Population 4,157 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Soap Lake
Household size in Soap Lake
| Period | Soap Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.21 | 2.56 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.23 | 2.62 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.74 | 2.62 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.71 | 2.61 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.51 | +0.05 | −0.03 |
Households in Soap Lake average 2.71 people, about the same as the country as a whole (2.65). The typical household here is bigger than in Washington overall, where it has 2.61 people. Household size has climbed from 2.21 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Soap Lake
| Period | Soap Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.3 | 38.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 49.7 | 38.7 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 38.9 | 39.3 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.7 | 39.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | −10.6 | +1.6 | +2.3 |
Soap Lake is younger than the country as a whole: its median age is 36.7, against 40.1 nationally.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Soap Lake
| Period | Soap Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.2% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.7% | 10.6% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 9.4% | 10.1% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.8 pts | −0.8 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in ten households in Soap Lake (9.4%), below the national share of 11.6%. The picture is much the same across Washington.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Soap Lake
Renters in Soap Lake
| Period | Soap Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.8% | 35.2% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 32.9% | 37.3% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.0% | 37.0% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 31.5% | 36.2% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.7 pts | +1.0 pts | +1.5 pts |
Just over three in ten households in Soap Lake rent their homes (31.5%), a little below the national share of 34.8%; the rest own. Among homeowners, 52.7% have no mortgage at all, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Soap Lake
| Period | Soap Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.6% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 14.9% | 9.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 21.4% | 8.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 19.1% | 7.6% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Soap Lake: 19.1% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Soap Lake
| Period | Soap Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1972 | 1977 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1976 | 1979 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1971 | 1980 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1971 | 1984 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Soap Lake is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1971, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Soap Lake
| Period | Soap Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $488 | $1,018 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $708 | $1,127 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $621 | $1,390 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $875 | $1,875 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$387 | +$858 | +$606 |
The median renter in Soap Lake pays $875 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 34.4% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Soap Lake
Bachelor's degrees in Soap Lake
| Period | Soap Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.3% | 31.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 12.0% | 32.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.2% | 35.5% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 15.4% | 38.8% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.1 pts | +7.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Soap Lake: 15.4% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Soap Lake
| Period | Soap Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.1% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 79.8% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 83.8% | 91.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 81.0% | 91.9% | 89.3% |
| Change | −1.2 pts | +2.4 pts | +4.3 pts |
Nearly one in five adults in Soap Lake never finished high school, well above the national share: only 81.0% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% nationally.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Soap Lake
| Period | Soap Lake | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.8% | 7.6% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 12.4% | 8.9% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.0% | 5.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.8% | 5.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −1.0 pts | −2.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs high in Soap Lake: 6.8% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Soap Lake compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soap Lake | 2.71 | 36.7 | 9.4% | 31.5% | 19.1% | 1971 | $875 | 15.4% | 81.0% | 6.8% |
| Lakeview Park | 2.76 | 37.3 | 12.1% | 29.0% | 11.9% | 1981 | $1,016 | 14.4% | 79.3% | 11.5% |
| Adrian | 2.35 | 46.4 | 10.6% | 15.8% | 47.4% | 1973 | $447 | 21.8% | 92.0% | 2.4% |
| Ephrata | 2.66 | 33.3 | 19.9% | 32.8% | 5.9% | 1975 | $1,143 | 17.7% | 91.0% | 5.1% |
| Stratford | 2.43 | 45.8 | 8.3% | 14.6% | 35.7% | 1976 | $557 | 21.3% | 94.2% | 3.1% |
| Moses Lake North | 3.14 | 37.6 | 8.0% | 18.5% | 9.8% | 1993 | $762 | 18.9% | 93.7% | 7.9% |
| Winchester | 3.52 | 31.4 | 17.5% | 26.8% | 12.0% | 1994 | $1,150 | 19.1% | 81.7% | 1.1% |
| Wilson Creek | 2.55 | 41.6 | 3.4% | 19.6% | 12.5% | 1974 | $779 | 19.3% | 93.2% | 4.0% |
| Coulee City | 2.33 | 53.6 | 9.2% | 24.4% | 30.2% | 1966 | $675 | 12.5% | 89.3% | 4.3% |
| Moses Lake | 2.70 | 35.0 | 15.3% | 34.3% | 7.0% | 1987 | $1,258 | 21.7% | 88.0% | 6.0% |
| Farmer | 2.48 | 44.2 | 1.8% | 39.9% | 23.8% | 1973 | $945 | 22.6% | 83.9% | 2.4% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Troutville, VA · Troy, VA · Eglin Afb, FL · Elizabeth, IN · Seat Pleasant, MD · Eleva, WI · Sebring, OH · El Lago, TX · El Granada, CA · Ekron, KY
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Soap Lake. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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