Cowlitz County, Washington
Located in Washington, Cowlitz County has a population of 112,360 residents and a median age of 41.5 years, making it the #560 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 12.2%. The median home value is $397,500, and the median household income is $76,531, which is 2% above the national median.
Demographics
Cowlitz County has a population of 112,360, making it the #560 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.5 years, which is 6.7% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Cowlitz County is $76,531, ranking #747 out of 3,222 counties — 1.8% above the national median. The poverty rate is 12.2% and unemployment stands at 5.9%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Cowlitz County is $397,500 (+41.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,206/mo and the homeownership rate is 68.0%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Cowlitz County, 17.6% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 47.7% below the national average, ranking #2,410 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Cowlitz County is 75.1 years. 18.5% of adults report poor or fair health and 7.5% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
15.0% of adults in Cowlitz County smoke , 39.0% are obese , and 19.0% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 29.3 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The homicide rate in Cowlitz County is 3.0 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 20.3 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 10.7 per 100,000.
Homicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
16.7% of children in Cowlitz County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 6.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 17.8 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Infant Mortality Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Cowlitz County is 73.7%. The mean commute time is 28.7 min, which is 3.9% above the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Cowlitz County voted Republican with a margin of 19.9%. The vote was 38.7% Dem / 58.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 2.5 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Cowlitz County, Washington
Cowlitz County, Washington has a total population of 112,360, making it the 560th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Cowlitz County is 41.5 years, which is 6.7% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Cowlitz County is $76,531, which ranks #747 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 1.8% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 12.2%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 5.9%.
The median home value in Cowlitz County is $397,500, 41.0% above the national median. Renters in Cowlitz County pay a median gross rent of $1,206 per month. The homeownership rate is 68.0%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Cowlitz County, 17.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 47.7% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 28.7 min.
Cowlitz County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 79.6% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (10.5%) and Two or More Races (6.3%).
All data for Cowlitz County, Washington comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.