Jobs, pay and daily life in Moses Lake, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Moses Lake is a city in Washington with 26,083 residents. The median household earns $74,752 a year and the median rent is $1,216 a month, which is 19.5% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Moses Lake compares. Among the 80 largest places in Washington, Moses Lake is #49 by population, #77 for remote work (#1 = most), #7 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #73 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Grant County, is #15 of 39 counties for average pay ($63,558).
Moses Lake has 26,083 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.3% of the population of Washington. It covers 18 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,438 people per square mile. The median age is 32.3, 16% younger than the state median (32.3 against 38.3).
The median gross rent is $1,216 a month (rent plus utilities), 31% below the state median ($1,216 against $1,760). Over a year that is 19.5% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $310,000, which is 4.1 times the median household income ($74,752). 61.2% of households own their home, 4% below the state average (61.2% against 63.8%).
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Grant County was 4.0%. 63.7% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Grant County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 80.5% drive alone, 0.0% use public transit, 2.3% walk, 7.1% work from home. 6.7% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 60% below the state average (6.7% against 16.9%).
21.4% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 46% below the state share (21.4% against 39.6%). 7.6% of residents were born outside the United States, 51% below the state share (7.6% against 15.4%). The poverty rate is 15.8%, 59% above the state rate (15.8% against 9.9%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 77°F (25.1°C), and the coolest is Dec at 31°F (-0.8°C). About 262 mm (10 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (42 mm) and Jul the driest (4 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Wenatchee (54 miles, similar rent); Richland (58 miles, rent 21% higher); Pasco (60 miles, similar rent); Ellensburg (61 miles, rent 10% higher). Rent differences are against Moses Lake; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Washington (1,198) →State guide: WashingtonCountry guideGrant CountyWashington rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,198 federal postings open in Washington (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 28.0% |
| Manufacturing | 16.3% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 7.7% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 7.2% |
| Retail trade | 6.7% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.0% |
| Other services | 4.9% |
| Construction | 4.9% |
| Public administration | 4.1% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.6% |
| Wholesale trade | 2.5% |
| Information | 0.3% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Moses Lake lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant County | 101,799 | $8,583 million | $84,311 | 43,158 | 2,694 | $63,558 | +1.4% | 4.0% | 47,249 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4,587 | 18.4% | $74,745 | 1.29 |
| Retail trade | 3,540 | 14.2% | $39,237 | 0.82 |
| Health care and social assistance | 3,226 | 13.0% | $53,467 | 0.52 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,783 | 11.2% | $25,760 | 0.71 |
| Wholesale trade | 2,053 | 8.2% | $94,319 | 1.21 |
| Construction | 1,814 | 7.3% | $81,721 | 0.80 |
| Professional and technical services | 1,739 | 7.0% | $146,621 | 0.58 |
| Administrative and waste services | 1,449 | 5.8% | $49,197 | 0.57 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 1,160 | 4.7% | $68,679 | 0.63 |
| Information | 689 | 2.8% | $145,484 | 0.85 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 586 | 2.4% | $42,381 | 0.45 |
| Finance and insurance | 490 | 2.0% | $74,213 | 0.28 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 301 | 1.2% | $29,315 | 0.41 |
| Real estate and rental | 230 | 0.9% | $45,812 | 0.34 |
| Educational services | 205 | 0.8% | $23,687 | 0.23 |
| Management of companies | 37 | 0.1% | $120,410 | 0.05 |
| Utilities | 22 | 0.1% | $68,250 | 0.13 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 80.5% |
| Public transit | 0.0% |
| Walk | 2.3% |
| Work from home | 7.1% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 6.7% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $74,752 |
| Income per person | $35,449 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,216 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 19.5% |
| Median home value | $310,000 |
| Homeowners | 61.2% |
| Poverty rate | 15.8% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 32.3 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 90.5% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 21.4% |
| Born abroad | 7.6% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 63.7% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -0.7 | 31 | 36 |
| Feb | 1.9 | 35 | 23 |
| Mar | 6.4 | 44 | 27 |
| Apr | 10.6 | 51 | 20 |
| May | 16.3 | 61 | 22 |
| Jun | 20.3 | 69 | 16 |
| Jul | 25.1 | 77 | 4 |
| Aug | 24.1 | 75 | 6 |
| Sep | 18.6 | 65 | 10 |
| Oct | 10.9 | 52 | 24 |
| Nov | 3.9 | 39 | 32 |
| Dec | -0.8 | 31 | 42 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wenatchee | WA | 54 mi | 35,484 | $73,040 | $1,248 |
| Richland | WA | 58 mi | 62,753 | $95,813 | $1,468 |
| Pasco | WA | 60 mi | 79,575 | $85,586 | $1,227 |
| Ellensburg | WA | 61 mi | 20,874 | $55,438 | $1,340 |
| Kennewick | WA | 64 mi | 85,295 | $73,576 | $1,240 |
| Yakima | WA | 71 mi | 96,961 | $62,815 | $1,117 |
| Walla Walla | WA | 86 mi | 33,925 | $66,748 | $1,323 |
| Hermiston | OR | 89 mi | 19,546 | $66,998 | $1,088 |
| Spokane | WA | 94 mi | 230,293 | $70,064 | $1,215 |
| Spokane Valley | WA | 102 mi | 106,365 | $74,042 | $1,353 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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26,083 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,216 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 19.5% of the median household income.
$74,752 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
4.0% (BLS county, Grant County (latest month 2026M09)).
Washington. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.