Curlew Lake, Washington Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 533, Curlew Lake'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

Curlew Lake is a small community located in Washington, within Ferry County. The total population is 533. It ranks as the 469th most populous out of 628 Census-designated places in Washington.

Age Demographics

The median age in Curlew Lake is 67.4 years. This is 76% higher than the state median of 38.3 years. Only 14.1% of residents are under 18, indicating fewer families with children. 25.3% of residents are 75 or older, suggesting a significant retirement-age population with implications for healthcare services and senior housing.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in Curlew Lake is $51,188. This is 48% lower than the state median of $98,141. It is also 37% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 7.1%. This is 28% lower than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. The survey records no unemployed residents in Curlew Lake, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $244,700. Housing costs are 57% lower than the state median of $564,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 4.8x. 83.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 31% higher than the state average of 63.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

Curlew Lake has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 90.6% of all residents.

Education

7.0% 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 98.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Curlew Lake, 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.