safety

Safer than Average

Ephrata's violent crime rate is 183.4 per 100,000 residents — 52% lower than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
183.4 /100k
Property Crime
2923.6 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

Ephrata is served primarily by Ephrata School District. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18.5:1 (slightly above the national average of ~16:1).

Metric Ephrata, WA National Avg
School District Ephrata School District —
Elementary Schools 3 —
Middle Schools 2 —
High Schools 2 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 18.5:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 13.1% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 87.9% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

Ephrata sees average highs of 35.6°F in January and 89.3°F in July, with 7.6 inches of annual precipitation and 16.5 inches of snow per year.

MetricEphrata, WA
Average High — January35.6°F
Average High — July89.3°F
Annual Precipitation7.6"
Annual Snowfall16.5"

Demographics

MetricEphrata, WANational Avg
Population8,419—
Median Age33.438.9
Unemployment Rate4.7%3.7%
Avg Commute Time20.5 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)72.1%59.3%
Black or African American0.9%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino22.4%18.9%
Asian0.5%6.3%
Under 1832.1%22.2%
65 and over15.2%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Lakeview, WA 5 mi Soap Lake, WA 6 mi Moses Lake North, WA 13 mi Cascade Valley, WA 15 mi Quincy, WA 16 mi

ZIP Codes in Ephrata

Ephrata, WA is covered by 1 ZIP code:

98823

Ephrata vs Other Cities

Ephrata, WA vs Lakeview, WA Ephrata, WA vs Soap Lake, WA Ephrata, WA vs Moses Lake North, WA Ephrata, WA vs Cascade Valley, WA Ephrata, WA vs Quincy, WA

Frequently Asked Questions

Ephrata's cost of living index is 101, where 100 is the national average. That puts Ephrata roughly 1% above the national average in cost. The median home price is $220,300 and median rent is $1,003/month.
Ephrata's violent crime rate is 183.4 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 2923.6 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in Ephrata are operated by Ephrata School District. The district has 3 elementary, 2 middle, and 2 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 18.5:1. 13.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Ephrata, WA has a population of 8,419, a median household income of $57,958, and an unemployment rate of 4.7%. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
Ephrata averages 35.6°F in January and 89.3°F in July. Annual rainfall is 7.6 inches with about 16.5 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
Ephrata, WA is covered by 1 ZIP code: 98823.
The population of Ephrata, Washington is 8,419 with a median age of 33.4. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in Ephrata: cost of living index 101 (100 = US average), median home $220,300, median household income $57,958, crime index 85 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated C+. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare Ephrata side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.