Buena, Washington Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 791, Buena's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

Buena is a small community located in Washington, within Yakima County. The total population is 791. It ranks as the 417th most populous out of 628 Census-designated places in Washington.

Age Demographics

The median age in Buena is 17.2 years. This is 55% lower than the state median of 38.3 years. With 52.5% of the population under 18, Buena has a notably young demographic profile, suggesting a family-oriented community.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Buena is $41,953. This is 57% lower than the state median of $98,141. It is also 48% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 20.2%. This is 104% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The survey records no unemployed residents in Buena, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $237,000. Housing costs are 58% lower than the state median of $564,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 5.6x. 44.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 30% lower than the state average of 63.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in Buena is Hispanic or Latino, making up 52.7% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 44.5%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (52.7% vs 14.4%). The Asian population (2.8%) is well below the state average of 9.7%.

Education

7.3% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is among the lowest rates in the state, which may correlate with employment and income patterns. This is 82% lower than the state rate of 39.6%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 55.5%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Buena, Washington is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Washington state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 628 Census-designated places in Washington. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.