Ryderwood, Washington Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 401, Ryderwood'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

Ryderwood is a small community located in Washington, within Cowlitz County. The total population is 401. It ranks as the 500th most populous out of 628 Census-designated places in Washington.

Age Demographics

The median age in Ryderwood is 72.1 years. This is 88% higher than the state median of 38.3 years. 33.7% 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 Ryderwood is $42,639. This is 57% lower than the state median of $98,141. It is also 47% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 11.7%. This is 18% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.9%. The survey records no unemployed residents in Ryderwood, which reflects the size of the sample rather than a labor market without joblessness. The median home value is $229,900. Housing costs are 59% lower than the state median of $564,600. The home-value-to-income ratio is 5.4x. 95.5% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 50% higher than the state average of 63.8%.

Race & Ethnicity

Ryderwood has a predominantly White (non-Hispanic) population, comprising 96.5% of all residents. Hispanic or Latino residents account for 3.2%. The White (non-Hispanic) population is significantly higher than the state average (96.5% vs 63.1%). The Hispanic or Latino population (3.2%) is well below the state average of 14.4%.

Education

14.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 63% 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 83.3%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for Ryderwood, 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.