Ruston, Washington

Population

Down 0.4% since 2020.

1,052

people, the 203rd-largest of Washington's cities and towns.

Census Population Estimates, 2025. Rank among Washington's cities and towns computed by the Almanac. Sources: Census Population Estimates

The workday

Nearly every job here goes to someone who lives somewhere else.

99.4%

of 700 jobs located in Ruston are filled by in-commuters.

Census LEHD LODES, 2023. Sources: Census LEHD LODES

Rent

Median rent is up 130% since the 2005–2009 survey, before inflation.

$2,598

a month. Washington's median is $1,760.

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024 (latest), with earlier 5-year windows. Survey estimates for a place this size carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

The seam

Cross one tract line and median rent doubles.

A $1,669 gap between neighbors, the sharpest rent edge between adjacent tracts in Pierce County.

• $1,750 Tract 704.01
• $3,419 Tract 702.08

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024, adjacent tracts compared by the Almanac. Tract estimates carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year

Room to build

The median rent is above what local wages can carry.

$1,003–$1,504

is the monthly rent range local workforce wages support.

• $2,598 median

Supportable rent computed by the Almanac from 2023 source wage data. Median rent: Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Sources: Computed by the Almanac, Census ACS 5-year

Building

55% of the housing here was built before 2000.

• 31 homes permitted in ten years, 2016–2025
• 0% of those were in multifamily buildings
• 55% of all homes were built before 2000

Census Building Permits Survey, 2016–2025; Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Survey estimates for a place this size carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census Building Permits Survey, Census ACS 5-year

Units needed

Closing the gap would add 0.1–1.0% to the 676 homes here.

1–7

is the estimated number of missing housing units, from the lowest to the highest of three estimates.

Range computed by the Almanac from 2023 jobs and household data, using three demand models: 1% of jobs located here, 1% of renter households, and a rate by town size applied to renters. The low end is the lowest of the three and the high end the highest. It is an estimate, not a count. Sources: Computed by the Almanac

Home value

A median home costs 62% more than Washington's.

$912,700

median home value in Ruston.

• $912,700 Ruston
• $564,600 Washington
• $332,700 U.S.

Census ACS 5-year, 2020-2024. Survey estimates for a place this size carry wide margins of error. Sources: Census ACS 5-year