Jobs, pay and daily life in Walla Walla, 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.
Walla Walla is a city in Washington with 33,925 residents. The median household earns $66,748 a year and the median rent is $1,323 a month, which is 23.8% of the median household income. It is part of the Walla Walla, WA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 25,920 jobs.
How Walla Walla compares. Among the 80 largest places in Washington, Walla Walla is #41 by population, #2 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #74 for household income (#1 = highest), #11 for rent (#1 = cheapest). Its county, Walla Walla County, is #26 of 39 counties for average pay ($55,812).
Walla Walla has 33,925 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.4% of the population of Washington. It covers 14 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 2,411 people per square mile. The median age is 37.4, about the same as the state median (37.4 against 38.3).
The median gross rent is $1,323 a month (rent plus utilities), 25% below the state median ($1,323 against $1,760). Over a year that is 23.8% 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 $393,600, which is 5.9 times the median household income ($66,748); a ratio above 5 usually means buying is out of reach without savings or a second income. 57.1% of households own their home, 11% below the state average (57.1% against 63.8%).
The Walla Walla, WA metropolitan area has 25,920 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $53,100 a year, 4% above the national median ($53,100 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (2,620 jobs, median $50,810); production (2,500 jobs, median $45,950); food preparation and serving related (2,320 jobs, median $38,640). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Walla Walla County was 3.2%. 57.2% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Walla Walla County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 67.4% drive alone, 0.5% use public transit, 8.1% walk, 13.3% work from home. 4.0% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 76% below the state average (4.0% against 16.9%).
27.6% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 30% below the state share (27.6% against 39.6%). 9.2% of residents were born outside the United States, 40% below the state share (9.2% against 15.4%). The poverty rate is 14.3%, 44% above the state rate (14.3% against 9.9%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 68°F (20.1°C), and the coolest is Dec at 30°F (-1.2°C). About 680 mm (27 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Dec is the wettest month (95 mm) and Jul the driest (11 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: Pendleton (36 miles, rent 28% lower); Pasco (40 miles, rent 7% lower); Kennewick (41 miles, rent 6% lower); Richland (48 miles, rent 11% higher). Rent differences are against Walla Walla; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Washington (1,198) →State guide: WashingtonCountry guideWalla Walla 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.
Open federal jobs in Washington →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,160 | 1.61 | $47,700 | $37,750 | $47,700 | +33% |
| Registered Nurses | 810 | 1.44 | $116,970 | $85,230 | $147,870 | +20% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 800 | 1.24 | $35,020 | $34,650 | $43,820 | +12% |
| Retail Salespersons | 640 | 0.98 | $36,620 | $34,650 | $49,280 | +3% |
| Cashiers | 490 | 0.96 | $35,930 | $34,650 | $44,070 | +9% |
| Office Clerks, General | 440 | 1.07 | $48,310 | $37,010 | $59,070 | +7% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 430 | 1.16 | $39,480 | $35,040 | $50,830 | +7% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 420 | 0.89 | $39,490 | $35,080 | $48,460 | +6% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 370 | 2.03 | $91,170 | $58,280 | $136,990 | +10% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 340 | 0.90 | $56,730 | $38,590 | $79,340 | +61% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 330 | 1.40 | $45,140 | $38,800 | $47,600 | +23% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 310 | 1.23 | $53,960 | $39,250 | $78,790 | +9% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 290 | 0.58 | $44,920 | $35,990 | $53,760 | +12% |
| Nursing Assistants | 290 | 1.20 | $47,990 | $40,340 | $57,770 | +14% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 290 | 1.02 | $51,640 | $42,040 | $63,560 | +9% |
| General and Operations Managers | 280 | 0.49 | $106,690 | $71,900 | $200,160 | +1% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 270 | 0.78 | $60,300 | $47,060 | $72,490 | +3% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 260 | 1.09 | $44,050 | $35,770 | $52,000 | +18% |
| Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks | 250 | 1.09 | $51,410 | $42,340 | $67,950 | +1% |
| Landscaping and Groundskeeping Workers | 240 | 1.54 | $40,550 | $34,980 | $52,770 | +4% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nurses | 810 | 1.44 | $116,970 | $85,230 | $147,870 | +20% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 1,160 | 1.61 | $47,700 | $37,750 | $47,700 | +33% |
| Retail Salespersons | 640 | 0.98 | $36,620 | $34,650 | $49,280 | +3% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 800 | 1.24 | $35,020 | $34,650 | $43,820 | +12% |
These figures are for the whole Walla Walla, WA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $53,100 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.2% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 25.4% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 16.4% |
| Retail trade | 13.4% |
| Manufacturing | 8.2% |
| Construction | 7.0% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 6.5% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 6.0% |
| Public administration | 5.2% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 3.5% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 2.7% |
| Other services | 2.5% |
| Information | 1.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.4% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Walla Walla 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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walla Walla County | 62,161 | $4,583 million | $73,726 | 29,090 | 1,804 | $55,812 | +0.3% | 3.2% | 29,289 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 4,468 | 24.7% | $60,804 | 1.07 |
| Manufacturing | 3,884 | 21.5% | $67,983 | 1.63 |
| Retail trade | 2,381 | 13.2% | $35,851 | 0.82 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,032 | 11.2% | $28,204 | 0.77 |
| Construction | 1,127 | 6.2% | $62,833 | 0.74 |
| Educational services | 966 | 5.3% | $61,847 | 1.61 |
| Wholesale trade | 808 | 4.5% | $65,990 | 0.70 |
| Finance and insurance | 569 | 3.1% | $91,818 | 0.48 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 466 | 2.6% | $25,395 | 0.95 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 432 | 2.4% | $38,737 | 0.49 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 425 | 2.4% | $54,371 | 0.35 |
| Information | 221 | 1.2% | $61,191 | 0.41 |
| Real estate and rental | 202 | 1.1% | $46,293 | 0.45 |
| Utilities | 104 | 0.6% | $115,364 | 0.94 |
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 | 67.4% |
| Public transit | 0.5% |
| Walk | 8.1% |
| Work from home | 13.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 4.0% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $66,748 |
| Income per person | $35,638 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,323 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 23.8% |
| Median home value | $393,600 |
| Homeowners | 57.1% |
| Poverty rate | 14.3% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 98.5 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $53,100 |
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 | 37.4 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 89.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 27.6% |
| Born abroad | 9.2% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 57.2% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -0.8 | 31 | 83 |
| Feb | 0.2 | 32 | 69 |
| Mar | 3.4 | 38 | 82 |
| Apr | 6.4 | 44 | 61 |
| May | 11.2 | 52 | 62 |
| Jun | 14.8 | 59 | 47 |
| Jul | 20.1 | 68 | 11 |
| Aug | 19.8 | 68 | 16 |
| Sep | 15.3 | 60 | 23 |
| Oct | 8.6 | 47 | 54 |
| Nov | 2.8 | 37 | 77 |
| Dec | -1.2 | 30 | 95 |
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 ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pendleton | OR | 36 mi | 16,950 | $66,563 | $956 |
| Pasco | WA | 40 mi | 79,575 | $85,586 | $1,227 |
| Kennewick | WA | 41 mi | 85,295 | $73,576 | $1,240 |
| Richland | WA | 48 mi | 62,753 | $95,813 | $1,468 |
| Hermiston | OR | 48 mi | 19,546 | $66,998 | $1,088 |
| La Grande | OR | 53 mi | 13,058 | $58,427 | $968 |
| Lewiston | ID | 68 mi | 34,651 | $72,197 | $1,027 |
| Pullman | WA | 72 mi | 32,229 | $46,812 | $1,062 |
| Moscow | ID | 79 mi | 26,286 | $57,022 | $927 |
| Moses Lake | WA | 86 mi | 26,083 | $74,752 | $1,216 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
33,925 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,323 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 23.8% of the median household income.
$66,748 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.2% (BLS county, Walla Walla County (latest month 2026M09)).
Washington. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.